Research in Pharmacy School

[OSURxgirl]

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Although I'm not hard-core enough to do a PharmD/PhD program, I am very interested in research. Is it possible to do research under a pharmacy faculty member while in pharm school? Have any of you done it? How many hours per week were you able to commit? I think it would be a good experience for me, because I hope to do a residency, and I've also entertained the possibility of teaching. Any advice or experiences you want to share would be helpful. Thank you. 😳

 

[vafcarrot]

You should look into pharmacology program at the school you are interesting in attending. There's alot of different drug development and research going on in that field.

 

[bananaface]

Do you want to do your own research, or help out with someone else's? Your faculty advisor will want you do do an offshoot of their work as your own project, or their grunt work. (Obvious inference: pick someone whose intersts match up closely with your own.)

I can say from experience that anything worthwhile of your own is going to take a hefty chunk of time. Summer is a good time for that kind of project. But, unless you already have research experience or a firm background in experimental design, you may not find a professor who will let you do your own thing.

To limit your time committment during the school year you will probably have to go for the menial stuff.

JD_USD may have some thoughts to contribute.

 

[lord999]

There's a wide variety of ways to enter the research world for the Pharm. D.

1. AFPE Pathways grant: I actually went through this way. Basically, you find a faculty sponsor, figure out some small project, and get to work with funding and your schooling for that period paid for. You can do it in the basic sciences of pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, etc. There is also a clinical pathway that tends to get the priority in funding (i.e. translational pharmacology/therapeutics and clinical decision systems).

2. Clerkships: Many of the big pharm companies will let students rotate through their facilities with the school's permission. The FDA and CDER also take pharm students, but it takes about 6 months from application to acceptance. If you go this route, I've heard Dr. Yu's department in bioequivalence is an exceptional experience.

3. Short term RA experience: In the major universities, there are generally opportunities to become involved in an ancillary aspect of some project. One of my friends was a Animal Care person, caring for rats that they used for the Psylabs.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Last semester I took a 3hr elective lab with a Medicinal Chemistry PhD. He gave me some molecules to synthesize and I spend the next four months making new sustituted guanines for oligonucleotide synthesis. It is pretty cool until you realize that it's 10% synthesis and 90% trying to purify the damned stuff.

 

[young skywalker]

I've worked in biotech and big pharma as a medicinal chemist for 2 years and tons of research as an undergrad and even in high school. Published as a coauthor in a few journals. I would say that if you really love research, go for the PhD/PharmD. If you go half way, you may find only very limited research opportunities (menial tasks). Chemists Biologists and even pure Pharmacology PhD?s will never respect the opinion of a PharmD when it comes to their research. There does seem to be some niche fields, such as research in formulation, clinical pharmacy, or potentially helping to run drug trials(but that field is populated with MD/PhD?s). I also wish to break into the field using my soon to be PharmD training, but even at UCSF I think I?m going to have to spend 7 years getting the PhD as well in order to have any real legitimacy in being a researcher. I think you also need to look at job potential when graduating as a PharmD wishing to go into research. It?s pretty scarce, except for maybe Amgen, there are few biotechs that will hire a PharmD, for doing lab bench R&D almost none. The pay is also lower, and heck working with all these chemicals all the time, even in the hood and with gloves, you gotta wonder about the long term affects. So basically if you want to go into the niche fields, get the PharmD, PharmD/PhD highly recommended. If you like the research, don?t waste your time with the PharmD, just get the PhD.

 

[gdk420]

I agree with 99.9% of what young skywalker said. In the research area, you would need a PhD to be respected. However, it is not so much the type of degree you should get, the but number of publication, the quality of your publication, the area you are doing research in (is it hot, is it cutting edge), and who you choose to be your advisor.
There are some positives I can see with getting a pharmD/PhD. Free tuition, better chance at a faculty position, more job opportunities (clinical and research jobs), better understanding of how the drug works.
If you are just interested in pure theoretical research, then I agree with young skywalker, go just for the PhD. The pharmD is very clinical oriented.
You don't have to do research in pharmacology. Many things are drug related in which you can go into. Proteinomics, immunology, physical biochemistry, pharmacuetics, and etc. You can either take a basic science research class as an elective or just talk to a faculty memember and ask him/her if you can work with them on your free time. You will just have to work out a schedule with the faculty memember.
For me, I am working on computer modeling of various mutant DNA structure. No chemicals and no drug involve. However, it does cut into my study time. Between health fair, work, and school work, you will have to decide is this what you really want to try or do. For me, it was since I plan to work in industry after this.

 

[gdk420]

I almost forgot, are you interested in clinical or lab bench research?

 

[OSURxgirl]

I never said I wanted a career as a researcher. I'm interested in research, I've done some in undergrad, and I'd like to continue doing more in a different area in pharmacy school. I think it will be helpful when applying for residency. I also said I'm interested in teaching, but not exclusively or anything. So the PharmD/PhD is not practical for me for those reasons. (Also, I'm 25 and don't want to be 35 before I start working!). Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm going to talk to my advisor when school starts to see what my options are.

 

[gdk420]

I never said I wanted a career as a researcher. I'm interested in research, I've done some in undergrad, and I'd like to continue doing more in a different area in pharmacy school. I think it will be helpful when applying for residency. I also said I'm interested in teaching, but not exclusively or anything. So the PharmD/PhD is not practical for me for those reasons. (Also, I'm 25 and don't want to be 35 before I start working!). Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm going to talk to my advisor when school starts to see what my options are.

You might want to do a fellowship then. A fellowship is a little longer and more intense than a residency. Basically a fellowship I think is about 2 years long, not sure though. Pick the area you are interested in. There is fellowship in adminstration, pharmcoeconomics, and bench research. Basically, they teach you the research skills that a PhD would have without having to get through all the oral exams and thesis with a PhD. You also get paid during your fellowship. The way I see it, you are getting paid to learn and to work.