CAREERS

If a PhD is not required… then what is?

Building a career in biotechnology without a PhD.

In June, my friend Alexander Titus published a thought-provoking post with the bold claim, PhD not required. He argued that the biotech sector is using the PhD as a minimum qualification for a lot of roles where that shouldn’t be the case. As I told Alexander, I have nothing against PhDs and I still might get one eventually. But I agree with his overall premise. After all, I’m a mid-career professional that has built a career in biotech, without a PhD. So, I wanted to offer my thoughts on a follow-up question for those aspiring to work in biotech: if you aren’t going to be a PhD, what should you be?

Be a Master

A Master of Science (MS) degree is another option for building technical expertise and credibility. I recently completed an MS in Bioinformatics from Johns Hopkins, and it was a great experience. I learned a ton about a cool technical area and I did it while working full-time.

If you are a working professional and don’t want to drop your day job, MS programs are great.

My program was flexible: I took 11 courses (one every trimester) and completed the degree in about four and a half years. Sure, it took a while, but I was collecting a salary the whole time and wasn’t killing myself. For many programs, you can do it at a pace that works for you. A lot of employers will provide some degree of tuition reimbursement, which is a big plus. I had the option to do online or in-person classes — I ended up taking all of my courses online, purely for the convenience.

On the other hand, you can knock out an MS degree much more quickly if you study full-time. Most MS programs take 1–2 years full-time. The full-time experience usually offers more of an opportunity to network with classmates and professors, take part in internships, and find a community of interest for your particular field.

I’d argue that the biggest difference from a PhD, in terms of content, is that you won’t do a dissertation. You might do some sort of MS thesis (I didn’t), but it’s not the same as doing 3+ years of research for your PhD. Consequently, you can complete an MS much faster than a PhD. Or if you’re like me, it may take you just as along, but at least you’ll be pulling down a salary for those 4.5 years.

At the risk of oversimplifying, doing an MS is a lot like doing the first 1–2 years of your PhD, when you’re focused primarily on coursework; some PhD programs grant you an MS along the way for this reason. There are some biotech roles — those heavily focused on scientific research and exploration — where it probably makes sense to get a PhD. For many other roles in biotech (including many technical roles), an MS should provide you with ample academic expertise. Regardless of your degree, there is a lot that you will learn on the job.

Be Interdisciplinary

It’s important to remember that biotechnology is quite literally the intersection of biology and technology. Technology comes in many flavors, and you can make a career for yourself in biotech by bringing a skill set from another field. For me, it’s bioinformatics: the fusion of data science, computer science, and biology. There are a number of other STEM-hybrid fields that you can use in the biotech world: bioengineering, biostatistics, and biochemistry to name just a few. You could focus on public health (maybe get an MPH?) and help a biotech firm better understand how a vaccine or therapeutic should be developed for maximum impact. The list goes on.

Being interdisciplinary isn’t limited to STEM fields. Are you a lawyer with an interest in biotech? Biotech companies need lawyers too! Want to start your own biotech company? You may be better off going to a combined MBA/MS program than getting a PhD. Interested in national security? You could focus on biodefense policy for the US government. There are a lot of cool interdisciplinary jobs out there, and the list will grow as the industry grows.

Be an Incrementalist

I navigated to my current position at In-Q-Tel by being an incrementalist: taking small steps to get closer to the type of work I really wanted to do. If you don’t have a PhD, you might need to do the same. Yes, it might take longer, but keep in mind that you won’t be spending 4+ years getting a PhD.

Here’s an overview of my career arc: biosurveillance start-up company  management consultant focused on biodefense  biotech/national security team at In-Q-Tel (current role). Each step got me closer to my goal.

I got the biosurveillance start-up job because I spoke some Spanish and Italian, which allowed me to cover disease outbreaks in certain countries (see above — be interdisciplinary!) and because I was bio-literate (see below). I landed the biodefense-focused management consulting role because I could highlight experience in the field (at the start-up) and had an international relations degree (again, I was interdisciplinary). I was referred to IQT by a friend from the start-up company, and the combination of work experience and the bioinformatics MS helped land me my current role at B.Next.

I had to incrementally build up the expertise, work experience, and network to get the job I really wanted. This is probably true of most jobs, but it is especially important in biotech if you don’t have a PhD.

Be Bio-literate

Biotech is a big industry now, but it looks poised to really boom in the next few decades. In addition to the obvious technical roles, the industry will need professionals of all stripes: lawyers, program managers, computer programmers, PR professionals, sales professionals and more. If you know a little bit about biology, you will be more qualified for your role and better at your job than the person in the next office. You’ll be better at selling your product if you know a little bit about how it works, right? If you’re coding a software program that analyzes DNA sequences, it’s helpful to understand the difference between an exon and an intron.

Bio-literacy can come in many forms. For me, it started with an excellent high school biology teacher and completing 2/3 of a bio major in college. As I put my bio-literacy to use in new positions, I built up new bio-literacy on the job. We are lucky to live in a time where you have so many options to build bio-literacy outside of a formal classroom setting. We have Khan Academy, Wikipedia, and YouTube: so much free knowledge at our fingertips. For many positions in the bioeconomy, it will be important to know some general basics (e.g., DNA vs. RNA) and perhaps some more specific expertise for your field (e.g., if you want a job at Illumina, make sure you know the basic difference between long-read and short-read DNA sequencing).

Keep Your Head Up

Depending on your aspirations, it can be more challenging to get the job you want in biotech without a PhD. Hopefully, that will change as the industry matures. But until that day, keep your head up and keep at it! My story is one of many that shows you can do a lot of great work in biotech without a “Dr.” in front of your name.

Joseph Buccina is a Director at B.Next, In-Q-Tel’s strategic initiative focused on biotechnology and national security. His past experience includes public sector consulting in biodefense/life sciences and work at a biosurveillance startup company. He has an MS in Bioinformatics from Johns Hopkins University (JHU), an MA in International Relations/Economics from JHU School of Advanced International Studies, and a BA from Williams College. His career focuses on the intersection of biology and national security, with an emphasis on computational biology. These views only represent Joe’s perspective and not those of any other person or organization.