Post PhD options?

[WooWoo]

Right, here's a question for all you scientists out there.... I'm currently half-way through a PhD in a geneticsy/molecular biology type field. I'm working in an awesome, pretty high profile lab and enjoy what I do. BUT can I see myself doing it forever? Not really.... So, I was wondering what options I have after my PhD... If I want to stay in science, but not necessarily in academia or pharma, what jobs are out there? And in people's experience if i leave academia, how difficult is it to get back into it?

Any info at all would be greatly appreciated!!

Cheers!

[Eurox]

Hi WooWoo,

I've just put in for a degree in Physics at Uni. Everyone asks me 'Well what do you want to do when you leave?' and to be honest I havn't a clue what to do apart from work at CERN, but I know that its something I've always wanted to do and learn. So even if I don't turn out to be Einstein, then at least I've done something I've always wanted to do which is more than what most people can say! Good luck.

[sddsddean]

I've got 2 friends at the level you are talking about. One got a PhD in Microbiology and worked for the Wellcome Institute researching into cancer, but he moved to Vancouver 18 months ago and now 'approves' copies of drugs (someone brings out a new drug, another company copies it to jump on the market, he has to check the copy does the same as the original).

My other mate did a PhD in Maths and Computing and has been a professor at Miami Uni for the last 20 odd years (as he can't afford to come back to the UK!). His main joys are confusing all those youg Americans! eg "Just solder that mauve wire". " Whats mauve?"

[j2buttonsw]

IMO, you should spend the rest of your PhD time not just getting enough good results for your thesis but to network with as many influencial people in your field as possible. This will open doors for academia (post doc positions) and in industry. I was guilty of not schmoozing like a goodun and got a crap post doc which did not help my academia career path (and the fact that I didn't really want to work in academia). I haven't worked in my PhD field (microbial biochemistry)since my post doc money ran out (maybe 6 years ago) and the only way I would get a job doing what I used to do would be via some impressive string pulling which I don't I am capable of.

[aka estie]

I couldn't tell you about leaving academia, since I never want to leave! I think I am alone in my cohort of PhD students in that I want to be a professor when I'm done. Ideally, I will find a position at a small university, where I can primarily teach, but also run a lab where I can teach undergraduates how to conduct research. Well, that's my goal at least! Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

[AGENT X]

there is grat demand for research, its is only for labratory minded or people who can take facts, figures, statistics and information and turn it into a dynamic informational report/study that would determine if the study/tests in question would be a viable tool in or for the betterment/ cure/ or aide in a real purpose, mostly if it would be economicaly feasable