Increasingly, friends and coworkers and strangers have been asking me how my pharmaceutical studies are going. Let me clear a matter of vocabulary for you all. (Please note: this is not a dig at anybody in particular nor is it a personal attack. If you've been saying "pharmaceuticals" you shouldn't be offended - just keep reading.) I used to just let this go, since I know they're just trying to be interested in what I'm doing and make friendly conversation. But it makes me cringe inside every time I hear it.
Pharmaceutical sciences is a real field. My school offers a PhD program in it. This is the study of drug mechanisms, chemical reactions, kinetics, and so on. It's hard science. The guy behind the counter at Walgreen's does not get this degree. The guy at Pfizer who invents new drugs gets this degree. And I'd rather be the first one than the second. (Another note: I'm not committed to Walgreen's in specific or retail chain pharmacy in general; this is purely an example.) To be explicitly clear, I'm pursuing the Pharm.D. degree, or doctor of pharmacy. I will be a healthcare provider, not a scientist. I study existing drugs, not new ones, and well-established drug classes, not theoretical chemistry. So next time ask me how my pharmacy classes are going. I know it's tempting to adjective-ize (this is a word; look it up) it to pharmaceutical, but it's more appropriate to use the noun as an adjective. It's pharmacy school. Thank you for your time.
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