Pharmacy vs. Engineering

<p>While what you say is true, but you would need a Ph.D. in Pharmacology to seriously be considered. But that's like putting all your eggs in the same basket.</p>

<p>If you had 2 Doctorate degrees (Pharmacy and Chemistry), you could work for a lot more industries. In addition, if you did Pharmacy, you could go to school for your additional graduate degrees and still make 60+k part time. You would never go into debt. If you have to pay back a loan, that just slows you down.</p>

<p>If you had Doctorate of Pharmacy, Ph.D. Chemistry, MS Chemical Engineering, JD, and MBA, which is very doable by age 35, you're definitely heading towards an executive position within any pharmaceutical and chemical-oriented company.</p>

<p>
[quote]
If you had Doctorate of Pharmacy, Ph.D. Chemistry, MS Chemical Engineering, JD, and MBA, which is very doable by age 35, you're definitely heading towards an executive position within any pharmaceutical and chemical-oriented company.
[quote]
</p>

<p>That's very flawed and I'll explain why later. A much better plan would be:</p>

<p>BA in engineering (or chemistry) + PHD in organic chemistry + a degree in MBA</p>

<p>Don't have time right now but I'll get to it later.</p>

<p>okay so pharmacy doesn't require you to finish undergraduate college.
Instead, you only need to finish two years of college and go to pharm. school and after six years, you get your doctorate. </p>

<p>So let's see, why would you need to get an MS in chemE? </p>

<p>In anycase, if you get your p.h.d via the pharm. route, it'll take you 2+6+2 = 10 years after high school to get it. If you do it w/ an undergraduate degree, it'll take you 4+5 = 9 years. Not a big difference. </p>

<p>I guess doing pharm. first and then going for a p.h.d in chem at grad. school is an awesome idea. Hmmm...too bad I didn't realize this when I was in college. Oh well.</p>

<p>Are you guys sure that you can get a chem PHD in only an additional 2 years if you get your pharm. D?</p>

<p>A Doctorate of Pharmacy allows you to have your own retail pharmacy. How much do you think a retail pharmacy makes every year? Well let's think about it. A business that can pay its employees 120+k per year. I would venture to say a retail pharmacy makes 120+ per year or considerably more, or else there would be no point in owning one. That looks like some pretty nice residual income.</p>

<p>In addition to owning your own retail pharmacy(ies), your primary career could still be industry. Basically, you'll be making money on both sides, which is a sweet deal. That's why I'd recommend getting a Doctorate of Pharmacy because of its flexibility.</p>

<p>
[quote]
If you had Doctorate of Pharmacy, Ph.D. Chemistry, MS Chemical Engineering, JD, and MBA, which is very doable by age 35, you're definitely heading towards an executive position within any pharmaceutical and chemical-oriented company.
[quote]
</p>

<p>That's very flawed and I'll explain why later. A much better plan would be:</p>

<p>BA in engineering (or chemistry) + PHD in organic chemistry + a degree in MBA</p>

<p>Don't have time right now but I'll get to it later.</p>

<hr>

<p>That's not a much better plan. That's a bare minimum plan because without those, you definitely cannot rise to the top. With your recommended degrees, it make take 15+ years to become a top executive. With the ones that I have mentioned, your entry position into the company is much much higher. It takes much less time to reach the executive positions.</p>

<p>If you have degrees that involve the design, manufacturing, application, business, and legal aspects of the business - essentially everything a pharmaceutical company does - how is that flawed? With those credentials/qualifications, you are definitely going to be one of the highest executives in the corporation.</p>

<p>On top of that, those degrees that I mentioned allow you to form your own successful business/company. These days corporations are so large that it is a near impossible task to know and be qualified in everything it does. But if are, power to you.</p>

<p>I think the best idea would be:</p>

<p>getting a joint MMM major offered at Wharton - OR- getting the LFM major at MIT. These majors integrate biotechnology with a typical MBA program and squeeze them in 2 years. The LFM program at MIT offers other kinds of engineering specifics - not just biotechnology to combine along with the MBA from Sloan. </p>

<p>I know someone who graduated from the LFM program at MIT and he directly walked into an associate director's position at a small pharm. company.</p>

<p>If becoming an executive is what you really want to do, don't bother with a PHD in chemistry - go for these [MMM or LFM] programs. The very purpose of the LFM or MMM programs is to produce future leaders in companies interested in the area of science whether it be pharmocology, electronics, or space aviation.</p>

<p>The best plan is to get a Doctorate of Pharmacy, Ph.D. in Chemistry, Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, JD, and MBA, by age 35, With that you're essentially GUARENTEED an TOP EXECUTIVE Position within ANY pharmaceutical company.</p>

<p>


</p>

<p>I don't agree... I think the best jobs are in the computer technology sector... take a look at these great opportunities:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos267.htm#earnings%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos267.htm#earnings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos258.htm#earnings%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos258.htm#earnings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Both are expected to grow "faster than the average" through 2014, and will remain in HIGH demand longer than pharmacy or engineering IMO, because computer technology is needed more and more in every facet of business, science, and daily life. </p>

<p>Here's a quote: "With the explosive growth of electronic commerce and the capacity of the Internet to create new relationships with customers, the role of computer and information systems managers will continue to evolve. Persons in these jobs will become increasingly vital to their companies." <--makes sense, and that's job security at its finest.</p>

<p>computer tech / IT jobs are being outsourced faster than any other job.</p>

<p>^^I guess that's a bad thing if you are of the scarcity mentality...computer programmer jobs (expected to grow slower than the average) are being outsourced, but there are still many, many other IT positions that are not/can not be outsourced.</p>

<p>it was on the news that by 2020, there will be a shortage of pharmacists --> more $$. But I'd rather still go into something i love rather than count pills and earn $$. If you like pharmacy go for it though.</p>

<p>There is a huge shortage of pharmacists these days and with an aging population, a greater need for them. Pharmacists do not have problems finding jobs. However, whoever said they have low stress jobs has never worked in retail pharmacy.
They are constantly on the phone, dealing with customers etc. It can get very busy.</p>

<p>Finally:</p>

<p>"okay so pharmacy doesn't require you to finish undergraduate college.
Instead, you only need to finish two years of college and go to pharm. school and after six years, you get your doctorate." </p>

<p>Not necessarily true, admittance into pharmacy school from high school is a 6 year program towards a Pharm.D degree (doctorate in pharmacy) While some people may instead go to a undergraduate college (majoring in chemistry, biology or something, perhaps art history but with necessary credits in the sciences) then move on to pharmacy school as a transfer student.</p>

<p>Also, I believe, unlike said in this thread, that it is not possible to get a PHD in Chemistry with just 2 years after Pharm School. I think you can only get a PHD in Pharmacy which would let one be a professor or do reasearch similar to a pharmacologist. As far as pharmacy vs engineering I think the choice is simple: India will not be taking all the pharmacy jobs. As far as long hours go, clicincal pharmacists, who make around 95K in my area, work a basic 9 to 5 with little to no overtime. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, pharmacists do not just count pills and full perscriptions, pharm techs do that; the pharmacist is more responsible for dealing with doctors and patiens and making everything run smoothly. These are just my overservations from volunteering at a local hospital pharmacy. Feel free to prove me wrong.</p>

<p>If pharmacy is as convenient as people make it sound, then why are so many people who don't really want to be doctors doing premed when they can make money much sooner as a pharmacist?</p>

<p>Prestige. Not many little kids want to grow up and be pharmacists. Also, doctors do eventually make more money and deal with patients much more hands on.</p>

<p>How would having an MBA + a PharmD differ from just having a PharmD, and why does it only take 2 years to get a Masters in Chem Engineering after one gets a PharmD? Are all of the courses that one has taken saved?</p>

<p>
[quote]

Pharmacology is a much more intellectual job. In pharmacology, one is trained rigorously in organic chemistry and biology in graduate school and received a p.h.d. Pharmacology is where you literally create the medicinal drugs from scratch. </p>

<p>How do you think people discovered things like aspirin, viagra, and other medicines? Pharmacology and organic chemistry are very hot fields right now. </p>

<p>I'd rather be a pharmacologist and make 80K a year then be a pharmacist and make 110K

[/quote]

I am guessing you are not a pharmacy student?</p>

<p>Pharmacology is the study of pharmacodynamics and kinetics. It is concerned with how the drug is distributed, metabolized, and excreted/eliminated.</p>

<p>When you create drugs from scatch, that involves medicinal chemists and biochemists.</p>

<p>I think it would be easier to get a PharmD first through a 6 year program. If you decide you want to focus on research, then go for a PhD in the area of interest. That way you can always work on the weekends and make $100k/year while going to grad school. Not a shabby path at all.</p>

<p>so...if pharmacologists are the ones making these drugs what does one with a Doctorate in Pharm. do? I think I read they own thier own pharmacy? So one gets a masters....and is a manager at walgreens...</p>

<p>
[quote]

so...if pharmacologists are the ones making these drugs what does one with a Doctorate in Pharm. do? I think I read they own thier own pharmacy? So one gets a masters....and is a manager at walgreens...

[/quote]

No, pharmacologists are not the ones who make the "drugs", they are part of the process. They study the effects of the drugs on the body. The chemical structure of the drugs are tested and modified by medicinal chemists.
In a pharma industry setting, PharmDs are usually involved at the higher levels/management of pharmaceutical sales OR they participate in clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies.
In my opinion, it is still better to go to a low cost 6 year pharmacy program right out of HS and finish that first. The reason is that most pharmacists have very flexible work schedules, have a very high $ return per hour, and are extremely in demand right now. Once you finish the PharmD program decide where exactly you want to go from there whether it be medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, etc. Personally, I've always been more of an 'applicaton' sort of person and not a pure science type. I plan to pursue a MS ChemE after my PharmD program.</p>

<p>Sorry if this is a stupid question, but are all these Pharmacy school plans only applying to the Engineering/Chem graduate?</p>

<p>I want to be a Child Psychologist,
but i'll BARELY have money to get an undergraduate degree, let alone come up w/ the cash for getting my Ph.D.
So, can I get a degree in Pharmacy first, make 60k a year, then go back and become a Psychologist w/out swimming in an ocean of loans?
This seems too good to be true....</p>