Careers in Pharmacy

Postgraduate Studies

Beverly C. Langevin, Ph.D.
Candidate in Pharmaceutics
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor , Michigan

Langevin’s interest in pharmaceutics was sparked when, as an undergraduate at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, she worked in the research lab and interned at pharmaceutical company. “I knew that if I wanted to go anywhere with it, I needed an advanced degree.” Pharmaceutics–which involves researching and developing drugs, characterizing their properties, and discovering new ways to deliver them–requires creative thinking and problem solving which is what drew Langevin to the field.

“I find the whole process enticing,” she says. In her thesis project she is looking at the crystallization of drugs in polymer-matrices.

The greatest rewards of a doctoral program, according to Langevin, are “realty challenging yourself and discovering how much you accomplish, even if it’s in very small steps. I’m learning a lot on personal level, too: that I can stick with something even if it’s frustrating and I don’t see results right away. I’ve learned that, when things aren’t going well, it’s important to step back and take a different look, see what else I can do to figure out what’s going on.” She enjoys working with students and professors– “I’m not just a lab rat,” she says – and is unsure whether she’ll seek a job in the pharmaceutical industry or stay in academia when she receives her Ph.D. in 2000.

Her advice to students interested in an advanced degree is “try to get experience in the field you’re interested in, to be sure you really like it, and talk to both professors and students about the schools you’re considering.”