[soccerguy4189]

As an aside, I recently graduated with a M.S. in biochemistry. I have been searching for a job for months and I have a few leads that are very promising at this point. I was in a Ph.D. program, but after realizing the slim job prospects for Ph.D.s and the time it would take to get a "real" job, I decided to get a Master's degree.

I really want to know if anybody currently working in the field of science (any level of education) in Michigan believes that it is worth it to go to graduate school or get a Ph.D. in any science.

I am opening this thread to hopefully open the eyes of some prospective graduate students, and get some advice for my own career, as I have thought about getting a Ph.D. in the future after getting some industry experience.

[Electriclime]

I can't speak from experience in biochem, but it's all going to depend on the market and what particular job you're looking for. You might want to narrow that down first. Researcher, professor, biochem engineering, etc.? Are you willing to move out of state or is your search going to be staying put?

I have an MA in Library and Information Science. Not a great field to be in here, but prospering in other parts of the country. Out of school I could have taken offers out of state, but my wife has a much better job so that didn't make sense. Never found a job in my field; wasted a lot of time and money

[leroythelion]

Originally Posted by soccerguy4189

As an aside, I recently graduated with a M.S. in biochemistry. I have been searching for a job for months and I have a few leads that are very promising at this point. I was in a Ph.D. program, but after realizing the slim job prospects for Ph.D.s and the time it would take to get a "real" job, I decided to get a Master's degree.

I really want to know if anybody currently working in the field of science (any level of education) in Michigan believes that it is worth it to go to graduate school or get a Ph.D. in any science.

I am opening this thread to hopefully open the eyes of some prospective graduate students, and get some advice for my own career, as I have thought about getting a Ph.D. in the future after getting some industry experience.

It was for me. Send me a direct message if you want to chat about it.

[Bhaalspawn]

This article from the magazine Miller-McCune might be of interest:

Is America's Science Education Gap Caused By Career Planning Fears?

An old NPR Talk of the Nation segment:

Young Scientists' Issues : NPR

[golgi1]

The job market for PhDs is extremely specific to the degree, varying widely even with specific degrees in the broader category of science. Of course, you are referring to biological science. That's a start for specificity.

First, you must define exactly what you want to do. Teach? Research? Work in the private sector? Work in the applied health sciences? The answer to this question will lead you to the next step, which will be researching degrees for which there is a demand in the type of work you wish to pursue.

It's ludicrous to blindly pursue a PhD without an extremely specific plan for post-doc work. Doing otherwise is a recipe for an unhappy life and poor career progression. Target the broader type of work that you want to do, and then research how to best pursue it.

Here's a tip: go where the money is. Don't pursue a career in a field that is poorly funded, or which might become poorly funded in the future. You want to have an abundance of lifelong work possibilities should you put in the time for a PhD. Anything less isn't worth the time, money, stress, and opportunity cost. Where is the demand, what are the machinations and funding sources behind that demand, and why is that demand expected to continue into the foreseeable future? What are the future risks to the demand?

If I were you, I'd immediately look to certify as a biochemistry, biology, or chemistry teacher in the state with the highest teacher pay and demand that I could bring myself to move to. A MS in biochemistry will be fairly rare in that profession, with most of the aforementioned slots being filled by bachelor level candidates. Although an MS can sometimes be a disadvantage if the school district wants to be cheap instead of hiring a Masters level candidate, in better funded districts (wealthier area) your better credentials should instead be an advantage. Depending on where you sign on, such a career can have the satisfaction, security and financial incentives that can compete with or even out-compete PhD jobs. I'd choose a teachers union over tenure insecurity every time. Alternately, you can apply at private college prep schools that should also theoretically better value your credentials, as well as offer a higher caliber educational standards (and therefore a higher caliber student body) that might keep your job more interesting.

Here's a tip: If you want to teach and research at the University level, find out which sciences have an abundance of demand at the practitioner level. For instance, as a completely random made up example, I might pursue a pHD in the Geology because there is a large demand for Masters levels Geologists. Because of that demand, there is an unmet demand for professors and an abundant job market for PhDs in Geology. Be aware of the foreigner PhD contingent, as there is a trend for Universities hiring them at cheaper rates. Therefore, keep a mind on pursuing something for which there could be a dissuasion for Universities to hire a foreigner. No discipline is completely immune to this job market reality, but its helpful to keep in mind as some disciplines are flooded.

[DoctorRock25]

Originally Posted by golgi1

The job market for PhDs is extremely specific to the degree, varying widely even with specific degrees in the broader category of science. Of course, you are referring to biological science. That's a start for specificity.

First, you must define exactly what you want to do. Teach? Research? Work in the private sector? Work in the applied health sciences? The answer to this question will lead you to the next step, which will be researching degrees for which there is a demand in the type of work you wish to pursue.

It's ludicrous to blindly pursue a PhD without an extremely specific plan for post-doc work. Doing otherwise is a recipe for an unhappy life and poor career progression. Target the broader type of work that you want to do, and then research how to best pursue it.

Here's a tip: go where the money is. Don't pursue a career in a field that is poorly funded, or which might become poorly funded in the future. You want to have an abundance of lifelong work possibilities should you put in the time for a PhD. Anything less isn't worth the time, money, stress, and opportunity cost. Where is the demand, what are the machinations and funding sources behind that demand, and why is that demand expected to continue into the foreseeable future? What are the future risks to the demand?

If I were you, I'd immediately look to certify as a biochemistry, biology, or chemistry teacher in the state with the highest teacher pay and demand that I could bring myself to move to. A MS in biochemistry will be fairly rare in that profession, with most of the aforementioned slots being filled by bachelor level candidates. Although an MS can sometimes be a disadvantage if the school district wants to be cheap instead of hiring a Masters level candidate, in better funded districts (wealthier area) your better credentials should instead be an advantage. Depending on where you sign on, such a career can have the satisfaction, security and financial incentives that can compete with or even out-compete PhD jobs. I'd choose a teachers union over tenure insecurity every time. Alternately, you can apply at private college prep schools that should also theoretically better value your credentials, as well as offer a higher caliber educational standards (and therefore a higher caliber student body) that might keep your job more interesting.

Here's a tip: If you want to teach and research at the University level, find out which sciences have an abundance of demand at the practitioner level. For instance, as a completely random made up example, I might pursue a pHD in the Geology because there is a large demand for Masters levels Geologists. Because of that demand, there is an unmet demand for professors and an abundant job market for PhDs in Geology. Be aware of the foreigner PhD contingent, as there is a trend for Universities hiring them at cheaper rates. Therefore, keep a mind on pursuing something for which there could be a dissuasion for Universities to hire a foreigner. No discipline is completely immune to this job market reality, but its helpful to keep in mind as some disciplines are flooded.

^This