R&D industry job?

[20YearsOfSnow]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I'm having some difficulty finding information about this, so I'm hoping that someone here might be able to help me out.

I want to work in research & development in the pharmaceutical industry, but I don't have enough experience to know which stage (basic, clinical, etc.) I'd prefer. I'm leaning towards basic research, but honestly I don't know enough about either to make a good judgment.

What degree should I be looking for? My tentative plan right now is to apply to PharmD/PhD programs next year. My GPA is about a 3.5 I think (I'm a junior at CWRU) and my PCAT was a 99 composite. If I end up going for the PhD, I'll be taking the GRE this summer.

I just can't see myself working retail or even in a hospital position... clinical pharmacy does interest me, but I love the work I do as an undergrad research assistant in a molecular biology/genetics lab, and I genuinely love the chem labs I've taken as classes, especially ochem and analytical chem labs. I'm absolutely fascinated by the effects chemical compounds can have on the body (pharmacology/biochemistry, yes?).

Future job stability is also a huge concern of mine... I'm hoping to get a degree that will offer a stable and steady income.

I'd love any advice you can give, or resources to help me learn more. Thank you, it's much appreciated!

 

[Farmtastic]

This is just my opinion. Others may disagree. It sounds like you're not interested in being a pharmacist, so I would just apply to PhD programs. You can get involved with research to see if you prefer Basic or Clinical.

 

[p-rog]

I can see why people would say that maybe you shouldn't go to pharmacy school but I mean, there are a lot of people who have the same interests as you and do the dual pharmD/PhD, so it's not like it's that uncommon, and it's definitely not "wrong".

My only advice is that you think about it and realize that you will spend of a lot of time learning about things in pharmacy school that are more clinical and patient-oriented, and it may annoy you after a while if you're really not interested in it. You say you're interested in how drugs work in the body, which is a decent reason to go to pharmacy school I think. If you just wanted do a PhD alone, it sounds like pharmacology would be your best bet. Also, obviously the combination of a PharmD + a PhD degree gives you flexibility and job stability. Of course, it's also a lot of work. But hey, you took the PCAT and made a 99, so obviously you're willing to do a little hard work if need be.


Anyways, you don't really have a specific question so the best referrence I can give you is this thread:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=422094

 

[Rebel78]

Check your PM