Back to posts…

I had the privilege of participating in the ML4H Mentorship session, as one of 3 panelists

It is about the human capital in your organization. It’s always about people and empowering them. When selecting a career path, remember: 1) the search starts within - your core values; then reflecting on those values select a path forward 2) regardless of the path selected, a) all paths ultimately have value, wins & fails equally helpful, b) allow oneself chapters in life - no obligation to always keep doing the same thing; it’s ok to have chapters in life #reflections on #mentorship

Academia vs Industry Careers for PhD Students Pursuing an academic career versus one in industry are two common options for PhD students. There are several key differences to consider when deciding between these paths.

Academic Careers Academic careers typically involve research and teaching roles at universities or research institutes. The path includes postdoctoral positions before becoming a professor. There is high competition for tenured faculty jobs, with less than 1/4 of life sciences PhD holders ultimately getting one. This is different of course for machine learning/AI researcher and PhDs - these are interesting times!

The pros of an academic career include the ability to focus on research, work on problems you find intellectually compelling, have flexibility in your schedule, interact with students, and collaborate easily with other researchers. However, there is pressure to continually publish and apply for grants to fund your research. Careers also typically involve longer working hours and relatively lower pay compared to industry.

Industry Careers Industry careers include roles at companies ranging from large pharmaceutical/biotech corporations to startups. Common positions include research scientist, project manager, medical science liaison, and consulting roles. The work is more focused on developing products and innovations. Industry careers tend to offer higher pay, better job security, and more structured work schedules compared to academia. However, you have less flexibility and control over the research problems you work on. There can also be intense pace and pressure to meet deadlines. Publishing research is less critical for advancement compared to academia.

Why a PhD? One of the key benefits of pursuing a PhD is the unique opportunity it provides to go incredibly deep on a specific topic over an extended period. This level of depth is rarely feasible at other times in one’s career.

Principles of picking a supervisor - before starting a PhD:

  • in-person meeting, human factor/connection
  • ask former lab members, interview back a few generations
  • objectively - look at the lab’s publication record - is everyone flourishing or just a few folks
  • culture of the lab - balance between work and life
  • when checking on previous graduates/lab members, see if they landed jobs - how did they do
  • does the lab/PI have funding, a rising tide can lift all boats!

During my/the PhD, IMHO, some recommendations:

  • work hard
  • stay focused
  • have fun
  • be collaborative
  • get papers out
  • use your papers to write a sandwich-type write-up; Intro/Discussion, and papers in between

Finally - it’s the journey and not the destination. In life, you are allowed to have chapters! Go write your book.

Back to posts…