PHARMACOLOGIST
Pharmacologists are scientists who develop and test drugs. Their specific field is pharmacology, the medical science which involves all aspects of drugs related to the action of drugs on living beings and their parts. This includes everything from evaluation of the effectiveness of a drug in the treatment of human disease, to the effects of chemicals in our environment on entire populations. Pharmacologists also conduct tests to find out whether other substances, such as gases, dusts or food colorings, are harmful to living things. They study many substances to see whether they have healing powers. They often study the effect of these substances on lab animals, such as guinea pigs or monkeys. The ultimate goal of the profession of pharmacology is the design of chemical agents to cure, improve or prevent disease. If an incurable process has already been established, pharmacists strive to make life as long, comfortable, and productive as possible.
HOW DO I BECOME A PHARMACOLOGIST?
High school courses in biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics will help to prepare you for your future educational endeavors as a pharmacology student. The principal pathway to a career in pharmacology is a course of study leading to a Ph.D. in pharmacology. This takes four to five years after earning a bachelor’s degree.
WHAT WILL I LEARN IN PHARMACOLOGY SCHOOL?
The 4-year bachelor’s program will include courses in science and mathematics, as well as in other areas that will give you a broad general background. The graduate program will include theory and laboratory research. In pharmacology school, you will learn to develop and test drugs. This includes everything from evaluation of the effectiveness of a drug in the treatment of human disease, to the effects of chemicals in our environment on entire populations.
LIFE AFTER GRADUATION FROM PHARMACOLOGY SCHOOL
Pharmacologists generally work in pleasant surroundings, however, they must spend long hours in laboratories and research libraries. Because their work is exacting, they must be both careful and patient.
Most pharmacologists advance by improving their skills. They often become experts in one special area of pharmacology. A pharmacologist can become head of a research team or of a university department. Approximately 75% of pharmacologists hold positions in universities, government or in other non-profit pharmaceutical and related industries. Pharmacologists are also in demand in the laboratories and offices of government agencies concerned with basic research, with the regulation of commerce and with the protection of the public health and safety. Such agencies include the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.
Pharmacology provides unlimited opportunities for career development and offers the priceless reward of personal and professional satisfaction. The employment outlook is good through the next decade, especially for pharmacologists who have advanced degrees. Also, scientific advances that make more drug products available for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases should create many new jobs for pharmacologists.
PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION SOURCES:
American Pharmaceutical Association
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 628-4410
www.pharmacist.com