<p>I want to research neurological diseases while simultaneously developing treatments for them, but I'm not sure what I should study in order to do this. I'm guessing I should get a BS in either neuroscience or pharmacology (leaning more towards neuroscience), but I'm not sure where to go from there or if my hunch is even remotely correct. Any thoughts on where I should take my undergraduate and/or graduate studies? </p>
<p>Neuroscience (or, another bioscience major, e.g., cell/developmental biology, molecular biology, physiology, etc.) could provide an appropriate preparation for graduate study in neuroscience or pharmacology. Since you likely would complete the typical pre-med requirements as part of your major, you also could apply to medical school and then do a residency in neurology. If you did go the med school route, you could consider a joint MD/PhD program. There are many schools with strong undergraduate neuroscience or other bioscience programs, depending on your stats, affordability, and personal preferences. You can consult multiple threads on this forum for recommended undergraduate schools. You can worry about which graduate programs to consider once you get to that stage.</p>
<p>I already know where I’m going to school, and it offers both pharmacology and neuroscience to undergraduates as majors, so I just needed to know which was best! Thank you for your feedback. What are the typical pre-med requirements that should hopefully be fulfilled by my major, if I may ask?</p>
<p>Never mind, I looked it up and all of the required courses fit right into a basic neuroscience curriculum. Thanks for suggesting that, the med school option sounds perfect for me! </p>
<p>If you really want to do research, you should get a PhD. If you’re interested in treatment, get an MD. If you want to do both, consider an MD/PhD. From your original post, you sound much more research-oriented.</p>
<p>I do think that neuroscience is a good major to prepare you for either of these routes (especially from my biased perspective as a neuro major). I would also recommend getting involved in research and joining a lab as soon as you can in college, and do some clinical volunteering. That can help you decide which route you want to take while keeping your options open for both. You also don’t have to decide right away. I didn’t decide on grad school over med school until my 3rd year of college.</p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that all of these options are very competitive. However, med schools focus more on grades, while research experience is more important for PhD programs.</p>