Neurology or Neurochemistry

[Dr Pepper]

So I'm a 1st year sophomore at UT austin (came in with lots of credits from summer community college/AP testing and foreign language because i'm bilingual), and until now have been unsure of what i wanna do. I've been thinking maybe chemical engineering, pharmaceutical chemistry, doctor of pharmacy, orthopedic surgeon, etc etc etc.
I love the study of the brain/neurotransmitters/drugs and i love helping people, seeing as the help i've received for chronic pain has been riddled with disappointment at the lack of knowledge and care from my doctors, as well as them disregarding my knowledge of my own body and the thorough research i've done about my condition because i was just a highschooler, who was i to tell THEM how to do THEIR job. Honestly there should be an i.q. cap or something, (that'd be fucked up though, fuck socialism, hence: ) better yet random testing of their job knowledge and of new/improved methods of diagnosis/treatment. Some of these guys are dinosaurs and have no idea what recent advances have been made in medicine.

Back on topic, i'd just like some information about these fields if anybody has personal experience in the matter, or if you think you've got a handle on what to expect.
I'd probably get my 4 year degree in neurobiology which is offered at ut, or perhaps some type of chemistry.

What can i expect in terms of salary and such?
How long can i except to be in school with each?
What options will i have with either of these degrees?

I excel at test taking and i know that i wont fail in this endeavor as long as i stay on track and keep up with my work.
I really want to make a difference, as i've become quite disenchanted with the way things have been going within the medical community.
Thanks for any and all input,
Dr Pepper

 

[rant*N*rave]

The answers you're looking for are a lot lengthier and way less specific than you think, I think. A neurobiology degree will be SUBSTANTIALLY different from a chemistry degree in terms of coursework, potential jobs, and other future outlook.

I'm getting a biochemistry degree specifically because I wasn't sure what exact field I wanted to get into. The background has prepped me for a zillion different jobs or pretty much any grad program in the sciences. It's what I recommend unless you have a VERY specific plan in mind. You can always take some neuro classes in undergrad to see if that's what you really want to do, and then you can specialize in grad school, after you've had a chance to learn more about everything. I thought I wanted to be a lab chemist until I took more chemistry classes - now I know it's pretty much the last thing on earth I want to do, at least right now, even though I love science and know I'll for sure be getting a job in the sciences.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Actually biochemistry was my second choice as an undergraduate degree. I'll be taking organic chemistry next semester so i'll be on the right path. Thanks for the advice! Yeah and a lab chemist sounds pretty crappy..

 

[scureto1]

From the way you described your desires and interest, I would like to advise you against the doctor of pharmacy path. This was my original goal, but after spending a year working in a pharmacy as a certified pharmacy technician, I could clearly see that what the pharmacists were doing was not what I thought a pharmacist would do.

(This is all for retail pharmacy, which is where the vaaaaast majority of pharmacist jobs are found)
As far as their treatment, appreciation, and day-to-day work, they are basically well-paid store clerks. They have a vast education on drugs and are basically an encyclopedia of drug information, interactions, and contraindications, but very little of their time is spent doing that.

Most of their time is spent dealing with error-checking on work on by pharmacy technicians, which is very very important, since the pharmacist is the last line of defense against the customer receiving the wrong medicine. However, it's still very tedious and monotonous stuff.

Another chunk of time where their expertise is wasted is dealing with insurance. I'm not getting into the details, but its every bit as frustrating as you would imagine. The pharmacists I worked with seemed stressed and miserable three out of five days a week on average. They get paid well, but not well enough for that if you have a choice about it.