Pharmacology
I am looking for some one who is completing a Pharmacology degree or has already done so, to give me a little insight to it. PLEASE
How does it differ to Pharmacy? Will my job be stressful? Will I have time for family? I know if I was a pharmacist, I.e. dispensing drugs etc. I would. But would I if I was pharmacologist? How much roughly would I earn? How long would it take to complete a PhD in it? Will there still be a demand for pharmacologists in 15/20 years?
thank you so much in advance!
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How does it differ to Pharmacy? Will my job be stressful? Will I have time for family? I know if I was a pharmacist, I.e. dispensing drugs etc. I would. But would I if I was pharmacologist? How much roughly would I earn? How long would it take to complete a PhD in it? Will there still be a demand for pharmacologists in 15/20 years?
thank you so much in advance!
Posted from TSR Mobile
Hi, I'm currently doing my industrial placement as part of my Pharmacology degree at Leeds Uni.
Your questions are pretty general and answers can differ depending on the situation but I'll try my best to answer!
How does it differ to Pharmacy?
A pharmacist prepares/dispenses/distributes medicines/drugs and provide help and advice to people and provide prescription medicines. Pharmacology is the science behind the medicines/drugs and how they interact with the body e.g. the mechanisms in which they act. For my degree at Leeds we have studied modules on: Neuroscience (e.g. treatment for Alzheimer's, Epilepy, ADHD), human physiology (e.g. drugs affecting the gastrointestinal system, diabetes, asthma), cardiology (e.g. treatments for heart disease), drug discovery/development (the process of how drugs are discovered and tested in industry), genetic diseases etc. As you can tell it's quite extensive and hard work but you learn a LOT and you gain skills in a lot of different specialisms.
Will my job be stressful? Will I have time for family?
It's hard to say.. it depends what job! Pharmacology can lead to many different jobs including teaching, sales, marketing, scientist in hospital laboratories, but mainly work in the pharmaceutical industry (so I'll focus my answers around that). From my knowledge and experience at my placement, the job hours are usually flexible (arrive when you like, usually between 8-10 am, leave between 4-6 pm). The workload seems fairly standard, some weeks you may be busier than others with deadlines etc. People rarely work weekends/stay late at night. Companies usually offer around 25-30 days paid holiday and you'll never work over the Christmas period/bank holidays as companies usually close for a few days. So it depends how much time you'd like with your family! I'd say its definitely manageable. It may also be possible to work part time (e.g. work 4 days a week, have fridays off).
How much roughly would I earn?
As just a research scientist straight from graduating (depending on the company) you can expect to earn between £20-£25k a year. Senior scientists can earn more (up to around £45k with experience) and people with PhDs can earn more as well (post-doc positions can be paid £30-35k). Sales positions I believe can be quite well paid as well. Managerial positions (which don't really include a lot of lab work and you'll probably have reached this stage in your career when you're 40-50 years old) can earn quite a bit, up to £50k+. Obviously, very high positions in a pharmaceutical company (e.g. more business side of things) can earn around £100k a year! But some people prefer to have a lab-based job and not progress further than that, but a salary of above £30k is very respectable and is often sniffed at by students these days who expect/want to earn loads! It's certainly enough to be comfortable.
How long would it take to complete a PhD in it?
PhDs can take 3-4 year full-time (4 years usually include an integrated masters year or year working within a company). It can be self-funded, funded by a research council, or you can get paid studentships (offering around £13k-£20k depending on the uni/company supporting it).
Will there still be a demand for pharmacologists in 15/20 years?
eldIt's hard to say really... I don't see why not. Also, with a degree like Pharmacology you can go into lots of different fields (as mentioned before) and your experience can carry you into many different careers.
Take a look at these websites as well, they're pretty useful:
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_pharmacy.htm
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_pharmacology.htm
Sorry for the long reply, I hope I haven't bored you and I hope it's helped!
Your questions are pretty general and answers can differ depending on the situation but I'll try my best to answer!
How does it differ to Pharmacy?
A pharmacist prepares/dispenses/distributes medicines/drugs and provide help and advice to people and provide prescription medicines. Pharmacology is the science behind the medicines/drugs and how they interact with the body e.g. the mechanisms in which they act. For my degree at Leeds we have studied modules on: Neuroscience (e.g. treatment for Alzheimer's, Epilepy, ADHD), human physiology (e.g. drugs affecting the gastrointestinal system, diabetes, asthma), cardiology (e.g. treatments for heart disease), drug discovery/development (the process of how drugs are discovered and tested in industry), genetic diseases etc. As you can tell it's quite extensive and hard work but you learn a LOT and you gain skills in a lot of different specialisms.
Will my job be stressful? Will I have time for family?
It's hard to say.. it depends what job! Pharmacology can lead to many different jobs including teaching, sales, marketing, scientist in hospital laboratories, but mainly work in the pharmaceutical industry (so I'll focus my answers around that). From my knowledge and experience at my placement, the job hours are usually flexible (arrive when you like, usually between 8-10 am, leave between 4-6 pm). The workload seems fairly standard, some weeks you may be busier than others with deadlines etc. People rarely work weekends/stay late at night. Companies usually offer around 25-30 days paid holiday and you'll never work over the Christmas period/bank holidays as companies usually close for a few days. So it depends how much time you'd like with your family! I'd say its definitely manageable. It may also be possible to work part time (e.g. work 4 days a week, have fridays off).
How much roughly would I earn?
As just a research scientist straight from graduating (depending on the company) you can expect to earn between £20-£25k a year. Senior scientists can earn more (up to around £45k with experience) and people with PhDs can earn more as well (post-doc positions can be paid £30-35k). Sales positions I believe can be quite well paid as well. Managerial positions (which don't really include a lot of lab work and you'll probably have reached this stage in your career when you're 40-50 years old) can earn quite a bit, up to £50k+. Obviously, very high positions in a pharmaceutical company (e.g. more business side of things) can earn around £100k a year! But some people prefer to have a lab-based job and not progress further than that, but a salary of above £30k is very respectable and is often sniffed at by students these days who expect/want to earn loads! It's certainly enough to be comfortable.
How long would it take to complete a PhD in it?
PhDs can take 3-4 year full-time (4 years usually include an integrated masters year or year working within a company). It can be self-funded, funded by a research council, or you can get paid studentships (offering around £13k-£20k depending on the uni/company supporting it).
Will there still be a demand for pharmacologists in 15/20 years?
eldIt's hard to say really... I don't see why not. Also, with a degree like Pharmacology you can go into lots of different fields (as mentioned before) and your experience can carry you into many different careers.
Take a look at these websites as well, they're pretty useful:
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_pharmacy.htm
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_pharmacology.htm
Sorry for the long reply, I hope I haven't bored you and I hope it's helped!
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