What is the best career for someone like me?

[GreekIsleSunset]

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Hi there...I love science and I am really good at it, but there is a part of me that does not want to go the traditional route of medicine and be a bedside physician. I am conceptually very strong, but dislike actually carrying out my ideas. I am wondering how one trains to be an inventor of medicines or medical equipment. Are there ways to integrate the ideal of contributing to society/humanity while staying away from the vomiting, etc? PhD or master's or what? Please help.

 

[MJB]

R&D at a Pharma company...

🙂

 

[Babooshka]

Be a physicist.
Or better yet a philosopher .

 

[doc05]

or a poltician

 

[carn311]

Hi there...I love science and I am really good at it, but there is a part of me that does not want to go the traditional route of medicine and be a bedside physician. I am conceptually very strong, but dislike actually carrying out my ideas. I am wondering how one trains to be an inventor of medicines or medical equipment. Are there ways to integrate the ideal of contributing to society/humanity while staying away from the vomiting, etc? PhD or master's or what? Please help.

"invent medical equipment"? Thats a Biomedical Engineer...

Go to: www.oco.gov/bls , click professionals or something like that. Or just search for Biomedical Engineer.

G-luck

 

[Shredder]

bme is inventing equipment. inventing medicines would probably be pharmacy, or pharmacology or pharmD, not sure. go for medicine dude, dont be discouraged. there are options in medicine where you dont have to be a bedside physician. its a pragmatically good career, and it doesnt rule out pursuing those other options since medical knowledge is solid and broadly applicable.

 

[Crete]

Hi there...I love science and I am really good at it, but there is a part of me that does not want to go the traditional route of medicine and be a bedside physician. I am conceptually very strong, but dislike actually carrying out my ideas. I am wondering how one trains to be an inventor of medicines or medical equipment. Are there ways to integrate the ideal of contributing to society/humanity while staying away from the vomiting, etc? PhD or master's or what? Please help.

MD/PhD

 

[gary5]

It sounds like you would like research. Consider a PhD.

 

[hwong14]

if you want to help society/humanity by working with people (as opposed to bench research), check out an MPH.

 

[MindCastle15]

Hey 🙂 I am roughly of the same mindset as that of OP ...someone mentioned R & D in pharma- how do you go about it? Will a bioengineering degree help you get a job in pharma R&D? How about biotech companies? I've researched, but I can't really understand what kind of degree they require :/
Also- about MPH? Usually what kind of undergrad degree is required? Are all the jobs very math/stat based? I would really appreciate it if someone could help...thanks! 🙂

 

[ImmunoLove]

Ok, there are many ways to contribute to humanity through science and service outside of medicine. Research is one such area, as is biomedical engineering, or advocacy in public health. It depends on HOW you want to help. Figure out what you like doing, and that should clarify how to go about it (e.g. guide you towards your ideal profession).

 

[xc_stallion92]

Wow, 10+ year bump. I currently work in R&D at one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world. There seem to be several ways to get in here. A lot of the scientists come in as post-docs from pharmacology or a related bio field, physics, or chemistry. Really there is a place for every scientist somewhere in pharma development. Some people (like myself) come in as contractors after getting their bachelors degree in whatever. Mine was in psych but I think most people would have studied something in the hard sciences. Essentially you get hired on by an outside contracting agency and you work in a lab for a designated period of time, and when your contract is up you might be hired in as a regular employee if there is an opening. How much impact in a lab you can have as a contractor is pretty dependent on the lab (whether you'll essentially be a tech or if you'll be involved in the scientific process). I would imagine it's similar at most other pharma companies.

 

[Lawpy]

Hey 🙂 I am roughly of the same mindset as that of OP ...someone mentioned R & D in pharma- how do you go about it? Will a bioengineering degree help you get a job in pharma R&D? How about biotech companies? I've researched, but I can't really understand what kind of degree they require :/
Also- about MPH? Usually what kind of undergrad degree is required? Are all the jobs very math/stat based? I would really appreciate it if someone could help...thanks! 🙂

Probably should've created your own thread rather than necrobumping a decade-old one. But the answers presented are great. An MPH by itself doesn't help much and isn't worth pursuing directly after a bachelor's though (usually in biology).

 

[MindCastle15]

Wow, 10+ year bump. I currently work in R&D at one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world. There seem to be several ways to get in here. A lot of the scientists come in as post-docs from pharmacology or a related bio field, physics, or chemistry. Really there is a place for every scientist somewhere in pharma development. Some people (like myself) come in as contractors after getting their bachelors degree in whatever. Mine was in psych but I think most people would have studied something in the hard sciences. Essentially you get hired on by an outside contracting agency and you work in a lab for a designated period of time, and when your contract is up you might be hired in as a regular employee if there is an opening. How much impact in a lab you can have as a contractor is pretty dependent on the lab (whether you'll essentially be a tech or if you'll be involved in the scientific process). I would imagine it's similar at most other pharma companies.

Thanks so much! So there are many ways to get into R &D pharma? Is the same true of biotech companies as well? Are there any MDs working with you? In the actual research? Just curious 🙂

 

[xc_stallion92]

Thanks so much! So there are many ways to get into R &D pharma? Is the same true of biotech companies as well? Are there any MDs working with you? In the actual research? Just curious 🙂

There are people in my lab with all sorts of different degrees. If you know that's what you're interested in I would suggest getting an advanced degree in pharmacology or something like that, it's probably the easiest way to get in. There are no MD's here that I know of, but my boss got his pharmacy degree. I can't speak to biotech.

 

[MindCastle15]

Probably should've created your own thread rather than necrobumping a decade-old one. But the answers presented are great. An MPH by itself doesn't help much and isn't worth pursuing directly after a bachelor's though (usually in biology).

Ahaha...I was looking for something, and just came across this 🙂 Didn't realise it was 10 years 😛 The OP must be well out of college by now! Ok, so wht exactly do you mean when you say just an MPH isn't very helpful? A PhD is required?