<p>I am a second semester freshman, and I recently made the decision (after a great deal of consideration) to pursue a major in biochemistry. What types of jobs will this major prepare me for, other than medical school? I am completely sure that I do not want to be a doctor.</p>
<p>Also, I'm interested in the idea of research science. I know that that is a very broad field, but what types of research work are available, and would chemistry or biochemistry be a better option? I do not care how difficult a program is; I am a very hardworking student and I am prepared to succeed at whatever major I choose, no matter the difficulty.</p>
<p>You won’t be doing research with just a BSc. </p>
<p>The jobs you are likely to get are sucky lab tech jobs where you are in a lab running the same tests over and over again either using simple equipment or using GC or LC if you are lucky. The pay rates are terrible $12 to $17 an hour on average. Companies generally hire their science staff through temp agencies so no benefits and the agency eats a good chunk of what would be your pay and they keep you as a permatemp.</p>
<p>If you are certain you are not going to professional school then switch majors now and go into engineering, accounting, nursing anything that will get you trained for a bonafide professional job and not a lab serf. Otherwise most science degrees are worthless.</p>
<p>I loled at the above post because it is brutally true. Forget the thought of ever advancing through life as a chemist. You’ll be constantly looking for new jobs every few years because you are always getting laid off, or working a crappy temp gig that pays you $35 k a year with no benefits. Want to be a chemist? Forget about ever owning a home and living in it for a long time. Forget about starting a family, that is unless of course your wife/husband has a good job, you’ll barely be able to afford rent, student loans, a used car loan, and being able to feed yourself. Be prepared to live paycheck to paycheck, all while working a horribly monotonous job preparing prep samples, taking care of solvent waste, and doing menial hplc injections all day.</p>
<p>Haha, well thank you for the honesty. Like I said, though, I was only interested in research science… I did not have my heart set on it.</p>
<p>Also, I didn’t mean to say that I was determined not to go to a professional school, just that I could never be a doctor: I do not do well with blood and gore.</p>
<p>Assuming I stick with biochemistry, is pharmacy my only other viable option?</p>
<p>Well the only exception is work for the Federal Govt
USDA
Homeland Security
DEA, FBI, EPA, FDA,CDC and several other agencies employ science majors and the pay is at least livable and the jobs stable. Unfortunately, it is an uphill battle to get one because everyone else had the same idea in science.</p>
<p>You could do Med, Pharm, Dental, Vet, Optometry, Physical Therapy, get a different master’s entirely etc. Just don’t plan on making a living with just a BSc.</p>
<p>You could always go the professor route. Biochem research in plants, medicine, alternative energy sources etc. My husband is a tenured biochem prof and loves it!</p>
<p>Do you have any idea how many tenure track positions there are in comparison to the number of Ph. D. scientists pursuing them? There is a huge glut of Ph. D.'s working dead end post-docs while watching their lives slip away. I would definitely not recommend pursuing an academic career. Also, are you prepared to move to Wyoming if that is the only university you can get a job at?</p>
<p>Are you interested in law? Specifically intellectual property (patents, trademark) law? If you’re interested in how basic science translated into industry, then you could perhaps look into it.</p>
<p>I am also a Biochemistry Major. Right now, I’m in my final semester of a four years Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree. I will be starting medical school this fall, but before settling on this path, I was interested in both research and intellectual property.</p>
<p>1) Research</p>
<p>Definitely need an advanced degree unless you want to be cleaning test tubes. Having worked in a lab every year since first year, some people really have a passion for scientific inquiry and enjoy it, while others are UTTERLY miserable. If you want to be a tenured professor, you will have a long road ahead of you: find a interesting research area, publish, publish, get a PhD (or Master’s, then PhD), publish, publish, build up networking, publish, publish, and PUBLISH.</p>
<p>2) Patent Law</p>
<p>Again, very demanding. In the US, patent attorneys must be admitted to the bar in at least one state. Then they have to pass the “patent bar” set by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Biochemistry is a good background to have because patent lawyers need to have a good technical understanding of their client’s invention.</p>
<p>3) Others</p>
<p>One of my former lab colleagues did a Master of Science, then got a job with a large pharmaceutical company. It was either Merck or Boehringer Ingelheim (seems to escape my memory).</p>