I plan on becoming a Pharmacist once I graduate from High School next year. I want to attend either Duquesne or Pittsburgh University here in PA, and I hope to check them out for touring soon. I was just wondering if any of you could tell me anything you know about the field, or even those colleges. I know it is a slim chance, but if any of you could help, it'd be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Don't know the specific programs all that well, but in general, about the field: Science-oriented. Even with all the machines today, and computer programs, you can still contribute a lot with your own knowledge. There are tons of approaches after getting a pharmacy degree: you could look at jobs in industry, you could work in a hospital setting, or you could work at a pharmacy in a store. The latter is a great opportunity to get to know people, you can establish relationships with customers, you're directly helping people, and you can become very knowledgeable about all sorts of drugs, how they work, what they interact with, etc. Probably a very rewarding job.
And there is a difference between the fields of pharmacology and pharmacy. A pharmacist is the person who dispenses drugs to patients, and gives advice concerning dosage, interactions, etc. A pharmacologist is a person who studies how drugs work in the body, and is often involved in designing new or improved drugs for the treatment of various conditions. A pharmacist will have knowledge of the basics of pharmacology, but their degree will be in pharmacy, not pharmacology.
I had no idea of the differences, or of that detail. Thank both of you for replying The job does sound very rewarding, and for some reason, it just seems ideal for me. I like the idea of having a lot of opportunity. It's nice. Thanks again, this helped a lot
Oh yeah, good point! Didn't catch that. Pharmacology vs. pharmacist are radically different. Related sort of material, but very different educational experience. Pharmacology would normally be a bachelor's degree, followed by PhD work in pharmacology, or possibly an MD focussing on clinical pharmacology. Pharmacy you could do a degree for straight from college in a pharmacy program. As I said before, plenty of ways pharmacists can be involved in things, not just behind a counter. If you want the patient contact, directly helping others with illnesses, working in a pharmacy is your sort of thing. Otherwise, industry sort of stuff is an option.
