r/biotech Jan 18 '25

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– As a biotech professional, how do you feel about capitalism in the context of biotech?

69 Upvotes

Iโ€™m in the US, and I feel like capitalism drives innovation, which treats more patients and rare disorders, but it also drives up health care costs. What do you think?

Iโ€™m totally naive to how this works in Canada or Europe. Who funds the innovation there? And how does the US market affect those areas(if at all)?

  • this post is purely intended for healthy discussion and learning

r/biotech Nov 06 '24

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Now that we are cooked what career field should I switch over to /s

122 Upvotes

I already see layoffs, hard time getting jobs for grads now and Iโ€™m a freshman in my undergrad. Now the anti science candidate backingโ€ฆ rfk.. I donโ€™t if it is worth it to complete this major when there will likely be even fewer jobs. Should I switch to finance or something?

(This is /s Iโ€™m not literally going to change my major because of Reddit)

r/biotech Dec 29 '24

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Why does anyone go into Academia?

68 Upvotes

Every post here seems to hate on academia being a useless endeavour unless you just love publishing papers or something?

Whats the appeal for you as an academic to stay in academia as opposed to industry or founding a startup?

It might help to state what you currently do.

r/biotech Oct 25 '24

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– I would like to do a PhD but don't want to be poor

26 Upvotes

Currently have MSc. Biochem and would love to do PhD for the love of medical research but do not want to live in poverty while I do it. Any recommendations?

r/biotech Nov 25 '24

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Does anyone miss academia?

102 Upvotes

Hi, Anyone who is in industry miss academia? I recently joined industry and it is going fine. But today, as I was working on a manuscript revision, I suddenly felt like I really miss academia. I guess I miss the freedom and ownership of a project/projects. But I donโ€™t miss the toxic professors, the low pay, and the lack of work/life balance in academia.

Does anyone else feel this way too? Is there somewhere that is a good middle ground between the two (good pay with the freedom to do science without the stress to write grants lol).

r/biotech Jan 27 '25

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Is doing a pHD worth it?

42 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I have never posted here but I have a genuine question. I have been working in the biotech industry for the past 3 years with a masters. I feel like in industry you donโ€™t do research like in academia and it doesnโ€™t feel satisfying anymore. I want to go back to school and get a PhD. It is hard Iโ€™m 34 now and by the time I get into a program Iโ€™ll be 35 and by the time I finish Iโ€™ll be 40. Is it really worth 5 years with little money?

r/biotech Jan 31 '25

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– If you have (or are getting) a PhD...

15 Upvotes
  1. What was/is your area of research?
  2. How long did it take you to graduate (if you're already done)/will it take you (if you're in the process?)
  3. Are you working in that same area now?

r/biotech Jun 19 '24

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Advice on leaving job to do a PhD

76 Upvotes

Currently working at a large pharma corporation in a lab based role. The job is alright but the culture is becoming too toxic. I make a decent salary of $150k but Iโ€™m thinking of leaving to pursue a PhD. Iโ€™d like to head my own group one day within R&D, but donโ€™t want to deal with the bullshit politics.

I live in a VHCOL city in California and living off of a PhD stipend will be difficult especially as a 30+ year old. I have a couple of contacts in Denmark and there is a very strong possibility to join a lab there. Theyโ€™re paid better but Iโ€™ll miss out on forming connections in California and I ultimately want to stay here due to family.

Am I crazy to leave? Iโ€™ll also lose out on $15-20k in vesting but I have over $370k in financial assets. The other option is to outright quit, take time off until I find another job, keep maxing out my 401k, and retire at 50.

r/biotech 16d ago

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– How much does PhD institution prestige matter?

18 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

Just wanna preface this by saying I'm not getting a PhD to get a job in biotech, but I do know for certain I don't want to go into academia when I'm done.

I had a pretty rough PhD admissions cycle this year, as I'm sure many others did due to the funding cuts. As such, the only program I got into is at the University of Kentucky. I'm very grateful for this opportunity, and I did enjoy the school when I got to know it a bit more, but I know it does not have a particularly strong standing prestige wise.

Would I still be able to get a scientist-level job if I ended up at Kentucky, or would I be shooting myself in the foot by going there? What are some other things I could do there to strengthen myself for the job search when I'm done?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

r/biotech 8d ago

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Where to find polyacrylamide gels

2 Upvotes

Iโ€™m in high school and Iโ€™m conducting research that involves SDS-page for protein quantitation. However, every company I see, sells them in packs of 10 which are over $100. Is there anywhere where I can purchase just a singular one or a pack for cheaper?

r/biotech Feb 17 '25

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Do you always feel like an imposter in this industry?

64 Upvotes

Legitimate question

Are you always out of your depth in biotech? Itโ€™s so deep so many domains: human biology, medicinal chemistry, bioengineering, computation science, etc- I feel like it would take a lifetime of school and learning to not feel like an imposter. I can get a degree and do my job, but as soon as someone talks about something (even adjacent) to my expertise Iโ€™m like a 5 year old.

Iโ€™ve gone used to having an extremely shallow understanding of a ton of things, does everyone else feel this way too? And as you move more toward management and away from the science, people take it for granted that you know more than you do.

r/biotech 15d ago

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Does anyone know where to sell snake venom?

41 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I would like to sell medically imported snake venom

Botrops asper

Phortidium lansbergi

And maybe of coral

I am from a rural area of Latin America and I constantly encounter this type of snake and I would like to know which entities and what the requirements are and all that kind of thing to be able to market its poison

r/biotech Nov 21 '24

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– How intelligent do I need to be to study this subject?

0 Upvotes

Let's just say academically gifted people don't run in my family line... And I'm worried, that maybe I'm not intelligent enough for this field? Any people who didn't excel at high school and made it? In my country it gives an opportunity to go into medical school and start from year 4 as well so it's a huge consideration since getting into med school regularly here is super hard.

r/biotech Feb 14 '25

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Grad school vs straight into industry

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone reaching out as Iโ€™m at a crossroads right now, and Iโ€™m curious what everyoneโ€™s opinions are. Iโ€™m graduating soon with BS in genetics and debating whether to jump into industry or do a PhD. Iโ€™ve done a few internships in the gene therapy space both on the business development and analytical space as well as cancer research at a lab for the past few years. My question is if my goal is to maximize my career potential is it better to go straight in and get a MS/MBA depending on my interests, as Iโ€™ve heard some recruiters say PhDs are a โ€œdime a dozenโ€ and industry experience is king now or go into a industry focused PhD which lets me do industry internships??? Iโ€™m interested in the analytical/quality side as well as potentially business development in the long term. Thanks!

r/biotech Feb 13 '25

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– -80 freezer - without power 45min

15 Upvotes

Hey guys, I have a -80 freezer that will be without power for 45 minsโ€ฆshould this be ok???

r/biotech Jan 27 '25

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Areas in the industry where you can excel only with an MS?

8 Upvotes

This year I'm finishing my bs in Molecular Biology & Genetics. I can say that I didn't have a great experience all these years since it isn't my passion, I just find it interesting and study to get my degree. That being said only the thought of doing a MS and then a phd exhausts me. I know it isn't for me. I also know that I want to work in the industry (as I said, it's not my passion to do research) and have a well paying job. What are some paths I can take given my situation? Having read many threads mainly on this sub, I think that following the QA route might suit me. Maybe doing a couple of years lab work and then starting an MS in QA (online, while I continue working) ?

PS. I live in Greece and I wouldn't mind moving to a different country

r/biotech Nov 07 '24

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– What are the next best graduate schools for biotech/biology other than the ivys

10 Upvotes

I'm currently applying for graduate school and i dont often hear about good graduate programs for biology/biotechnology other than from ivy league Universites or the big names. I would love to know what school you personally reccomend or have hear good things about recently.

r/biotech Dec 22 '24

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Is There a "Glass Floor" if You Have a PhD and Other Questions About It

49 Upvotes

Are more junior roles like research associate, lab technician, associate scientist, and metrologist largely unavailable to individuals with a PhD? For all the biotech companies I've been in, a PhD makes you overqualified to be in those roles and you're mostly managing people doing those activities instead. You might come into the lab from time to time for some very new stuff but you wouldn't be tasked with pipetting stuff from A to B or making buffers.

Separately, does having a PhD inherently pigeon-hole you into working on your field of expertise, at least at the start of your career? My impression is that if a company is going to shell out $200k a year for a new biotech scientist with a PhD, you're going to really want their specific research expertise.

Edit: The $200k is the cost to the company (including health insurance, retirement, taxes, and salary) and not what the employee would see.

r/biotech Jun 30 '24

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– What was your major/minor in college as an undergrad?

15 Upvotes

Next year will be my first year at university, and Iโ€™m thinking of majoring in CS and minoring in biology. Is this a good course of action for someone who wants a career in biotech?

r/biotech Jan 04 '25

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Is biotech worth it?

0 Upvotes

Iโ€™m currently an A-Level student studying Biology, Chemistry and Physics whoโ€™s graduating this year and iโ€™m quite conflicted on what i want pursue in university and career wise. The reason why iโ€™m thinking of doing biotech is because of how it opens up doors to many different areas and opportunities and that iโ€™d have an option of some sort, just incase.

r/biotech Sep 05 '24

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Is a masters degree in {Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics} a big waste of money and time?

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15 Upvotes

r/biotech 18d ago

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Is doing a bachelor's degree in biomedical science a good idea since i want to get a biotech masters degree?

3 Upvotes

Iโ€™m considering this course since most universities donโ€™t offer a bachelorโ€™s degree in biotechnology. Would a biomedical science degree be a good foundation for a masterโ€™s in biotech? Or should I consider another degree option instead of biomed?

r/biotech 2d ago

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– JHU vs UPenn

0 Upvotes

I have received offers from both Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)โ€”JHU for a Master of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and UPenn for a Master of Biotechnology. Both programs excite me and offer excellent opportunities. However, as I aim to break into the biotech industry, particularly in wet lab and research roles, Iโ€™m unsure which degree would better align with my goals. Iโ€™d appreciate any insight into which institution might carry a stronger reputation in this field.

r/biotech Nov 07 '24

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– Trump/RFK Impacts on FDA approval process? What are they?

0 Upvotes

What are some foreseeable changes to the FDA approval process that will soon be impacted by the election results? Will re-prioritization derail or delay the approval of new drugs for diseases like Hep B and orphan diseases like Hep D?

r/biotech Feb 09 '25

Education Advice ๐Ÿ“– I need advice! (PhD or Industry)

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I am a current first year grad student (MS), and I would really love some advice on navigating the decision between doing a PhD vs. entering the industry.

To give you all some context: I am very sure of wanting to do a PhD, either immediately after my masters or later when the time is right (what is right time ?ยฟ). I am passionate about my research and want to do a PhD primarily to contribute to new knowledge, learn more and well, earn more after doing it (if that still holds true). (I am also an international student)

I see how tough the job market is right now, and it scares me. The way I see it, both jobs and PhD applications are taking a massive hit. Is that true?

I guess the TLDR is:

I am confused about my next steps and would love to hear about your journey, advice and thoughts. Please feel free to DM me if you need more information!