Chemistry International
Vol. 21, No.5, September 1999
1999, Vol. 21
No. 5 (September)
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Chemistry International
Vol. 21, No. 5
September 1999Medicinal Chemistry Graduate School Curriculum and Its Contribution to the Pharmaceutical Industry in Japan
Survey Outcome and Analysis
Q 2: What is the total number of postgraduates (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) irrespective of medicinal chemistry?
Q 3: What is the B.Sc. specialization of the graduate students?
Q 5: How many of the above postdocs have Ph.D. degrees in organic chemistry?
Q 8: Do your Ph.D. students attend lecture courses?
Q 9: Do your Ph.D. students have to develop their presentation skills?
Q 1: How many postgraduate students and postdoctorals are currently enrolled for studies considered primarily involving medicinal chemistry?
Answer
Number of Replies M.Sc. Ph.D. Subtotal Postdoctoral Total Average Number per Graduate School
*Virtual Total Number Virtual Grand Total *Virtual Total means an estimated total number of all graduate students and postdoctorals.
Example:
Type 3: Average (34) x total schools (29) = 986
Finding 1: More than 2 000 postgraduate students (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) in Pharmaceutical Sciences are involved in Medicinal Chemistry Research or Medicinal Innovations annually in Academia.
Q 2: What is the total number of postgraduates (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) irrespective of medicinal chemistry?Answer
Number of Replies M.Sc. + Ph.D
Total Average per School *Virtual Total Virtual Grand Total *Virtual Total means an estimated total number of graduate students of total graduate schools (6 + 11 + 29 = 46)
Example:
Type 1: Average (198) of the replies (3) x graduate schools (6) = 1 188
Finding 2: Referring to Finding 1, about 45% of the total postgraduates in Pharmaceutical Sciences are involved in Medicinal Chemistry or Medicinal Innovation in academia.
Q 3: What is the B.Sc. specialization of the graduate students?
Answer
Number of Replies B. Pharmaceutical Sciences
Other B. Sc B. Sc Other Countries
Finding 3: Almost 95% of graduate students have an educational background in the pharmaceutical sciences. The graduate school is not diversified in terms of B. Sc. background; rather, the undergratuate training of the students is very homogeneous. However, this finding might reflect a well-diversified faculty education in almost all natural sciences.
Q 4: How many M.Sc./Ph.D. graduates have, in the last 5 years, had their primary focus on medicinal chemistry, and what is their present occupation?
Answer
Number of Replies Total Number Graduated Virtual Number Graduated
1 069
1 595
1 643Postdoc Research (Home) Postdoc Research (Abroad) Academic/Teaching Position
Drug Analysis DMPK Patents or Information Synthetic Med Chem Computer-Assisted Drug Design Drug Registration orClinical Research
Marketing Sales Representatives Other Unknown Number Going to Industry % Going to Industry *Virtual Number to Industry
Virtual Grand Total
*Virtual Number means an estimated number of total graduate schools.
Example:
Type 2: Average (1 318 x 1/3) x number of graduate schools (11) = 1 166
Finding 4: Benchmarking M.Sc./Ph.D. graduates from the last 5 years and their current jobs is so difficult and complex that it might be dangerous to comment in detail on the outcomes; however, about 70% joined industry. It is also a new phenomenon for M.Sc./Ph.D. graduates to begin their careers in the development and commercialization aspects of medicinal innovation, such as clinical research and drug registration as well as marketing and sales.
Q 5: How many of the above postdocs have Ph.D. degrees in organic chemistry?
This question is not self-explanatory in terms of Organic Chemistry in the faculties of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, or Technology. While some reengineering is proceeding in the university system, almost all universities in Japan still have the faculty system.
Finding 5: No clear database was obtained.
Q 6: Do you have short courses on aspects of drug design available to medicinal chemists in the pharmaceutical industry?
Answer
Number of Replies Yes Finding 6: The "Yes" responses do not imply that the schools have official courses available to industry. It seems reasonable to infer that through symposia, seminars, and scientific meetings, there are opportunities for academia to provide advice on drug design.
Q 7: How many academic staff are engaged in the education of M.Sc. and Ph.D. students, and how many academic staff from outside are involved?
Answer
Number of Replies Academic Staff Internal*
Subtotal Average per School Virtual Total Staff Virtual Grand Total
*Reasonable and meaningful database on external numbers not obtained this time.
Finding 7: Frankly, this question was controversial in terms of numbers involved in medicinal chemistry, because it is almost impossible to estimate all individual staff percentages engaged in medicinal chemistry; therefore, the data obtained indicate a total number of academic staff in graduate school and faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. It should be noted that these staff are also deeply involved in teaching undergraduates, who total around 8 000/year in Japan. The Japanese undergraduate curriculum (4 years) comprises General Study (less than 1.5 years) and Pharmaceutical Sciences (more than 2.5 years), so that a total number of undergraduates of Pharmaceutical Sciences would be more than 30 000 in Japan. One academic staff member per 10_11 undergraduate students would be considered quite high compared with the ratio for other faculties.
Q 8: Do your Ph.D. students attend lecture courses?
Answer
Number of Replies Yes
Finding 8: Attendance at lecture courses depends on school policy.
Q 9: Do your Ph.D. students have to develop their presentation skills?
Answer
Total Number of Replies
Present a Seminar
Write a Report (apart from Thesis) Present a Communication at a Scientific Conference
Finding 9: Research quality and productivity are appraised not only internally but also externally, and communication is essential. All schools are cognizant of fostering the skills of Ph.D. students in communication as well as in research itself.
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