PharmD and Ph.D. are both doctorate degrees and are often misunderstood as the same.
However, this post seeks to state, for clarity, the differences between a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree and a Ph.D. in Pharmacy. Stay with me as I walk you through.
According to Wikipedia, Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, and reviewing drugs, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of drugs.
It is diverse as it links health sciences with pharmaceutical and natural sciences. The professional practice is becoming more clinically oriented as most of the drugs are now manufactured by pharmaceutical industries. Pharmacists provide direct patient care in the community of institutional pharmacies.
The table of content below will give you a quick view of what this post is all about.
Table of contents
- What Is PharmD?
- How Long Does It Take To Complete a PharmD Program?
- What Are The Courses To Expect in A PharmD Program?
- What Are The Career Prospects Of A PharmD Degree Holder?
- How Much Does A PharmD holder Earn?
- All You Need to Know About Ph.D. in Pharmacy?
- How Long Does It Take To Complete a Ph.D. in Pharmacy Program?
- What Are The Courses To Expect In the Ph.D.? In Pharmacy Program?
- Career Prospects Of A Ph.D. in Pharmacy Degree Holder
- What is The Earning Potential Of A Ph.D.? In Pharmacy Degree Holder?
- PharmD Vs. Ph.D. In Pharmacy?
- Nature Of Program
- Varying Entrance Requirements
- Program Duration
- The Difference In Career Outlook
- The Difference In Salary Earnings
- Conclusion
- FAQs On Differences Between PharmD and Ph.D. In Pharmacy?
- References
- Author’s Recommendation
What Is PharmD?
A Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) is a professional doctorate needed to become a pharmacist.
The degree is obtained by students who intend to be a pharmacist in a community pharmacy or a large healthcare facility.
To practice Pharmacy in the U.S., you must earn a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from an accredited pharmacy institution and pass a state pharmacy licensure exam. U.S. pharmacy institutions are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).
How Long Does It Take To Complete a PharmD Program?
The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program requires at least two years of specific undergrad college study followed by four academic years (or three calendar years) of professional pharmacy study.
Typically, students interested in becoming a pharmacist take two years of undergraduate prerequisite courses and then apply to pharmacy school.
However, most pharmacy schools demand a bachelor’s degree to ensure applicants are suitably prepared for the rigor of a PharmD program.
Check the specifications for each school you plan to apply to.
In a nutshell, a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)program lasts for four incredible years.
What Are The Courses To Expect in A PharmD Program?
A pharmacy student enrolled in a PharmD program will study a variety of coursework such as pathology, biostatistics, immunology, drug interactions, physiology, anatomy, medical chemistry, biopharmaceutics, diagnosis of diseases, healthcare systems, therapeutics, pharmacy law and management, as well as, clinical training.
What Are The Career Prospects Of A PharmD Degree Holder?
As a doctor of Pharmacy, you can work in patient care settings.
You may work in a local pharmacist or box store pharmacy in your community or, perhaps, in a hospital/healthcare facility setting that is more to your liking. A pharmacist consultant or managed care pharmacist might interest you, as well.
How Much Does A PharmD holder Earn?
According to the findings of U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015, the median salary of a pharmacist is around $121,500 per year.
All You Need to Know About Ph.D. in Pharmacy?
Ph.D. in Pharmacy is a research-intensive program. As a Ph.D. in Pharmacy holder, you will be qualified to educate and do research development in the pharmacy field.
In addition, you may also consider positions as a regulatory affairs officer, a consultant, a science editor, a medical writer, or a place in clinical trial management.
Furthermore, Suppose you are interested in a career in research within the pharmaceutical realm or a career in teaching at a higher educational level. In that case, a Ph.D. program will be the perfect preparatory guide.
Along with your coursework, you will be responsible for your research and dissertation, which can take up to five years to complete.
How Long Does It Take To Complete a Ph.D. in Pharmacy Program?
Ideally, Ph.D. students require five to six years to complete the requirements for the degree. However, the efficiencies built into the PharmD to Ph. (rugratsva.com) D. career path may shorten the time needed for the Ph.D. to approximately four years.
What Are The Courses To Expect In the Ph.D.? In Pharmacy Program?
A Ph.D. in Pharmacy program coursework emphasizes metabolism and biostatistics, infectious disease, human pharmacology, and therapeutics.
Invariably, these courses will prepare you to use advanced research skills relating to new drug revelations, medical advancements, and the distribution process to the patient.
Career Prospects Of A Ph.D. in Pharmacy Degree Holder
As a Ph.D. in Pharmacy degree holder, you will be qualified to educate and do research development in the pharmacy field. You may also weigh positions as a regulatory affairs officer, a consultant, a science editor, a medical writer, or a place in clinical trial management.
It entails that Ph.D. holders are primarily found in academic or pharmaceutical research settings.
What is The Earning Potential Of A Ph.D.? In Pharmacy Degree Holder?
According to the findings of U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015, the medical researcher’s median salary is around $96,600 annually.
PharmD Vs. Ph.D. In Pharmacy?
Graduating with a Ph.D. degree allows students access to careers in various industries within the private and public sectors. Similarly, graduates with a PharmD degree also have access to rewarding careers as pharmacists in public or private pharmacies.
Although both degrees produce graduates in professional careers, students entering these degree programs have very different experiences. In addition, graduates of both Ph.D. and PharmD degrees have different types of jobs, salaries, and expectations.
However, graduates of both Ph.D. and PharmD degrees have different types of careers, salaries, and expectations.
Students enrolled in either of these programs are provided with very different understandings of the pharmacy profession.
Here are notable differences between a doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and a Ph.D. in Pharmacy;
Nature Of Program
The PharmD program is primarily used by the student who intends to be a pharmacist, while a Ph.D. in Pharmacy is research-intensive; it does focus on the knowledge of biological science and patient care.
Furthermore, the coursework offered in the PharmD program is different from that provided in the Ph.D. pharmacy program.
In the PharmD program, you learn courses like; pathology, biostatistics, immunology, drug interactions, physiology, anatomy, medical chemistry, physiology, biopharmaceutics, diagnosis of diseases, healthcare systems, therapeutics, pharmacy law, and management, as well as clinical training.
On the other hand, during the Ph.D. pharmacy program, you are exposed to courses like; emphasis on metabolism and biostatistics, infectious disease, human pharmacology, and therapeutics.
Varying Entrance Requirements
The entrance requirements for a Ph.D. and a PharmD degree vary slightly. Entry into most PhD programs requires a Masters’s degree in a related subject. For instance, to enter a PhD program in mathematics, students often need an advanced degree in mathematics or a related subject such as statistics, computer science or finance.
In some cases, students may enter a Ph.D. program with only a Bachelor’s degree. At most schools, Ph.D. students acquire enough credits to obtain a Masters in Philosophy (MPhil) degree in the course of obtaining a Ph.D. degree.
On the other hand, the PharmD degree students need 60 to 90 credits completed in a related subject such as biology, chemistry, or some other subjects. #
Also, students can enter a PharmD degree with an associate (two-year) degree or a four-year degree. Unlike the entrance requirements for the Ph.D. degree, requirements for the PharmD degree include a passing score on the PCAT exam.
The Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) exam is a four-hour exam with 280 questions broken into seven sections on writing (two parts), verbal ability, biology, chemistry, reading comprehension, and quantitative ability.
Program Duration
A PharmD program can be completed in four years while PhD degrees often take five or six years to complete. This is primarily because the PharmD degree aims to train professional-level pharmacists.
The Difference In Career Outlook
As a doctor of Pharmacy, you may choose to work in a local pharmacist or box store pharmacy in your community or, perhaps, in a hospital/healthcare facility or as a pharmacist consultant or managed care pharmacist might also interest you.
On the other hand, a Ph.D. pharmacy degree holder is qualified to educate and do research development in the pharmacy field and holds positions like; a regulatory affairs officer, a consultant, a science editor or medical writer, or a place in clinical trials management.
The Difference In Salary Earnings
The salaries for Ph.D. degree holders are often lower than those with PharmD degrees. According to a Payscale survey of Ph.D. graduates, salaries for research scientists averaged between $49K and $108K.
In addition, PhDs that teach in higher education make, on average, between $45K and $76K (assistant professors) and $56K and $96K (associate professors).
Another Payscale survey of pharmacists reported that the salaries of those working in hospitals ranged from $82K to $112K.
Salaries for those working in commercial retail chain pharmacies ranged from $85K to $113K.
Conclusion
Succinctly put, a PharmD program trains students for careers as pharmacists. The curriculum primarily focuses on gaining knowledge of the biological sciences with a clinical component that teaches future pharmacists to be health care providers.
A Ph.D. in a pharmacy-related topic is more research-focused and allows students to pursue their original research project.
FAQs On Differences Between PharmD and Ph.D. In Pharmacy?
A Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) is a professional doctorate needed to become a pharmacist. After earning a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and passing licensure examinations, College of Pharmacy graduates can practice pharmacy anywhere in the country.
The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program requires at least two years of specific undergrad college study followed by four academic years (or three calendar years) of professional pharmacy study.
The Doctor of Pharmacy program is for people who want to work as pharmacists. The Ph.D. program is intended for people interested in research careers.
Ideally, Ph.D. students require five to six years to complete the requirements for the degree. However, the efficiencies built into the PharmD to Ph.D. career path may shorten the time needed for the Ph.D. to approximately four years.
References
- https://www.onlineschoolscenter.com/difference-pharmd-phd-online-degrees/
- https://pharmsci.uci.edu/what-is-a-pharmd/
- https://collegegrad.com/careers/pharmacists
- https://pharmacyforme.org/2018/08/03/how-long-does-it-take-to-become-a-pharmacist/
- https://www.theclassroom.com/difference-degree-vs-pharmd-degree-8175997.html
