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In addition to the compulsory service by professors
(i. e. teaching according to the German curriculum
for pharmacy students) several additional services are offered by Prof.
Müller and his research team:
1. Supplementary
teaching:
The German curriculum for pharmacy students (Approbationsordnung) describes in very detail the content
of teaching. In addition to this special seminars are offered, details can be
found under “teaching/supplement”. In general these supplementing seminars
are organised for special target groups, e. g. for
female pharmacy students (seminar in cooperation with Schering AG) or for
pharmacy students with potential interest in an industrial career (e. g.
seminar “Industrial Pharmacy”). There is limited access to these seminars, selection is being performed on the basis of the
performance in the studies, additionally in part by lot. 2. Practicals for undergraduate students (Studenten) in research laboratories
During the studies the pharmacy students need to
make their decision whether to go for a chemist shop or alternatively to work
in pharmaceutical industry. A beneficial (but not compulsory) prerequisite is
a PhD in pharmacy, therefore students with the aim
going to industry should consider undertaking a PhD. There is a distinct difference
between “consuming knowledge” as a student and actually doing research in own
responsibility and planning. Unfortunately the German pharmacy studies are organised this way that students have to “consume” a lot
of information, but have little opportunity to be creative on their own. This
is just the opposite during a PhD project. In the studies the students have
to be “re-productive”, within a PhD project they have to be “productive”. Prof. Müller offers to undergraduate students to do
a 2 months practical in his research labs to experience how research looks
like. Within this practical the student will be involved in a research
project run by one of the PhD students. Applications need to be made by mail,
they should include a brief CV, information about the first state exam (1. Staatsexamen) and the accompanying letter should contain
some information about the future ambitions in career. 3.
“Seminar for practical pharmacy” by the company GEHE (GEHE-Wirtschaftsseminar)
The German curriculum of pharmacy is criticised that it focuses too much on the theory and
scientific education, but not sufficiently on areas with relevance for the
practical work in a chemist shop. Areas missing in the study of pharmacy – but highly important
for the work in a chemist shop – are e. g. business management (Betriebswirtschaft), communication skills (Kommunikationstraining) and rhetoric. After having just
finished his studies no pharmacy student is really able to assess the
commercial perspectives of a location for opening a chemist shop. An aim of
the GEHE seminar is to compensate for this deficit by offering an excellent
one-week program of lectures and interactive seminars to train our pharmacy
students for their future career in a chemist shop, preferentially their own
chemist shop. There are additional special events in the evenings, lectures
given by experts in certain fields followed by an intensive discussion and
the option for a personal conversation during the social events afterwards. The two chairmen of the GEHE seminar are Prof. Borchert and Prof. Müller
being chairman alternating on annual basis. The seminar itself is mainly organised by Ms. Soblik from GEHE. Access to this seminar is limited,
normally it takes place in September each year. Applications can be made to
the local departmental student organisation (Fachschaft). 4. Career
consulting
Until about 10 years ago the study of pharmacy
opened excellent perspectives for a career as self-employed pharmacist owning
a chemist (pharmacy) shop. However, the economical frame conditions have
changed dramatically during the last 10 years. Major impacts
had:
Within the European Union one has to expect that
there will be chemist shop chains in Germany like the chains in the UK, e. g.
Boots. It is highly likely that we have in the very near future small chemist
shops in department stores like Karstadt, Kaufhof and Hertie. Multiple
ownerships of chemist shops will be allowed. This will lead to a highly
competitive situation and finally to bankruptcy of a decent number of chemist
shops. At least this situation will reduce dramatically the win margin before
tax. Therefore it has to be critically reviewed if the number of hours spent
per week in the own pharmacy shop is still sufficiently financially
compensated. There are basically two options for a pharmacist, that means primarily going to a chemist shop,
preferentially owning a chemist shop or alternatively working in
pharmaceutical industry. Prof. Müller is chairman of the “Business Seminar
for Pharmacists” organised by the company GEHE (Wirtschaftsseminar für Pharmazeuten) which provides detailed information about
the perspectives opening a chemist shop nowadays. It provides solid
information for a potential decision to open your own chemist shop. In
addition the seminar “Industrial pharmacy” gives inside in industrial
perspectives for pharmacists. Both options are provided as neutral
information to allow pharmacy students to meet their own personal, optimised decision. In addition Prof. Müller offers a personal career
consulting working out the most promising career based on the personal
strength, preferences and economical frame conditions. Appointments for a
teaching part in the seminar consulting can be made via the secretary’s
office, Frau Gabriela Karsubke, by phone 030-838 506 96. 5.
Pre-registration year (Praktisches Jahr) in Prof. Müller’s
research group
According to German law a part of the
pre-registration year (maximum 6 months) can be spent outside the public
chemist shop, e. g. in research laboratories of a university. Prof. Müller offers the opportunity to spend 6
months in his research laboratories. This period gives the undergraduate
students the possibility to experience research in detail being the basis for
the decision if a PhD meets their needs and wishes. Basically such a research
stay in a research group gives you also the chance to find out if you like
the philosophy and atmosphere in this group, an important prerequisite for a
nice PhD time. In general, Prof. Müller is organising
these 6 months of the pre-registration year in this way that acquired methods
can be used in a potential PhD project in his group. In some cases it is
possible to start first investigations and use these results for the PhD
thesis. During the last years it was also possible to pay
the salary rate according to the pharmacy tariff agreed with the trade unions
(Tarifgehalt). However, at present this cannot be
guaranteed anymore due to the difficult economical situation and needs to be
decided from a case-to-case basis. If you want to apply for a 6-months practical,
please send your application details by e-mail to Prof. Müller: mpharma@zedat.fu-berlin.de. 6.
Exchange abroad during pre-registration year
A part of the pre-registration year for pharmacists
(Praktisches Jahr) can be
spent outside the chemist shop, the maximum being 6 months. These 6 months
can also be spent abroad, e. g. in a university lab, pharmaceutical company
or a hospital pharmacy. Prof. Müller can assist in arranging 6 months
research stays at schools of pharmacy abroad. For more information please
click: “student exchange”. 7.
Reference letters
Reference letters are required in case you apply as
an undergraduate student e. g. for a 6-months research stay during your
pre-registration year or as a postgraduate student for a PhD position at a
university abroad. Prof. Müller provides a reference letter for you in
case you are a student well above average. To apply for a reference letter,
please send a mail (mpharma@zedat.fu-berlin.de) including a
short curriculum vitae, information about the success in your pharmacy
studies and some information in an accompanying letter about the envisaged
host institute, special intention for you to go abroad and why you are selecting
especially this university. 8.
Arrangements for PhD abroad
Prof. Müller provides contacts to undertake a PhD in
a university abroad. The existing general research cooperations
and scientific contacts can be viewed by clicking “research contacts”. In general, PhD students have to pay a bench fee per
year at universities abroad. These bench fees can be avoided by using the
preferential exchange partners of Prof. Müller, more info can be found by
clicking “student exchange”. 9. Social
events/parties
Basic philosophy: The school of pharmacy at the Free
University of Berlin is a relatively large department,
we have about 180 students per year, that means approximately 90 per semester.
As a consequence of this large number of students per term, there is a danger
of having a very anonymous relationship between students and teaching staff.
There is a much more personal relationship at small universities. To overcome
this problem typically associated with large universities, it is considered
as highly essential to have additional social events to allow non-work
communication between students and teaching personnel. When Prof. Müller moved to the Free University in
Berlin in April 1991, he introduced two major social events for the
improvement of communication between students and practical-supervising
teaching staff (lecturers, PhD students) and professors, organised
with the third year students (7th semester): • Barbecue during the summer term These social events/parties are organised
in the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics
at the Kelchstrasse 31 in the city area Steglitz. There is a cafeteria in the pharmacy building,
behind the cafeteria there is a nice garden for barbecue in summer. The Department of Pharmaceutical Technology/Biopharmaceutics is perfectly equipped for such events
ranging from the barbecue to temperature-controlled pots for the Glühwein (glogg) including the
recipe for a special Scandinavian glogg.
Temperature-controlled and provision of recipe are part of the quality
management (QM) in the pharmacy department. They ensure constant high quality
of the “pharmaceutical” product considering glogg
as a pharmaceutical plant extract. The temperature-controlled pots avoid the
boiling of the glogg typically occurring when the
students in charge of preparing new glogg are
reaching a certain alcohol blood level (or to say it in a frank way, they are
outside of “QM”). The provision of the recipe ensures that the prepared glogg is very tasty avoiding misconceptions by the
students. The Glühwein (glogg) recipe is very famous, it is called “cloegg-Glühwein” and originates from Scandinavia,
countries known to be inhabited by heavy drinkers (at least some people say
this). Therefore this recipe has a special character. It is so famous that it
is referenced in the literature: Rainer H. Müller, in “Pharmazeutische Technologie: Moderne Arzneiformen“ (Rainer H. Müller and Gesine E. Hildebrand, eds.), chapter 11, Alkoholische Pflanzenextrakte, Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH Stuttgart, p. 119-120 (1998). This chapter in Prof. Müllers
textbook proved to be the most popular chapter, students who did not buy the
book, they definitely copied this chapter. The basic recipe for “cloegg-Glühwein” is based on 2 l read wine, 100-200 g
sugar and a special mixture of spices, heated for 10 minutes. There is a
special variation of this recipe in Scandinavia, that
means adding a bottle of Vodka to this mixture. This additive increases
tremendously the “therapeutic efficiency” resulting in a high bioavailability
(high blood levels) after extremely short time after administration. Due to
the low elimination constant, blood levels are typically steadily increasing,
in some cases there is a danger of leaving the therapeutic range and reaching
the toxic range. Since 1994 there are two professors in the
department sharing the responsibility for these social events. Prof. Bodmeier is the supervisor (Praktikumsleiter)
of the 7th semester in the summer term and the barbecue, Prof. Müller is in
charge of supervising the 7th semester during the winter term and involved in
the Santa Claus glogg event. |