The discipline of Clinical Pharmacology serves many purposes and plays a critical role in therapeutic education, especially in a medical school. An effective program bridges the gap between basic pharmacology and clinical practice. A clinical pharmacology program must provide the student with the necessary information to employ the basic pharmacology knowledge gained in formatting a successful therapeutic plan. The program is built around the student and brings together the best to be offered in 2 or more disciplines; it requires diverse disciplines to work together in a variety of departments and centers which cut across disciplinary lines. In order to facilitate this interaction, the Division of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Miami embarked on establishing a Ph.D. program with an emphasis on Clinical Pharmacology utilizing an already established unique program referred to as ''Interdepartmental Graduate Studies''. To enter the structured Ph.D. program the students must be among the fellowship awardees of the Interdepartment Graduate Studies Program, which is administered by social committees with specific roles, directions and guidelines. The students follow the general requirements of the Ph.D. degree set forth by the graduate school. Students attend formal classes tailored to their program of interest based on the committee's recommendations in the respective departments involved. The significance of this program is that it can be tailored to fit individual areas of interest leading to a well-developed researcher who is neither overspecialized nor undereducated and able to make rational decisions in an age of multiple therapies.
