Clinical pharmacologists are doctors who specialise in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) after completing medical school. Their main focus is improving patient care through the safe, effective, and evidence-based use of medicines. For students considering a medical career, you might want to explore pharmacology during your degree to see if it is an area you would like to specialise in later.
Pharmacology in medical school
During medical training, you will learn about medicines in detail – how they work in the body, why they are prescribed, and their possible side effects. This knowledge is usually delivered through either dedicated pharmacology modules or integrated teaching within wider courses on physiology, pathology, or clinical practice.
Many medical schools also offer the chance to take an intercalated degree. This is a one-year programme where you pause your medical studies to explore a specific subject in depth, such as pharmacology. This can give you a strong foundation if you later choose to specialise in CPT.
What will a medical pharmacology course cover?
- The science behind how common medicines work
- Useful principles to help you learn about drugs
- Development and monitoring of new drugs
- The side effects of drugs medics use
- The basics of pharmacology
- The principles of clinical pharmacology
- Prescribing medicines in practice
- How to choose a drug, dose, route of administration, and how to prescribe it
Pharmacology is often a topic that brings many aspects of medicine together. It can teach you:
- Mechanism of drug action – how the body works and what causes a disease.
- Therapeutics – the different approaches to treating a disease
- Learning to prescribe – how to administer medicines
How can I explore pharmacology while studying?
There are different ways you can explore pharmacology while studying for your medical degree, such as:
- Clinical placements
- Electives
- Summer jobs and part-time work in laboratories
- Getting involved in clinical audits
Find out more about Life as a Medical Student on the Royal College of Physicians website and the NHS Health Careers website.
Find out more about Life as a Medical Student on the Royal College of Physicians website and the NHS Health Careers website.
Specialising in Clinical Pharmacology
After graduating from medical school you will need to complete two years of Foundation Training before you can choose your specialty.
Foundation Training is a work-based programme that bridges the gap between medical school and specialty training. Applications begin around October each year, with a start date the following summer. From August you will be able to view available Academic Foundation Programmes (AFP) on Oriel.
To take up an offer of a Foundation Training place, you must have:
- Applied to the General Medical Council (GMC) for registration with a licence to practise.
- Passed the Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) exam.
Download our leaflet showing the key stages of applying for a Foundation Training Place.
Once you have accepted an offer and know where your programme will be, get in touch with local clinical pharmacologists. Arrange to spend some time with them to get a taste of the specialty – they don’t have to be at your hospital.
After your training you will be awarded the Foundation Programme Certificate of Completion (FPCC). You can then go on to your Internal Medicine Training (IMT).
Towards the end of your Foundation Training you will need to make decisions about where to complete the first stage of your IMT. If you are interested in Clinical Pharmacology it can be worthwhile researching which schools might give you the best experience relevant to the specialising in CPT later.
If you are interested in developing your skills in clinical research and clinical trials, the Clinical Pharmacology Scientist apprenticeship might be for you
Find out more about NHS Foundation Programmes.
You can also find more information from outside the Society here:
There is more information about specialising on the NHS Health Careers website.
For the full specialty training curriculum, visit the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board website.
Find out more about the Internal Medicine Training pathways.
Looking for career inspiration?
Read examples of pharmacology careers from BPS members and find out the different pathways people have taken.
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