INTERDEPARTMENTAL GRADUATE STUDIES IN CLINICAL-PHARMACOLOGY - A PRACTICAL MODEL

The discipline of Clinical Pharmacology serves many purposes and plays a critical role in therapeutic education, especially in a medical sch ool. An effective program bridges the gap between basic pharmacology a nd clinical practice. A clinical pharmacology program must provide the student with the necessary information to employ the basic pharmacolo gy knowledge gained in formatting a successful therapeutic plan. The p rogram is built around the student and brings together the best to be offered in 2 or more disciplines; it requires diverse disciplines to w ork together in a variety of departments and centers which cut across disciplinary lines. In order to facilitate this interaction, the Divis ion of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Miami embarked on es tablishing a Ph.D. program with an emphasis on Clinical Pharmacology u tilizing an already established unique program referred to as ''Interd epartmental Graduate Studies''. To enter the structured Ph.D. program the students must be among the fellowship awardees of the Interdepartm ent Graduate Studies Program, which is administered by social committe es with specific roles, directions and guidelines. The students follow the general requirements of the Ph.D. degree set forth by the graduat e school. Students attend formal classes tailored to their program of interest based on the committee's recommendations in the respective de partments involved. The significance of this program is that it can be tailored to fit individual areas of interest leading to a well-develo ped researcher who is neither overspecialized nor undereducated and ab le to make rational decisions in an age of multiple therapies.