<p>Hello CC members. Just for an introduction, I am currently a junior in high school. I've been consistently and sometimes compulsively reading threads on this site and now have a question regarding a topic that comes up fairly often, but isn't adequately answered IMO. The topic of biology careers is discussed almost daily, but only for the low level ends requiring a BS or MS. I am absolutely in love with molecular biology, chemistry, and biochemistry. I am extremely interested in pursuing a phd in molecular biology or immunology.</p>
<p>A little background info regarding me and my academic (even life haha) interests: I've been fascinated with science since about age 4, went to UW Madison (in state) this summer for a week long immersion in stem cell technology and absolutely loved it, and I will have taken every biology/chemistry at my school by the end of the year. I'll be taking organic chemistry 1 first semester and structure and reactivity second semester at the local LAC.</p>
<p>I'm well aware that a phd isn't something you just decide to try; you must have a passion for the subject being studied and be willing to dedicate your life to your interests. Who knows, my interests might, or even will, change in college. I'm just wondering, since low level positions are nearly impossible to come across and have no real career potential, is the same scenario true for someone with a phd in molecular bio or immunology? Even if there is a remote possibility of attaining such a position, I'm willing to put in the time and effort to reach my goals. Also, the colleges I've been researching include the following: Macalaster, UW Madison (obviously :p), WashU, UChicago, Carleton, and St. Olaf. Any additional information regarding both the career outlook and the possible colleges would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Here’s the thing people fail to realize when commenting on these types of posts. I comment on them all the time and have made a thread like this one. You have to think about the future. A lot of careers have been completely thrown out. For example milk men are very uncommon now days there arent a lot of milk men anymore (HORRIBLE EXAMPLE but whatever I’ll run with it). I think we are going to see the same shift with econ, accounting and business. While biology is horrible right now at a bachelors level. I think by the time even I have finished my degree(s?), biology and chemistry job market will grow and grow and grow. A lot of science careers dont seem lucrative right now but I reality we are going to get to a point where biology degrees have a lot of use. More companies like Synthetic Genomics will pop up and there will be more need for scientists. We will always need biologists, chemists, physicists and etc… Many people will say its a horrible job market but in reality where else can our lives improve? The job market will grow that I am sure of. How the payment will workout I am not sure. I’m not sure how highly paid you will be as a BS in Biology guy. I can tell you one thing though, if you are passionate about it, youll be good at it, and when you love it, you are successful. Don’t listen to all of those people suggesting you change your major because it has bad job prospects. They suggest engineering, econ, finance etc… You could end up miserable. Dollars mean nothing you end up paying for everything in hours of life really. Stick with what you love. This is no way answers your question lol.</p>
<p>If you get a PhD in any science from any of those schools I’m pretty sure you’ll find yourself employed though lol.</p>
<p>^Ehh how certain are you? It’s true you can end up having trouble getting a job with a degree like Accounting or Finance, but if anything, the accountants are always needed in our society.</p>
<p>A lot of the bio stuff you mentioned can easily be done by the hordes of lab tech zombies they have in India and China. Don’t kid yourself. People who say, “don’t care about the money, only about how happy you will be” are completely naive and have never lived out in the real world. You can’t be happy if you don’t have a job to pay your bills or are barely squeaking by living pay check to pay check, much of which goes to pay your bills from an undergrad degree that has gotten you stuck in years of debt.</p>
<p>While there is no definite answer to the OP’s question I think its stupid to suggest something like outsourcing to be completely honest because econ and accounting can be done by computers which cost us hardly anything that’s the ultimate outsource. That’s a horrible rebuttal lol. Research in biology can’t all be done by a computer unfortunately. Accounting takes no original ideas while pioneering something in biology to help mankind does. I will respond to this more indepth in the morning when I’m not using my iPhone.</p>
<p>There is a 80%+ chance you will end up destroying your life if you continue that path. There a Ph. D.'s driving taxis, working at Walmart and other fine retailers.</p>
<p>Everyone go watch Zeitgeist and you’ll either A understand what I am talking about or B think I am an idiot like much of CC already does rofl, that’s purely because I act like a jackass lol.</p>
<p>Based on the last ACS survey. It provides the best information available.</p>
<p>Only ~40% of chemists at the BS/MS or even Ph.D level are employed full time and of those half are working dead end jobs in academia. Everything I have seen indicates it is even worse for biology majors. So we can approximate that ~20% or less have decent jobs.</p>
<p>Here’s why your statistics don’t make sense. BS level employment and PhD employment will never ever be at the same level. If you get a PhD in just biology you might struggle but picking a speciality like molecular will give you a better shot at employment. Do you really think accounting and finance has positive job growth at this point? I highly doubt it where as we are using science more than ever and science powers our society. Social chance comes from discovery, invention, and innovation. Biology will be far more useful. I’m just confused how people don’t see that we will always need scientists you can’t make a scientist. You can make a machine or a computer program that a couple people run and control a whole business’s finances etc… Not to mention your career is making money by calculating money or moving money from one place to another talk about a meaningless life lol. Personally even if what you were saying is true Id must rather be a poor scientist than a rich economist who essentially make money trades that screw someone else. You go to college to learn not to learn how to make money. If your interests overlap that’s fine but you shouldn’t do anything for money. One you’ll prolly be horrible at it and two you’ll learn to hate it like many people I have talked to. Statistics mean nothing to the individual. </p>
<p>I’m done posting on these threads about this people just want to hate and don’t realize in 10 years things will be much different so really anything we’d say is useless and irrelevant. I’d personally stick with the sociologist’s theory on us becoming a biomedical society or a biotech society.</p>
<p>The numbers from that article are different than what you say with </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The numbers from that one are for recent grads, and, really, chem grads aren’t much worse than ChemE grads in terms of unemployment. The only real difference is the immediate marketability of an engineering degree versus chemistry.</p>
<p>Looking at the total group of ACS members, though, they don’t seem to be much different than the rest of the country for unemployment.</p>
<p>Personally, I’d say this stat from the article is the most damning of chemistry as a degree program.</p>
<p>Wouldn’t there be a selection bias here in that those statistics are based on those who choose to be members of ACS? I would think that the ACS numbers would report a lower unemployment than there really is in the industry.</p>
<p>I am pretty sure the new grad survey they send to everyone whereas the salary surveys are only their paying members. I received a survey a few years ago after I graduated and have not received one since since I wouldn’t be caught dead giving money to the ACS.</p>
<p>Many people will fail miserably. Some people will flourish. </p>
<p>Personally, I agree with Scienceguy1. Do whatever you can to be one of those that flourish instead of the alternative like sschoe2, whose failure has put him on a mission to make sure nobody else makes his “mistake”. </p>
<p>Just because it’s hard is not a reason not to do something. But keep your eyes open. There are Bio PhDs getting jobs even now.</p>
<p>In chemistry most people will “fail miserably” as CRD says to make a viable career of it and the same goes for majors in art history, ___American Studies and most other majors in the Liberal Arts and Scientists. It is a reflection of either the lack of value or lack of jobs for various skillets.</p>
<p>The days where employers are impressed with any degree are long gone. If you want a living wage you will need an education and marketable skills in a field that is in demand such as accounting, health care professions, HR, IT or other areas. Science grads are like toilet paper cheap to use and dispose of. Perhaps some day it will change but I wouldn’t count on it. Science in the US has been in decline since the 70’s.</p>
<p>People like CRD will tell you to pursue what you love and other idealistic tripe and then when you end up working at Walmart or in a crappy temp job he’ll claim its your fault and keep telling people to do the same thing.</p>
<p>What I am saying is look at the market. The huge preponderance of companies hiring chemists as temps for $15 an hour should tell you in no uncertain terms the marketability of chemistry/biology degrees.</p>
<p>Lol@“science in the US has been in decline since the 70s” cha okay mister fact man. That’s a load of crap lol. We have more biotech labs than ever. Science is growing it it will forever grow in our nation and in others. Science is the future…</p>
<p>The future of science is either in China or India or jobs like this
.
ob Code : BHJOB3479_277700
Job Type : Full Time
Category : Biotech/Clinical/R&D/Science
Career Level : Entry Level
Education : Bachelor’s Degree
Compensation : From 13.00 To 15.00 Per Hour
Location : Castle Rock CO US 80104
Job Description :</p>
<p>A dynamic and growing biotech company, located south of Denver, is seeking 1) a Molecular Biology Laboratory Associate to join for their R&D department and 2) a Quality Control Associate I to join their QC Department. Must come with 2 years of experience working in an FDA-regulated manufacturing environment.</p>
<p> </p>
<pre><code>* As a Molecular Biology Lab Associate, you will be performing cloning and sub-cloning, PCR, RNA extraction, protein expression, protein purification and analysis and assay development. You will also be responsible for establishing and monitoring mammalian cell lines.
</code></pre>