Need help on choosing what to do now!

College Majors Science Majors
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<p>I am in my junior year at the University of Chicago and just wanted to look ahead. I am in the Biological Sciences program with a specialization in neuroscience. I have always thought I would become a neurologist; however, recently, I have developed Responsibility OC, which is a form of OCD in which I am overly concerned about the health and saftey of others (go figures!). Although I am being treated and my symptoms are very mild, they do lead me to do crazy things like drive around a block 4 times to make sure I have not hit anything. Anway, this has led me to doubt whether becoming a doctor is the wisest of choices and am looking at what a career in research would me like. </p>

<p>With my specilization and incredible interest in the brain, research may fit a possible career path for me. However, when I told this to my parents, they tried to sway me away from due to the fact that they believed researchers financially did not do well. Obviously, I am not going into medicine for money but, it would affect a decision between research and med school. I have a buddy at Caltech taking his graduate studies in Neuroscience and I am going to try and talk to him about his career options, but I was wondering if anyone had any idea if there is any substance to my parents comments.</p>

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<p>Well, researchers certainly do make money, although not a great deal, during their training years – graduate students are paid about $25-30,000 a year, and postdocs are paid about $40,000 a year. But I think that’s better than medicine, where you have to pay for your training.</p>

<p>How much you make after your training period depends on the particular path you choose. Some people choose to stay in academia and become professors, and others choose to go to industry.</p>

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<p>Thanks for your post…</p>

<p>Yea I would be looking at going into industry (less stuff you would have to deal with as compared to being a prof)…</p>