How do I prepare myself to become a scientist in Industry?

[reese07]

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Goal: To become a biomedical scientist working preferebly for genentech or novartis. I am very interested in vaccine research and infectious diseases.

The first step is choosing between MD, MD/PhD, or PhD. What do biotech/pharmaceutical companies prefer? Also, what PhD concentration would be mostly sought after for scientist positions? Would they rather take a PhD in immunology rather than a PhD in translational molecular biology? Please help!

 

[gbwillner]

Just to get a job in industry? Non of the above. Get a MS and then just apply. You will start lower but have more opportunity. If you do MD/PhD or PhD you will start at a different position (PI type job or industrial post-doc) but these positions are very limited.

 

[reese07]

Well not just a tech job or management position, but a scientist position where you can utilize your scientific skills that you learned while doing your PhD. What matters more to industries? The concentration that you do your PhD in? Where you go to school to get your PhD? or where you do your post doc, such as doing a postdoc in industry? I know that you dont need a PhD to break into industry, but I want to be able to learn how to be a scientist instead of just learning techniques and becoming a technician.

 

[SpecterGT260]

You can get lab manager positions in industry with a PhD. I know someone fairly high up the chain at Pfizer who did this. You COULD do it with MD/PhD but that seems like a lot of wasted effort. I know of a few who have given up medicine and work in industry but I don't know that they had any leg up in getting those positions over a PhD would have had with a similar CV.

 

[SpecterGT260]

Just to get a job in industry? Non of the above. Get a MS and then just apply. You will start lower but have more opportunity. If you do MD/PhD or PhD you will start at a different position (PI type job or industrial post-doc) but these positions are very limited.

The best bet for researchers who want to work in the private sector is to do a postdoc and then apply. There are some fairly nice jobs in industry, but doing an industry postdoc (out of the few that exist) basically screws you if you would ever want to return to the academic arena. I am most familiar with how pfizer works, and they have specific "tracts" that each employee can go through (climb). There are pluses and minuses involved in this route..... but if you make it through you end up making a very comfortable living, especially compared to academic researchers who are scrambling for funding and publications.

 

[Circumflex]

Do not go the MD or MD/PhD route. MDs (generally) do not do basic science research at pharma/biotech companies. The field of the PhD does not matter as much as the techniques that you know - that is what matters more for an initial hire in industry. They want people to fill a role in their development/discovery programs. Most companies have several development areas (oncology, immunology, neuroscience, etc), so getting a job depends on what skills they need in a specific unit.

I agree that you should do a PhD in a filed that interests you, then apply for a post-doc position at a large company. They will train you and you get your foot in the door.

 

[miz]

You might want to consider doing an MS and/or work entry level for a few years at a company, then go back and get the PhD. Having that prior connection/industry experience will help you if your goal is to be competitive for an industry PhD level job. Otherwise, you risk getting the PhD and then getting turned away due to lack of ties and many viable candidates, unless you do the PhD for someone with lots of strong industry ties (an equally viable option. Requires getting into a specific lab, which may or may not be looking for new grad students at that time).
source: NOT first hand experience. career advice seminars from a fellowship that was funded by biotech.

 

[Neuronix]

Well not just a tech job or management position, but a scientist position where you can utilize your scientific skills that you learned while doing your PhD.

This is what every PhD wants. But there is a glut of PhDs. Everyone wants to be the PI. Nobody wants to be the technician/assistant. So you have to be the best and stand out among a very competitive field to get those leadership level positions.

There's a little bit of special magic they're talking about in this thread to get those positions. But it's really not that magical. You have to be PI caliber in big name academics to be PI caliber in industry. An MD isn't really going to help you with that.

 

[reese07]

Based on what I've heard, MDs that want to do bench research would have to do a postdoc or a research based fellowedship after medical school. What about those that want to be a scientist in industry?

 

[Neuronix]

Based on what I've heard, MDs that want to do bench research would have to do a postdoc or a research based fellowedship after medical school. What about those that want to be a scientist in industry?

Please keep your questions related to an industry career in your existing thread instead of creating new threads.

To answer your question, yes, the pathway would be the same.

 

[Fencer]

They also do postdoc and/or residency. Industry has MD and MD/PhD positions in clinical research and bench R&D. All of those in clinical research are individuals who have had some degree of practice experience. Many were assistant professors for 2-6 years. For bench R&D, you might need postdoc at NIH for a couple of years, followed by transition to postdoc within industry.