MD Pharmacology

Doctor of Medicine in Pharmacology, also known as MD Pharmacology, is a three-year medical course that deals with the action of drugs on biological systems and their response to the body. The course is a combination of experimental and clinical sciences. While experimental pharmacology course deals with drug action in diseases, clinical pharmacology is necessary for prescribing practice in medicine, pharmacovigilance and clinical trial.

Students who have studied MBBS are eligible to study MD Pharmacology courses. They must have obtained at least 55% to be eligible to apply for the course in a reputed medical college approved by the National Medical Commission (NMC). They also need to qualify for entrance examinations such as AIIMS PG, NEET PG, JIPMER, PGIMER and AFMC PG. The course has to be done offline in full-time mode as it involves practical and clinical learning. 

The purpose of MD Pharmacology is to create professionals who deliver high-quality healthcare facilities and provide research and training opportunities. Students must be able to explain the concepts and principles of Pharmacology and therapeutics. The top medical universities providing the course are AIIMS, PGIMER, JIPMER, Christian Medical College and Kasturba Medical College.

MS in Pharmacology courses usually cost anywhere from INR 10,000 to INR 10,00,000. Some of the top recruiters in this field of medicine are Max Hospital, Apollo, Action Balaji and Fortis Healthcare. In general, graduates can expect to earn between INR 3 lakhs and INR 10 lakhs every year. Let us find out more about MD Pharmacology courses here.

Here is a brief overview of MD Pharmacology courses in India and the details related to it: 

An MD Pharmacology course is a separate medical discipline and should not be confused with pharmacy. The discipline encompasses drugs’ chemical properties, biological effects and therapeutic effects. There are two important branches of pharmacology:

• Pharmacokinetics: It is related to the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs. Simply put, it is the effect of drugs on the body.
• Pharmacodynamics: It involves the molecular, biochemical, and physiological effects of drugs. Here, the response of the body to drugs is studied.

Pharmacology is a unique combination of knowledge from various disciplines such as medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary science and nursing. It is also closely knit with other bioscience disciplines such as biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, immunology, genetics and pathology.
 

A career as an MD in Pharmacology helps one explore many aspects of drug discovery, development, and drug safety. The knowledge can be utilized to improve and even save lives. Along with it being a rewarding career prospect, it is also of high responsibility. The benefits of MD Pharmacology courses are ample and some of them are discussed below:

• Those who have a knack for learning, observing, and making discoveries can study MD Pharmacology. As the industry is dynamic and new learnings are being added every now and then, those who are pursuing this field can constantly benefit from new developments. 
• Students can make a valuable difference in the lives of patients by extending and improving the quality of their lives. They will be able to reduce the pain and suffering of the patients. Those who seek a fulfilling career in biomedical sciences can opt for the course.
• They can also teach undergraduate students in medicine and allied healthcare services and help them become competent healthcare professionals.
• Besides, students will be able to carry out research projects from planning to publication.
• Students who are interested in the research aspect of drugs, teaching students, and investigating ways of creating remedies to many physical and mental illnesses of people and animals.
• It is a good choice for students who want to make a major contribution to understanding both novel and current disease processes. Further, it is suitable for candidates who want to spread awareness about pharmaceutical products. 
• Good communicators can pursue the course as they can explain to patients the treatments and also communicate with other healthcare professionals.
• MD Pharmacology courses open doors for high salaries as the demand for practitioners is higher than the supply. Therefore, those who want to earn a high graduate salary must apply for the course.

To study MD Pharmacology at a renowned medical university in India, it is necessary to appear for a competitive entrance test. Admission to the course is based on the performance of the candidate at any national level, state level, institution-specific or autonomous examinations conducted by various bodies. Here are the top MD Pharmacology entrance exams for aspirants:

Students who aspire to study MD Pharmacology courses must know the eligibility criteria before they apply for the course. Given below are the entry requirements for MD pharmacology:

• Students must have completed MBBS from a recognised medical college or possess a provisional MBBS pass certificate.
• Candidates must have secured at least 55% in the undergraduate examination.
• It is compulsory for the candidate to perform a rotational internship of 1 year after completing MBBS.

Applicants must qualify in the entrance examinations required for admission to a specific institute. In the case of NEET PG, candidates must have at least 50 percentile for general candidates and 45 percentile for reserved category.
 

The admission process in MD Pharmacology entails meeting the eligibility criteria and qualifying for the entrance examination. The process for admission has been simplified below:

• Step 1: Fill up the application form.
• Step 2: Submit the personal details and documents accurately.
• Step 3: Appear for the entrance test.
• Step 4: Participate in an interview or group discussion.
• Step 5: A merit list will be prepared of the qualified candidates.
• Step 6: Seats are allocated to students based on their rank.
• Step 7: Complete the admission process by paying the fees.

Aspirants should be aware of the medical varsities that offer MD Pharmacology. The list of popular pharmacology colleges in India to pursue an MD is given below:

Let us explore some of the top colleges in major Indian cities for MD Pharmacology:

New Delhi and NCR

Some of the popular colleges in the capital city of India for MD Pharmacology are:

• Lady Hardinge Medical College
• Maulana Azad Medical College
• UCMS
• GD Goenka University
• Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute

Pune

Pune has the most acclaimed medical colleges that provide MD Pharmacology courses. The colleges are:

• Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth
• Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research 
• Maharashtra Institute of Medical Education and Research
• Smt. Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital
• Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospitals

Kolkata

The top medical colleges in Kolkata that offer MD Pharmacology courses are:

• Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research
• Midnapore Medical College And Hospital
• Tropical School of Medicine

Bangalore

The medical colleges in Bangalore are famous for providing MD Pharmacology courses. Some of them are:

• St. John’s Medical College
• MS Ramaiah Medical College
• Dr. BR Ambedkar Medical College
• KIMS Bangalore
• Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre

Chennai

The renowned medical colleges in Chennai that offer MD Pharmacology courses are:

• Sri Balaji Medical College and Hospital
• Saveetha Medical College
• The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University
• Stanley Medical College
• Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center

There is no denying that MD Pharmacology courses abroad lead to rapid advancement in career of students where they can contribute to improvement and development of medical treatments. One can take advantage of the various facilities provided at universities abroad which will widen the personal horizons as well as help to experience a new culture. The top pharmacology colleges abroad are listed below:

The course content of MD Pharmacology includes both clinical and experiential sciences targeted to improve the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of the practitioners. Some of the objectives of the MD Pharmacology syllabus are:

• Ability to describe and apply principles of pharmacology to explain mechanisms and effects of drugs used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in the human body.
• Understand and explain the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of drugs.
• Get knowledge on essential medicines and pharmacovigilance.
• Explain to patients the effects and side effects of drugs and the need to adhere to the medication.
• Communicate effectively with students, peers, faculty, and staff regarding the rational use of drugs.
• Demonstrate ethical behaviour and integrity.
• Demonstrate skills in writing prescriptions.
• Ability to analyzeMuscles and evaluate research papers.
• Ability to perform in vitro and in vivo animal experiments.
• Demonstrate presentation skills at academic meetings and publications.

The MD Pharmacology courses syllabus contains broadly the following topics:

The course curriculum of MD Pharmacology is self-directed and consists of academic and laboratory work. Acquiring practical training is extremely important while studying the course.

The pharmacology curriculum is explained below in detail:

• Classroom Teaching: Formal teaching is an important component of the course. Along with it, there are other programmes held such as journals, group discussions, seminars, case discussions, interdepartmental case or seminar discussions and practicals.
• Conference and Paper Presentation: Besides classroom learning, a PG student will also have to present a poster, read a paper at the national or state level and present a research paper that should be sent/ accepted for publication.
• Training Programme: A postgraduate student has to participate in the training programme for undergraduate interns and students.
• Practical Learning: Students will get practical training in experimental pharmacology, clinical pharmacology and chemical pharmacology.
• Thesis: Under the guidance of a teacher, MD Pharmacology students have to write a research paper or thesis. This step is done to ensure that they have a spirit of enquiry and know the techniques of research, critical analysis and acquaintance with the latest advancements in the medical field.

A medical pharmacologist can find ample opportunities in academics, the pharmaceutical industry, government research institutions, clinical research organisations, regulatory bodies or as scientific writers. 

Government organisations often employ MD Pharmacology graduates at important research centres such as the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health and Centres of Disease Control. In addition, private research organisations utilise the expertise of pharmacologists. 

Medical graduates must be aware of the opportunities that are open to them after the MD Pharmacology course. Here are some of the top career paths:

• Physician-Scientists: In this job role, medical personnel translate basic scientific research into clinical practice. They may be associated with a hospital where they are supposed to advise on the effect of drug reactions.
• Clinical Pharmacologists: They are involved in the study of drug metabolism or pharmacogenetic research. 
• Leadership and Management Positions: An MD in Pharmacology can take up leadership and management positions in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Medical Writing Skills: Medical writing includes writing scientific documents which can include writing review articles, research articles or literature related to the promotion of drugs. The writer is supposed to provide unbiased, updated and accurate medical knowledge.
• Pharmacovigilance Officers: They perform the task of detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of negative effects of medicines or vaccines.
• Teaching or Training: Pharmacologists can join teaching or research careers in all areas of health sciences with a special focus on pharmacology speciality. 

Some other popular job roles are drug safety physician, medical adviser and medical reviewer.

After MD Pharmacology, students can either search for a lucrative job opportunity or move on to higher studies that will help them to get a salary hike and also make them experts in their field.

They can pursue hospital management courses to get into management and managerial positions in hospitals. 

Also, there is scope to acquire a three-year degree in surgery that is MCh where they will get practical training on surgery. Besides, they can study MD in general medicine and practice as general physicians on completion of the course.

After MD Pharmacology, a candidate earns a good income for the position they hold. They can increase their salary as their experience and skill in the field increase. The salary as per job roles are given below:

The top recruiters are pharmaceutical companies, educational institutions, hospitals, clinics, medical services. The companies that recruit are Sun Pharma, Cipla Abbott India and other pharma companies.

Besides theoretical knowledge of the subject, pharmacologists also need some other skills that make them highly employable. The skills that they must possess to reach the pinnacle of success in their career are:

• Communication Skills: The professionals must be able to communicate effectively the uses and side effects of various drugs therefore communication skills are extremely important. It is one of the most important skills that help manage and conduct everyday activities. 
• Leadership Skills: Often MD pharmacologists have a team to monitor and guide. In such cases, having leadership qualities benefit them to manage their team effectively and smoothly. 
• Problem-Solving Skills: They must have an analytical bent of mind to solve critical problems related to pharmacology. With experience and knowledge, these skills tend to improve.
• Time Management Skills: One has to manage their time well when in such a responsible position. Therefore, one who can efficiently manage time can make progress in leaps and bounds.