藥理學專業怎麽樣？藥理學專業與前景分析

藥理學是當前環境下最理想的專(zhuan) 業(ye) 之一，本文將探討這一研究領域、它的要求和挑戰，以及可能的職業(ye) 機會(hui) 。

藥理學家與(yu) 藥劑師

藥劑師和藥理學家有何區別？可以理解為(wei) ，藥劑師“麵向公眾(zhong) ”，而藥理學家更多從(cong) 事“幕後”工作。 藥理學家負責開發藥物，而藥劑師分配處方藥並給患者提供使用建議。藥理學是一門生物醫學科學，專(zhuan) 注於(yu) 化學藥物以及它們(men) 如何影響服用藥物的人和生物體(ti) 。藥理學學位更注重研究，教你如何研究化學效應和創造新的療法。

實驗室內(nei) 的藥理學

藥理學家作為(wei) 醫學科學家創造和測試藥物，經常在實驗室研究新藥，谘詢醫生和專(zhuan) 家，或查看藥理學研究結果以了解藥物的效果。

如果您是研究、解剖學/生理學和化學的愛好者，這可能是您考慮的理想領域。藥理學家經常在實驗室研究藥物。通常，他們(men) 研究的主要目標是了解這些藥物如何發揮作用以及與(yu) 人體(ti) 的相互作用，從(cong) 分子水平到身體(ti) 的總體(ti) 反應。如果你對動物科學感興(xing) 趣，也可以對動物藥物進行研究。

製藥公司一直需要尋找合格的藥理學家來測試公司正在開發的新藥。實驗室工作不僅(jin) 包括通過研究組織和細胞樣本來測試藥物，還包括將藥物的使用推進到臨(lin) 床試驗，研究對象則為(wei) 自願參與(yu) 的患者。

通過臨(lin) 床試驗和研究，藥理學家可以確定適當的劑量、副作用、益處和安全措施。毒理學領域的藥理學家研究並建議製藥公司如何安全地標記和處理物質。

實驗室外的藥理學

一些藥理學家可以根據他們(men) 的職業(ye) 道路在非實驗室環境中工作。比如從(cong) 事更多的行政工作，例如，為(wei) 美國食品和藥物管理局 (FDA) 工作的藥理學家可以評估新藥申請的數據或審查臨(lin) 床前研究的結果。還有一些崗位可能涉及開發項目和監督公司職能。

成為(wei) 藥理學家的教育路徑

因為(wei) 藥理學是醫學科學的一個(ge) 分支，涉及研究不同藥物對人體(ti) 的生理影響，因此本科課程的科學性很強，包含生理學的學科內(nei) 容。藥理學學士學位課程的課程通常包括微生物學、免疫學、藥物的作用以及新藥從(cong) 發現到上市的過程。它還包含廣義(yi) 科學的核心課程，如生物學、遺傳(chuan) 學和解剖學。雖然藥理學學士學位足以讓學生在畢業(ye) 後進入製藥行業(ye) 工作，學生通常也可以選擇繼續修讀醫學和獲得更高學術證書(shu) 的資格，從(cong) 而增加長期的薪水潛力。

藥理學高級學位包括碩士和博士學位。醫學領域的一些高級職位需要這樣級別的學位。東(dong) 北大學藥物科學項目主任對此表示：“藥理學本科和研究生教育之間的真正區別在於(yu) ，在本科課程中，你隻需要回答對問題。而在更高的教育水平，你會(hui) 獲得深度的理解，讓你能夠探索、提出自己的問題，並有希望找到有助於(yu) 推動該領域向前發展的答案。”

藥理學家的職業(ye) 道路

藥理學的職業(ye) 是多種多樣的：從(cong) 研究到銷售，擁有該學位的人具有多功能性。

醫學、生物學或免疫學領域的臨(lin) 床研究始終是比較“對口”的選擇，而從(cong) 事藥品銷售也是一個(ge) 比較容易獲利的選擇。法律和政府監管職位（如前文提到的 FDA 的職位）也是更多行政性，更少的研究的一種選擇。如果擁有高級學位，總可以在高等教育體(ti) 係中找到教學或研究的崗位。

根據 payscale 網站數據，藥理學家平均工資為(wei) 89,586 美元。具有不到 1 年經驗的入門級藥理學家的平均年薪為(wei) 71,216 美元，具有 1-4 年經驗的早期職業(ye) 藥理學家的平均年薪為(wei) 77,238 美元，具有 5-9 年經驗的職業(ye) 中期藥理學家的平均年薪為(wei) 98,633 美元，具有 10-19 年經驗的經驗豐(feng) 富的藥理學家的平均年薪為(wei) 114,266 美元。在他們(men) 的職業(ye) 生涯後期（20 年及以上)，員工的平均年薪可達 122,959 美元。另一網站Ziprecruiter 上報告的平均年薪更高。

總結

與(yu) 神經科學類似，對於(yu) 那些對健康科學感興(xing) 趣但不喜歡在臨(lin) 床環境中與(yu) 患者一起工作的學生來說，藥理學對於(yu) 喜歡科學的學生是一個(ge) 非常有吸引力的職業(ye) 領域，他們(men) 既能幫助到他人，也回避了直接接觸患者護理。

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英文原文：

Pharmacology

Having recently read that pharmacology is one of the most desirable majors in our current climate, this article explores this area of study, its requirements and challenges, along with possible career opportunities.

 

Pharmacologist versus Pharmacist

We can think of pharmacists and pharmacologists as ‘public facing’ and ‘backroom’.  Pharmacologists are responsible for developing the drugs that pharmacists safely dispense to patients whereas a pharmacist dispenses prescription medications and advises patients on their use. Pharmacology, a biomedical science, focuses on chemical drugs and how they affect the people and organisms that consume them. Pharmacology degrees are more research-focused, teaching you how to investigate chemical effects and create new remedies.

 

Pharmacology in the Lab

A pharmacologist creates and tests medicine as a medical scientist, and often researches new medications in laboratories, consults with physicians and specialists, or looks at the results of pharmacological studies to understand the effects of medication.

 

If you are a fan of research, anatomy/physiology and chemistry, this may be an ideal field for you to consider.  Pharmacologists often work in laboratories researching medications. Usually, the primary goal of their research is to see how these medications work and interact with humans, from a molecular level to how a body responds in total (they can also perform research for animal medications, if animal science is an area of interest for you).  Pharmaceutical companies always seek qualified pharmacologists to test new drugs the companies are developing. Lab work not only includes testing medications by studying tissue and cell samples, but advancing the use of the medication to clinical trials, where voluntary patients are used as research subjects.

 

Through clinical trials and research, pharmacologists can determine appropriate dosages, side effects, benefits, and safety measures. Pharmacologists in the toxicology field research and advise drug companies on how to safely label and handle substances.

 

Pharmacology outside the lab

Some pharmacologists can work in non-laboratory settings depending on their career path. More administrative positions are also an option, for example a pharmacologist working for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may evaluate data for new drug applications or review results for preclinical studies. Other positions can involve developing projects and overseeing corporate functions.

 

Educational Path

Because pharmacology is a branch of medical science that concerns the study of the physiological effects that different drugs have on humans, the undergraduate coursework is science heavy as well as incorporating physiology, since pharmacology also comprises the study of different organ systems in the body and their relationship with each other and the chemicals that act upon them. The curriculum for a bachelor’s degree program in pharmacology requires courses in microbiology, immunology, the effects of drugs and the process a new drug goes through from discovery to marketing. It will also contain core classes on broader sciences such as biology, genetics and anatomy. While the bachelor’s degree in pharmacology allows a student to start working in the pharmaceutical industry in biotechnological or legal capacities after graduation, it also confers eligibility for students to continue their medical studies and obtain higher academic certifications (thus increasing the salary potential for the long term).

 

Advanced degrees in Pharmacology include both the masters and the doctorate;

some high-level roles in the medical field require one of these specific cumulative degrees. From the Director of the Pharmaceutical Sciences program at Northeastern University: “The real difference between an undergraduate and graduate education in pharmacology is that, in an undergraduate program, you’re being asked to answer question…[while] at an advanced level of education, you get that depth of understanding that allows you to probe, ask your own questions, and hopefully uncover answers that will help to push the field forward.”

 

Career Paths

Careers in pharmacology are diverse: from research to sales, there is versatility for those with this degree.  Clinical research in the medical, biological or immunological areas are always a ‘given’ option, while working in pharmaceutical sales is also a lucrative option.  Legal and governmental regulatory positions (like those with aforementioned FDA are also more administrative, less research-heavy, options. With a more advanced degree, there is always the option of teaching (and also researching) in a higher education environment.  According to payscale.com, The average salary for a Pharmacologist is $89,586. An entry-level Pharmacologist with less than 1 year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $71,216 whereas an early career Pharmacologist with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $77,238.  A mid-career Pharmacologist with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $98,633 and an experienced Pharmacologist with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $114,266. In their late career (20 years and higher), employees earn an average total compensation of $122,959.  Ziprecruiter.com reports higher average and long terms salaries.

 

Summary

Like with the neurosciences (cf. my last published article), for students who have interests in the health sciences but do not relish the idea of working with patients in clinical settings, pharmacology is a lucrative career field for students who enjoy the sciences and helping others, but would shy away from directly administering patient care.