What should I major in if I want to go into drug design?

<p>Perhaps not specifically drug design, but just new methods of treatment of particularly viral/bacterial pathogens. I was thinking chemistry but would biology with a strong chemistry be better?</p>

<p>“Treatment” implies a medical professional, i.e. a medical doctor. Design of a drug system or mechanism generally involves biochemistry. Are you asking about undergrad or grad school?</p>

<p>Undergraduate. Also, what do you mean by a medical doctor? I’m interested in research, not actual treatment.</p>

<p>Well, you said “not specifically drug design, but…treatment” so I wasn’t sure what you meant. Drug formulation and/or synthesis is primarily a biochemistry specialty. You can get an undergrad degree in biochem, but it’s not necessary - a chem major with a bio minor would also work. You might ask or look at grad school websites for explanations of what they are looking for in undergraduate degrees. Not that these would be the only schools to look at by any means, but look at Penn, Harvard, Michigan for their biochem grad school admissions overviews.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot!</p>

<p>QuietType, you took his statement out of context. There is telling information where you inserted the ellipsis - aka “new methods”. Physicians do not improvise with their treatment, they do what is proven to work - improvisation is usually only involved in rehabilitation.</p>

<p>OP, various engineering disciplines (chemical, genetic, bioengineering, biomedical, etc.).</p>

<p>biochemistry specialty I guess.</p>

<p>Computational Biology</p>