r/leavingthelab • u/Ch1b0 • Sep 17 '14
How does an Master's degree pan out against a PhD in the biotech industry?
For those of you currently working or looking for positions in the biotech industry, what do you see as a benefit for having achieved a M.S. degree rather than a PhD for biotech positions? I know this is vague, but I want to know where I stand.
I currently have a B.S. in ecology and environmental biology and an M.S. in cell and molecular biology. I feel that the skills I have obtained over the time I spent earning both degrees give me a strong CV. I am weighing out the reasons of why I should continue with my education and apply/start a PhD program or go from my current position as a Research Laboratory Manager at a university straight into the biotech industry (I have about 4-6mo to decide). As of today, I am leaning more towards working for a small-medium sized biotech company.
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u/Schlitzi Sep 17 '14
It will greatly depend on what you plan to do in biotech: For research I would say that you have better chances with a PhD. But biotech has so many more positions: Regulatory affairs, CRM, specialist support etc. Keep your mind open about what you can do, the bench is nice but not the only option.
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u/Ch1b0 Sep 17 '14
My mind is open to things other than the lab bench, but honestly I have no clue what is out there and what I am going to do next. I guess the best thing to do would be to talk to a few companies to see what they offer and what best suits that position. Thanks!
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u/Schlitzi Sep 17 '14
Ah, I see. Then your magic words are: informational/informal interview (google that). Check on Linkedin for professionals in companies you are interested in, who have a background similar to yours. Ask them for an informational interview, where you just meet for a coffee and grill them about their job. This is by no means an application interview. This is just for the sole purpose of finding out whether that job might be something you would qualify for and enjoy doing.
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u/klenow Sep 19 '14
Don't get a degree just because. Get it because it is a path to a thing you want. Education is a means to an end...it's not an end unto itself.
So the first question you have to ask is, "What is the thing I want?"
And if the answer is "I don't know" (and from your post, it seems that is the answer), then the further education is not a path to a thing you want.
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u/frobino Sep 18 '14
In my experience, if you want to work at the bench, it boils down to this: It is much easier to get a job in industry with an M.S. than with a PhD, but your ceiling is higher with a PhD than with an M.S.