Research

[busyizzy]

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Hey guys,

I know some people talk about doing "research" as a Pharm D, and I was just wondering what exactly that would entail? Or some pharm schools say they have a focus on research ....

For me, I always thought PharmD was more clinical work, and a phD in pharmaceuticals was more research-based, so what is the difference between the research that a pharmD would perform and a phD would perform?

 

[crazybob]

with a PharmD/PhD, i'd imagine you would be doing research on development of new drugs, therapies, and treatments. i think you would get to do research with patients in a clinical setting.

 

[busyizzy]

So to do research, a PharmD is insufficient? You NEED a phD? That was my question. There seems to be a lot of top schools involved in research - is that research primarily for pharmD/phDs only or can you get involved with only a pharmD? And if you can get involved with only a pharmD, then what kind of research can you do? More clinical phases/trials?

 

[mwatton]

I was also wondering the same thing.

 

[Passion4Sci]

You'd probably get a much better response in the big kids forum, since they're already in industry and have had exposure to both clinical and research tracks, ostensibly.

My "gut" feeling is that, since the Pharm.D is a clinical degree and doesn't instruct you deeply about how to conduct research, the Ph.D will be the necessary choice. The Ph.D is all about research, academic and theoretical.

It's not like you sit at a computer terminal and, at the blinking cursor, type "Research New Drug" and it happens automatically. Obviously, you'll need the credentials to show you can keep up in a rigorous research environment and the Pharm.D is not that degree. But, that's just my "gut" and from my graduate studies in Psychology prior to switching to Pharm., that's exactly how it was with the clinical doctorate (Psy.D) as compared to the research equivalent, the Ph.D. This is a dramatic oversimplification - You can "Do research" with a Psy.D., like you could probably DO research with a Pharm.D., it's just a matter of training and maybe the nex guy in line to interview has both a Pharm.D AND a Ph.D, so not only does he have you knowledge of pharmockinetics and everything else entailed in the conferral of a Pharm.D., but also the theoretical approaches to research that a Ph.D will offer.

 

[Monalyce]

I do believe it very much depends upon what sort of research you wish to be involved with. My experiences at a major research institution offered me some insight:
-if you have little or no desire to work with patients, you might be better off pursuing a PhD rather than a PharmD/PhD.
-there is a high demand for PharmD/PhDs, because they are uniquely qualified to both work with patients as well as understand the scientific process and all that comes along with it.
-many PharmDs are involved with clinical research. The percentage of the time they spend doing research versus clinical care varies.
-the Chair of the Pharmaceutical Sciences department, as well as the CEO of the hospital, are PharmDs.
Hope this helps!

 

[mike36]

With a PharmD, you can do research but it will be clinical (translational research, clinical trials, etc). If you are interested in clinical research, you would most likely need post PharmD training, like residencies and/or a fellowship.

A PhD (med chem, pharm/tox, pharmaceutics) will allow you to do basic science research (bench work). Of course, you can get a PhD in pharmacy administration or pharmacy practice as well. These are not basic science research degrees. In this case, you would most likely be doing a lot of work with statistics.