<p>My son is getting ready to declare a cell and molecular bio major. He's not interested in med school, and I don't think he has the grades anyway.
I am a bit worried about what will be available to him when he graduates whether it be job or grad school, since I don't know a whole lot about the field. Anyone familiar with the major/field?</p>
<p>It’s a little early to be concerned with job and grad school prospects. If he sticks with the cell and molecular bio major, and decides to use it in his working career, there are lots of options … medical school, veterinary school, physician assistant, lab technician, medical equipment service, pharmaceutical sales, middle/high school teacher, etc.</p>
<p>Happydad works in Biotech. This is one industry in the country that does seem to be growing. Many of the lab jobs do require more than just a BS, but there are plenty where that degree is sufficient. There also is a huge need for people who have enough lab experience to “get” how the folks in the lab think, but who are willing and able to move into various kinds of administrative and management positions.</p>
<p>“It’s a little early to be concerned with job and grad school prospects.”</p>
<p>I did a search on CC which generated a post giving not too much hope for grads with this major. I just want to make sure that my son isn’t boxing himself into a field with poor job prospects and few options. Better to know now and not just stick with it because he loves the class.</p>
<p>The Biotech industry (like the Computer industry) does seem to be concentrated in certain parts of the country. Where I am, it seems like everyone is either in Biotech, or knows someone who is. Perhaps the poster who didn’t have much hope for that major was in a different region. It also helps to remember that the economy is bad all over. Not getting a job may not be a function of the major at all!</p>
<p>Your son needs to stop by the Career Center on his campus, and talk with them about internship and job placement in his major. They will know where students from that major at that university end up.</p>
<p>OP, this is my daughter’s area of interest as well. She plans on grad school, but has just accepted a 2-year research position as a lab assistant in NY. Doesn’t pay well, but will give her some solid experience she can use as a ‘hook’ for grad schools. </p>
<p>Anyway, my H found this on a job-related website and forwarded it to me. I’m sorry I can’t give you a source (he’s on a business trip right now) but it may cheer you up a bit nonetheless:</p>
<p>Job outlook: Employment of biological scientists is expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations although there will continue to be competition for some basic research positions.**</p>
<p>Medical Scientists
What they make: $84,937*</p>
<p>What they do: Biological scientists study living organisms and their relationship to the environment. They perform research to gain a better understanding of fundamental life processes and apply that understanding to developing new products or processes.</p>
<p>Well thanks katliamom for that. I guess I’ll have to keep an eye on my S and make sure he does what he should be doing to up his chances, and continue to educate myself.</p>
<p>OP, I also have a kid who is interested in majoring in cellular biology. There are a couple of posters over on the science major forum who are real naysayers about biology degrees and job prospects. They are downright annoying, and get on every thread to spread gloom and doom. I am all for a realistic picture of the job market for a given major, but there is some unnecessary negativity on that forum.</p>
<p>That said, I’m pretty sure the jobs described by the previous poster (Medical Scientist) are not easily acquired by students with just a bachelor degree. </p>
<p>Go to Google and search “biology major job options”. Quite a few useful links come up when you do that.</p>
<p>One more thing to note is that while many of the ‘better’ jobs in biology require at least a masters degree, science majors typically receive stipend/tuition coverage to pay for their grad school (they are usually TAs or lab assistants in return). You son will need reasonable grades to get into a program, but my understanding is they do not need to be as high as would be needed for med school.</p>
<p>The problem is that biology graduates have to compete in the job market with all of the pre-meds who did not get into medical school (and most pre-meds do not get into medical school), since most pre-meds major in biology.</p>
<p>For example, Molecular and Cell Biology is the single most popular major for UC Berkeley undergraduates – 534 out of 7851 bachelor’s degrees for the class of 2010. Integrative Biology adds another 292, and there are at least 172 more in some other biology type majors (Molecular Environmental Biology and Nutritional Sciences). That means that at least 12.6% of the graduating class of 2010 has a degree in some type of biology. Source: <a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm[/url]”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm</a></p>
<p>You may want to compare different majors in the career surveys at some universities:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1121619-university-graduate-career-surveys.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1121619-university-graduate-career-surveys.html</a></p>
<p>intparent, you are right - the job of Medical Scientist mentioned in my earlier post requires a graduate degree, most likely a PdD. </p>
<p>Which brings up a good point: OP, I hope your son realizes he WILL need to work graduate school into his life plans if he wants to be anything more than a lab technician. That’s about all you can do with a BS/BA. My best suggestion is for your son to try to get as much lab experience as possible while still an undergraduate. If he qualifies for work-study, that might be a way to start, or start as a volunteer at school which maybe then parlayed into a paid internship. That will give him a sense of what professional scientists actually do, and if he wants to pursue that path. Meantime, a resume that shows real-life lab experience (not just classes) will give him an edge over all those other biology grads competing for lab work after graduation.</p>
<p>I don’t want to get a reputation as a naysayer, but I do want to add that many of the old-timey “research biologists” and “medical scientists” were employed by the pharmaceutical companies. I would not necessarily count on those jobs in the future. Those jobs and those companies are undergoing significant transformations - outsourcing, downsizing, the whole sorry story… There will be biotech in the future, of course, but those jobs are not immune, either. </p>
<p>Hope I’m not too annoying, intparent! Just trying to be truthful. I love science and am a scientist myself, but parts of the industry are really scary right now.</p>
<p>…so is everything else, scout59. Read the engineering thread?</p>
<p>Read it? I’ve lived it (sort of)! Back in the day, when I got my chemistry degree, a job in pharma was the ticket to a stable job with great perks. Surprise!</p>
<p>Aren’t most sectors of the economy subject to the same issues? I think the only area not affected is the service sector.</p>
<p>happymomof1: what are the areas of the country with good Biotech career prospects?</p>
<p>intparent, I find it interesting what the “naysayers” are saying about Bio and Chem career prospects. The same thing they are saying about Bio has happened to engineering (one of the fields they think is better) where work is often done by contract engineers on a temporary basis w/o benefits, although not at $15/hr.</p>
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<p>Most employment in the US is services (as is true for other rich country economies).</p>
<p>This includes good jobs like doctors, nurses, lawyers, accountants, bankers, actuaries, police officers, firefighters, President of the United States, etc…</p>
<p>scout, I disagree. While many companies outsource chemistry work (it is dirty and expensive and has many regulatory issues), they prefer to keep the bio part under their control (partially of IP issues). Additionally, the days of small molecules as pharmaceuticals are nearing the end. The therapies of the future will be biomacromolecule-based (antibodies, siRNA, polymer conjugates, etc.), and that creates demand for people with degrees in all areas of biology. A significant growth in the area of molecular diagnostics is also expected in the nearest future (just take a look at the latest 510k clearances). That said, a new bio graduate will be more markeatble if s/he also has some background in chemistry or engineering. An advanced degree will help a bology major move up a career ladder in biotech. </p>
<p>I’m not saying that new bio grads will be swimming in job offers, but the reality is that it is much, much tougher out there for new chemistry grads.</p>
<p>Here are some very helpful websites for anyone intersted in biotech careers:</p>
<p>[Business</a>, Life Sciences, and Technology News | Xconomy](<a href=“Informa Connect - Know more, do more, be more.”>http://www.xconomy.com/)</p>
<p>[Biotech</a>, Clinical Research, Pharmaceutical News & Jobs](<a href=“http://www.biospace.com/]Biotech”>http://www.biospace.com/)</p>
<p>Many states have a local BIO organization that runs a website which has biotech news and career sections. Here is a link to my local one:</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.washingtonlifescience.com/index_html]WashingtonLifeScience.com[/url”>WashingtonLifeScience.com]WashingtonLifeScience.com[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Biotechnology and pharma are not the only two possible employers of biology graduates. Universities and major research non-profits employ many more biologists than chemists. In my neck of the woods, we’ve got IDRI, Allen’s Brain Institute, the Hutch, Children’s Research Center, SBRI, the Gates Foundation, PATH, just to name a few.</p>
<p>The key to getting employment for a fresh BS in bio graduate is research experience on the resume and recommendations. OP’s son should look into doing industrial or academic internships beginning the summer after his sophomore year.</p>
<p>Well, BB, I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree. When my pharma job disappeared 4 years ago, most of the chemists did find new jobs, albeit less secure jobs for far less pay. Many of my biology friends are still unemployed. Now, that’s compounded by age, since the chemists/biologists having the hardest times finding jobs are those over the age of 40; however, most of the mcirobiologists, pharmacologists, molecular biologists, etc. that I knew are either employed in a non-science career, unemployed, flipping burgers, or unemployed. The few available jobs in hospitals, research labs, and universities could not absorb the demand.</p>
<p>Again, I preface my comments with the caveat that I’m talking about LARGE PHARMA. You know - that sector that lost the most jobs in 2010…</p>
<p>I know I’m jaded because of the experiences I’ve had and the difficulties my friends have had. And again - I’m talking chemistry, not biology! However, don’t be fooled that biology jobs can’t be outsourced, especially if the pressure to make more money with less continues. I remember sitting in meetings in 2000 where we were promised that “chemistry jobs can’t be outsourced because of the IP concerns.” HA!</p>
<p>Also, much of the science job market is geographical. I’m sure the prospects are better on the coasts - just don’t go looking for much in the Midwest any time soon. Pfizer alone did quite a number on Michigan.</p>
<p>I have a cell/molecular biology Master’s degree. Specifically I studied proteins. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I regret it every day. I am counting the days until fall when I go back for a MS in accounting and never touch science again.</p>
<p>The job prospects are terrible. There are very few jobs for molecular biologists so i work more as an analytical chemist. These are boring, dead end jobs, typically through temp agencies because companies don’t think their science staff is worthy of having health insurance or sick leave. The pay is also a sick joke and runs ~$15 per hour. </p>
<p>I’ll give you the same advice I’d give anyone else in my family. Never in your life consider a career in science. You’d be better off skipping college and being a garbageman!</p>