The objective is to examine how best to structure a medicinal chemistry curriculum with regard to subject matter, sequence and emphasis, recognizing the fact that the pharmaceutical industry is by far the largest employer of medicinal chemists. Account will be taken of the different situations existing in different countries.
A questionnaire was sent to research companies in various countries. Replies were analyzed and results given in talks at National Symposia in the Netherlands and Italy, and published: W.-D. Busse and C.R. Ganellin,
Trends in Drug Research, 1993, 20, 305. US data are in C.R. Ganellin et al,
Ann Rep Med Chem. vol 30, 329, and full data are in Busse et al,
Eur J Med Chem. 1996, 31, 747. The results support short courses for teaching the elements of medicinal chemistry as one-week summer schools in UK, USA, Netherlands and Switzerland. Curriculum recommendations have been published by Ganellin,
Chem Int. 1995, 17, 212. A follow up questionnaire has been sent to University Depts that teach medicinal chemistry.
The results of this follow-up questinnaire have been published in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2000, 35, 163-174; article entitled "University education of medicinal chemists: comparison of eight countries", and prepared by C R Ganellin, LA Mitscher, B Clement, T-H Kokayashi, E Kyburz, O Lafont, A Marcincal, A Monge, G Tarzia and JG Topliss.
Part of the investigation has been published in the following two references:
- Education of Medicinal Chemists in Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (USA)
Medicinal Research Reviews, 1998, 18, 121-137
C.R. Ganellin, L.A. Mitscher and J.G. Topliss
- Medicinal Chemistry Graduate School Curriculum and Contribution to Pharmaceutical Industry in Japan
Med. Chem. News, 1998, 8 (4), 21-28
T-H. Kobayashi and C.R. Ganellin
Reprint in Chem Int. 1999, 21, 138.
Project completed - Final report entitled 'Two Routes to Becoming a Medicinal Chemist' is published in Chem. Int. 2001, 22(3), 43-45