I am looking to become a pharmaceutical scientist and was wondering which path is the best to enter this field. Ideally, I would like to work with helping come up with new medicines and improving existing ones. Is it best to major in chemical engineering with a minor in biology or to go to graduate school for a PhD. in microbiology/biochemistry? I hear that the market for PhD scientists is not the best, but at the same time if someone is looking to move up in the company a PhD may be necessary. Is going to pharmacy school and then trying to work in industry a viable option?
Analyze different programs such as this and see if you can figure out what the correct background is. I didn’t take time to look to see if required undergrad courses are listed. Pick 10 big state schools and check their pages
https://grad.arizona.edu/programs/programinfo/PHSCPHDPHSCDDDD
For pharmaceutical science, the two most useful majors are chemistry and chemical engineering. You will find lots of both in the pharmaceutical industry.
A PhD is necessary in this field, to be a “scientist” it’s more or less required by definition. Look up doctoral programs in pharmaceutical science and see what the requirements are and what backgrounds most of the students have.
A undergrad degree in biology, microbiology, biochemistry, chemistry, chem e, genetics, or a similar field would all be applicable.