How can I become a research pharmacist?

Path to become a pharmacist in the research or hospital setting.?

• Okay, i'm a high school student right now and I want to become a pharmacist. Do I need to choose in pharmacy school what type of pharmacist I'm going to become? Or can I decide I was to be a research pharmacist and get a job there, then quit after a few years and go get a job in a hospital setting if I want? am I right that if I go to a university first, I need to get a degree in my major, which will be chemistry? what degree would I get, bachelors? and then i need to get in to a pharmacy school and get a doctor of pharmacy degree? is that correct? What about getting like a PhD? is it possible to get a higher degree than the doctor of pharmacy degree?

• Answer:

  I thought I answered this question earlier today. Or was that someone else asking? No, you don't choose what type of Pharmacist you are going to become while in school. You FIRST become a Pharmacist, and then AFTER you graduate, you search out work in the area of interest you want to work in. Yes, you would need a college degree in a science field; chemistry would be great. From there you can apply to Pharmacy College. Different schools offer different degrees, and technically they are all Doctor of Pharmacy, but it is a rare Pharmacist who refers to himself as such. Most of them refer to themselves as Registered Pharmacist, R.Ph., or simply Pharmacists There is no higher degree, but of course you can always earn multiple degrees in related fields. For example, you might become a R.Ph., and you could also continue your education and get a degree in anything else... Microbiology, for example, or Molecular Biology, or perhaps also become an RN. But if you work for awhile, you'll discover what specific area is most satisfying to you. Work at Walgreens, work at a small or large hospital, work in Walmart, whatever. The work is all similar. OR, you could work for a pharmaceutical company that manufactures drugs, and they're probably going to seek out specific further education pertaining to what kind of drugs they make. I would suggest you just get your R.Ph. first, work in the field for a couple of years, and THEN make your choice where you want to wind up. You're in High School now? When I was in High School I wanted to be an astronaut... or a cowboy... or maybe a fireman... or a railroad engineer.... or perhaps a race car driver...or a rock star....