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Pharmacology

 What is it?

  • Study of drug action in the human body. Pharmacologists’ research is focused on discovering molecules or drugs that can prevent or better manage different diseases.  Pharmacology is multidisciplinary field that uses techniques such as analytical chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, immunology and medicinal chemistry in identifying molecules that cause a biochemical change in the human body.

Academic Programs

  • Depending on the institution or University the BSc degree is an Honors degree which means that after one or two years of general sciences the applicant has to be admitted to the degree program based on academic merit.
  • MSc and Ph.D programs in Phamracology are also available

 

Career and Academic opportunities

Cardiovascular Pharmacology
Cardiovascular pharmacologists’ research is focused on identifying drugs for controlling or managing cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction or heart rhythm abnormalities. At a molecular level the drugs work on receptors, channels or smooth muscle. If the drug is successful in reaching a clinical trials stage it is then marketed after it passes different clinical trial stages.
 

Clinical Pharmacology
Clinical pharmacology is the branch of Medicine or Pharmacy that deals with the effect of drugs in a real clinical setting. Clinical pharmacologists are either physicians who complete a two year fellowship after the internal medicine residency or are clinical pharmacists.

 It is for you if:

  • You are interested in a career in teaching and research: mainly working long hours conducting experiments in Labs
  • You want to pursue a research career in the Pharmaceutical Industry
  • Use the degree as a stepping stone to get into medical school

Avoid this degree if:

  • You are interested in Clinical Pharmacology which mainly deals with administering drugs to patients and monitoring the side effects mostly done by clinical pharmacists these days.
  • Do not like 'molecular biology' type research i.e. "rat studies"

 

Tips
Many find human or clinical pharmacology a very exciting science as taking medications is a daily ritual for many of us. However, many are misled in thinking that undergraduate or even graduate degree in pharmacology will expose one to clinical pharmacology (effect of drugs in the human body). This in fact is a misconception. The undergraduate programs in pharmacology stress on basic and molecular pharmacology and usually do not focus on clinical pharmacology. Those who plan of pursuing a career in pharmacology in hope of becoming clinical pharmacologists may be disappointed to learn that pharamcology is not a clinical degree.