ACADEMIA
Should you go into Biotech or Academia?
It’s 2020 and the ideological divide between the Biotech industry and academic research is closing fast.
When I interviewed for Ph.D. programs in the spring of 2020, instead of glossing over my industry experience, I proudly highlighted it. A couple of decades ago, my interviewers might have seen this as a sign that I wasn’t fit for Academia; instead, they were only impressed in the diversity of experience and skills that I had gained in Biotech.
It also used to be that Academia and Biotech served different purposes; the former produced research and the latter used that research to make products. Nowadays, a lot of incredible basic research is being done at biotech companies, with publications and datasets pouring out into the public knowledgebase.
Thus, more and more new scientists are asking themselves whether they want to continue upward through the ivory tower or try an industry job. Unfortunately, there still aren’t a lot of recourses available to college and Ph.D. graduates to help them figure out whether Biotech would be a good fit for them. Some say a Ph.D. is necessary, others say a Ph.D. is not required.
I did a lot of academic research during my undergrad and my work was entirely…
