<p>I've debated many different majors, but it always comes down to chemistry or chemical engineering. However, I've done some research, and the thing I'd most like to do is research and develop new medicines and such. However, I'm not sure what would be the best major? My guidance counselor told me chemical engineering, but someone else told me pharmacy? I'm not really sure. I know I don't want to be a pharmacist, I actually want to create new medicines, not just sell existing ones. Any suggestions on what I should major it?</p>
<p>You should probably plan on graduate school in a field relevant to developing new meds. Most likely that would be pharmacology, e.g., [Graduate</a> Program Home Page](<a href=“http://www.pharmacology.med.umn.edu/graduate.html]Graduate”>http://www.pharmacology.med.umn.edu/graduate.html), but other fields are relevant, too, for developing medications. So, I think chemistry would be a good undergrad major, but you can check the admission requirement for graduate programs. Pharmacology programs would be found in a Grad Schools of Arts & Sciences or in a Medical School.</p>
<p>Pharmacy or a range of other fields would be a possible undergrad majors for some relevant grad programs in Colleges of Pharmacy, e.g. a doctoral program in pharmaceutical sciences, e.g., [University</a> of Michigan : College of Pharmacy : Admissions](<a href=“http://pharmacy.umich.edu/pharmacy/admissions_]University”>http://pharmacy.umich.edu/pharmacy/admissions_) or, a doctoral program in medicinal chemistry, e.g., [University</a> of Michigan : College of Pharmacy : Admissions](<a href=“http://pharmacy.umich.edu/pharmacy/medchem/admissions]University”>http://pharmacy.umich.edu/pharmacy/medchem/admissions).</p>
<p>There are multiple pathways to what you want to do.</p>
<p>I work in the pharmaceutical industry as a medicinal chemist, so I hope that I can reply with a little knowledge here. A major in chemistry or chemical engineering can prepare you well for a career in this area, but each will lead you down a very different path and will require a different approach in laying out your education.</p>
<p>As a chemistry major, you could specialize in organic chemistry and synthesize new chemical compounds as potential drug candidates. Those same skills could also be applied to the development of manufacturing processes for new drugs. You could apply the skills that you learn as an analytical chemist to research the metabolism of drugs in the body. As a physical chemist, you might use your skills to evaluate the stability of drugs on storage. This is just a sampling of the type of work available in the industry to BS chemistry graduates, but that statement comes with a big caveat. In order to make yourself an attractive candidate, you must plan to carry out undergraduate research as a chem major, and hopefully move on beyond that to a MS or PhD degree. The reality of the current job market requires that the best candidates will arrive with extensive lab skills under their belts. The best way to acquire those skills is to apprentice in an academic lab. Luckily, almost all good chemistry programs have great opportunities available for undergraduates. Find a professor whose research is appealing and sign on early in college. He or she will be glad to have you!</p>
<p>Admittedly, I know less about the world of chemical engineering… In the pharma industry, chem engineers build and run the manufacturing plants. They scale up the processes developed by the chemists and make them work on very large scales. This is a very different approach to doing chemistry from my point of view, but fascinating nonetheless. In contrast to a BS degree in chemistry, I think that a BS in Chem E is more of a “terminal” degree. In other words, you can take that degree farther in your career than an BS in chemistry, and there is less need to pursue a graduate degree. I am not familiar with the industry requirements for undergraduate research, but it would likely be beneficial to intern before graduation.</p>
<p>I have some comments regarding zapfino’s advice. A pharmacy major, which generally requires 5 or more years, will prepare one to work as a pharmacist, which is a great career, but there are no opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry for these people. Pharmacology is a completely different area, generally one of specialization in graduate school and is a great way to apply your chemistry degree. Simply put, these guys look at the fate of drugs in the body. And finally, if you want to eventually become a synthetic medicinal chemist and go on to obtain an advanced chemistry degree, do not go to grad school in medicinal chemistry. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but the industry does not hire graduates of these programs. Instead a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from a top-flight institution is the way to go.</p>
<p>Whatever you decide, talk to as many professors and industry people as you can. Good luck!</p>
<p>I’d say major in chemistry. You’ll have much more options if you choose not to go into drug development than if you majored in something more “narrow” like pharmacy (I assume this is not the PharmD program for becoming a pharmacist). As already mentioned, synthetic organic chemistry is very important in drug development. You’ll obviously have to get a graduate degree, so the best option is to major in chemistry (some schools also have a medicinal chemistry major), see if they have some advanced organic chemistry courses available, see if one of the professors at your school does synthetic research so you can actually see what they do (perhaps you could also check out one of the many summer research programs around the country), then apply to PhD chemistry programs, looking for faculty that do synthetic organic chemistry research.</p>
<p>Neshama, why doesn’t industry hire grads from medicinal chemistry grad programs?</p>
<p>The major companies do not hire synthetic chemists from medicinal chemistry programs because they are not viewed as having a full complement of synthetic problem solving skills. The industry tends to target top PhD graduates and post-docs from a select group of schools. Generally those include some of the Ivy’s (though certainly not all of them) and major state universities which have high-profile professors. Those groups tend to work on what is called natural product synthesis and method development. Both require lots of problem solving abilities which is thought in this industry to translate well into drug synthesis skills. Though one might learn to make drugs as part of a medicinal chemistry graduate program, the synthetic rigor required is generally not as high. The prevailing philosophy is “we can teach a good synthetic chemist how to be a medicinal chemist, but not the other way around.” Frankly, I don’t totally agree with this, but it is reality.</p>
<p>I’d actually recommend being an engineer. Pharma is a wreck right now. I much rather have an engineering degree which is applicable to many industries. Also engineers get much better pay, benefits and job security than scientists. I consider science majors among the worst in terms of time & effort to rewards.</p>
<p>see
<a href=“http://chemistry.about.com/u/ua/educationemployment/chemists.htm[/url]”>http://chemistry.about.com/u/ua/educationemployment/chemists.htm</a></p>
<p>I’ll also recommend staying the hell away from pharm chem unless you want to be a lab serf.</p>
<p>If you have to do something related to chemistry, focus on materials or process engineering.</p>
<p>Is the Chemistry degree that you’re getting as a basis before Pharmacy Colleges a general chemistry degree? Or is there a specialization that should be made in those first four years? </p>
<p>I’d like to tell you a few things about accounting. Why bother with pharmacy industry when you can be an accountant. Much more job security and everyone loves accountants.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Business-and-Financial/Accountants-and-auditors.htm”>http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Business-and-Financial/Accountants-and-auditors.htm</a></p>
<p>Also, nursing is pretty good too. Plus you get to help people. That is something that not many people can do in pharmacy because the job market is so low. I guess you could indirectly help people by developing drugs to help save them. But you can’t. Because there is no jobs for that. Nurses can help people fortunately, and they’re in demand.</p>
<p>Become a Nurse. Or an accountant</p>
<p>This is seriously a good thread. Because what people think makes sense on paper doesn’t in real life. Especially appreciate the answers from the professionals in the industry. </p>
<p>I have a question that I most likely know the answer to. Are these drug breakthroughs an educated guess? </p>
<p>Also, as many health insurance plans move to DRG (diagnosis related groups) payments to hospitals, physicians receive a lot of pressure from the hospitals to limit prescribing expensive drugs. DRGs are flat rate payments paid for the admission diagnosis. So, the more we save the hospitals the more money they make from the flat rate payments. This will profoundly affect the pharmaceutical companies. I am really concerned for the industry and the future investments they are willing to make to develop new drugs.</p>
<p>I’d seriously steer clear of chemistry and the pharmaceuticals industry in general. Pharma it has been a blood bath of layoffs due to the patent cliff and I don’t see them recovering anytime soon since it takes 10 years to get new drugs to market and they seem to be hoping to replace American scientists with cheaper third world slaves. </p>
<p>In general chemistry is a horrible field to be in. Unemployment has been skyrocketing, companies have been abusing their science staff like no other profession keeping them as contractors via a temp agency to not give benefits and offering horrible pay of ~$15 an hour fit for a fast food supervisor. Most of the people i graduated with have left the field to teach, go into healthcare, or just abandon science all together. I will probably have to do that to if anything happens to my current job.</p>
<p>If you have to do something chemistry do chemical engineering. It is a far better bet for reasonable employment.</p>
<p>I agree with above. Chemical engineering will help you get a more stable job, along with nursing, doctors, optometrists, computer science, etc. Lots of great and incredible things to do.</p>
<p>Also - I read this on an article from forbes:</p>
<p>“The only top-paying major that isn’t in some technical category is finance, no. 8, which pays an average starting salary of $57,300.”</p>
<p>Math is often viewed as a science, and I think there’s a lot of math involved in doing finance, so you may be interested in that.</p>