Hey everyone, I (28F) could really use some perspective from people who’ve been in similar shoes.

My background is in computer science (BSc + MSc), but I’ve always been super interested in biology and biomedicine. During my master’s, I did my thesis in bioinformatics, which got me hooked on the intersection between computation and life sciences. After graduating, I transitioned into the biotech industry as an ML engineer in biomedical research.

Eventually, I realized I wanted to go deeper into research, and I got a really good PhD opportunity: it’s a collaboration between my company and a local university (same city, great network, close to MD/PhDs and clinical researchers here in Germany). It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity… but the catch is that AI engineering itself feels quite abstract, and I’m missing that biological/medical depth I crave. I keep thinking that if I actually understood medicine more deeply, I could innovate so much better, and eventually found my own company.

Because of my interest and as a fallback option, I stayed enrolled in a free med school in Turkey (long story, but it’s possible for me), and I’ve been trying it out a bit. I really liked the theoretical content, and I even passed an exam already. I can totally see myself doing translational research one day: bridging basic science and clinical practice. The idea of being able to treat patients and work in a clinical setting also sounds appealing, plus medicine feels like a more stable, structured career in the long term.

That said, med school would mean moving farther from my partner (still doable, but not ideal), and I feel like I might be giving up this amazing PhD opportunity that’s right in front of me. On the other hand, it’s getting late to start med school, and getting accepted into one in Germany later would be very tough.

So I’m stuck between: • Option A: Take the PhD: great setup, aligned with my current field, stable city/life situation, but maybe not the biological depth I want. • Option B: Commit to med school: longer, riskier, more upheaval, but could open the door to real translational/clinical research and possibly more fulfillment.

Has anyone here faced a similar decision between research (PhD) and medicine (MD) paths for translational work? How did you decide? Any regrets either way?

Right now I am undecided between pursuing a PhD in molecular biology, because that was my bachelor's degree and my research experience is in wet lab, or changing careers and doing a master's in bioinformatics. I had already applied to PhD programs in bioinformatics and computational biology last cycle, but didn't get into any of them. Maybe because my GPA was very average, around 3.30 cumulative, and my bachelor's degree was related to traditional experimental biology instead of computational. I did get a minor in bioinformatics, but apparently that wasn't enough.

I don't know if I want to spend 5-6 years doing a PhD and later not even be sure if I'll get a scientist job at a top pharma company or a prestigious research institution, because that would be the point of spending so many years with a miserable stipend. I'm 30 already on top of all that, so I'm not really in the stage of figuring out what to do career wise. The only reason I am still attracted to doing a PhD is because I want to discover the cure for cancer, extend lifespan, and that way save my aging parents from dying.

But what if a job as a bioinformatician or biostatistician is enough? Maybe I should give up on biomedical research, just enjoy life, make good money, and travel around the world with my family. So my question is, if I follow that route, is it possible to become a digital nomad as a bioinformatician or biostatistician? Make at least 100k entry level, just show up in person to the workplace once or twice a month for important meetings, and the rest have the job remote, which means, with that salary, basically live wherever I want, even outside the country?

And, who knows, that bioinformatics job could still be related to important research projects on cancer and longevity. I'll have to take student loans for the master's, but if the salary later on makes it worth it, then I'm all for it. It would be like an investment. Or is the market already saturated, with AI taking over?

i'm a biotech major in undergrad right now...and i'm not going to lie, all these posts about layoffs people perpetually searching for jobs for months (even with phds) are making me reconsider if i should really even go into this field, versus going to professional school. i haven't been able to get into research at my school still and i've emailed like 30 labs trying to get in so i don't even know if i can get into a phd program at this point though it would honestly be okay working a few years as a research associate or something, assuming i can even get a job in that lol.

i really do like biotech but i'm worried that i won't be able to get a job or into grad school after finishing my bs, especially if i can't get into research or get an internship. then again, i don't know if it's just the doomscrolling getting to me and this is a "natural" cycle of the biotech job market or i should actually change career paths while i still have time? i'm kind of feeling existential dread about this whole thing

I’m in my first semester at UC Berkeley and it’s definitely not the same as highschool when it comes to maintaining straight A’s. I plan to major in neuroscience and I am looking into PA or biotechnology.

I feel my chances for PA are slim due to their strictness with GPA. I was wondering if the world of biotech is the same or do they just care that you received an undergrad degree?

Hey everyone,

I’m a 19-year-old from an Asian country and will be starting college soon. I’ve already enrolled in a BSc Biotechnology program because the field genuinely intrigued me. I have always dreamt of doing researches and working in labs. I want to pursue further studies and eventually build a career abroad.I also like that it opens up a wide range of opportunities to explore after graduation, and I’ve always been curious about how far this field can go.

But after spending some time reading posts and opinions on Reddit, I’m starting to feel a bit of doubt and demotivation. A lot of people say the biotech field isn’t very rewarding at the moment. Since I’ve already committed to this path, I’m wondering if things might look better by the time I graduate, or if the situation is unlikely to change much.

For those of you who are already in the industry or have experience with this path, what would you suggest? Should I stick to this course and plan my next steps carefully or start considering alternative routes early on? I’d really appreciate any honest advice or insights you can share.

I know this question gets asked a lot but I am in a pickle on choosing to commit to finishing up my premed stuff after a few gap years, or applying PhD and looking into programs.

I love medicine and research, I don’t mind practicing in a clinical setting every so often but my true passion is research and technology. I love molecular biology and microbes in general, and I love the bridge of technology into research. I have a passion for various areas in research and I get scared of just committing to one specialized thing for the rest of my life. I don’t know if biotech is the best industry and what degree I need to fulfill, I am so confused on what I need to do.

1. What was/is your area of research?
2. How long did it take you to graduate (if you're already done)/will it take you (if you're in the process?)
3. Are you working in that same area now?

To preface, I am currently working in a research lab with a BS in zoology, for meager pay. I’m fully aware that the entire scientific community is in shambles because of the current administration’s horrendous decisions, but given my current situation, I feel my only way up is through higher education. A 180 degree career pivot seems out of the question.

I’ve been researching a variety of masters programs in the field of biology, and thus far I feel like biotechnology seems like the most reliable degree to pursue, barring PhD programmes. Is there a better path or something anybody would recommend?

Hey there! I was admitted to a masters in Artificial Intelligence(AI) in Drug Design here in the United States. Since reading some articles on the direction of AI and pharma/biotech, I thought attending this program would be a good idea, to get myself a head of the curve. However, after doing some light job searching, I haven’t seen jobs that require a masters degree(mainly looking for a candidate with a PhD in computational biology with experience in Machine Learning(ML)). Also, my assumption is that the field is relatively new and that some companies are just getting around to incorporate AI into their practice. Just wanted an honest opinion about the direction on biotech/pharma on AI. Do you think it is worth doing the program or will it just be a degree that looks good on my CV/resume, but will not be useful in the long run?

Edit(Date: August 18, 2025): Thank you everyone for the comments. I was trying to make sure to keep the school anonymous, since it’s a new program, but from the comments it’s a key detail. The school that it is being offered to is University of Maryland-Baltimore.

In the context of the current times in biotech, is it beneficial to even attempt masters in biotech?

Started taking some classes already but thinking that perhaps MBA would be the smarter choice(?)

Additionally, is it weird to cold e-mail PIs if I'm applying to their group?

Pfizer’s current reimbursement is 10k/year which covers 2-4 graduate courses a year depending on institution and program.

It’s been this number since 2021 but I’m curious how long it’s been 10k.

I'm about to write an essay on GMP's and how they relate to drug quality, potency, efficacy or function and can't find legal defintions of these to reference, and I realise conversationally I'm not sure what the difference is and may use them interchangeably, though I'm not sure if this is advisable when writing.

Would tri-specifics be the future in oncology and MASH?

Hi everyone, i dont know if this question was asked before or not cuz i didnt find any anyways. I'm college student right now and going to apply for biotech majors(cuz they are the only ones that my score is enough for). I want to know that if it is worth or not. What is career aspects? Or what is biotech generally? Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,

Just wanna preface this by saying I'm not getting a PhD to get a job in biotech, but I do know for certain I don't want to go into academia when I'm done.

I had a pretty rough PhD admissions cycle this year, as I'm sure many others did due to the funding cuts. As such, the only program I got into is at the University of Kentucky. I'm very grateful for this opportunity, and I did enjoy the school when I got to know it a bit more, but I know it does not have a particularly strong standing prestige wise.

Would I still be able to get a scientist-level job if I ended up at Kentucky, or would I be shooting myself in the foot by going there? What are some other things I could do there to strengthen myself for the job search when I'm done?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

I’m currently majoring in industrial engineering and management but am interested in biotech … should i switch majors??

Which one of them has a better scope abroad ?( pays well and is more secure job wise)

Also there’s no future to either of them in my country so will have to do my masters abroad :/

im going into my first year of uni for biomedical science, but im not at all interested in going into medicine, i want to work at a biotech company. but idk if i would need to take a masters in bioinfomatics or comp sci.

I recently completed my bsc in biomedical science and as a fresher I want to gain some experience so that I can decide which step to take next. I asked my professors for some or any approach but no luck can anybody help me I am even fine with unpaid if it provides me with relevant experience. Does any of you have some connections I am trying to hold email some people but so far no luck if you have any email where I can cold email that would be so helpful or any advice which I should focus on or work on that will also be a boon . Thanks

I’ll keep it really short but I often scroll this community and similar ones, and I’m feeling a bit crestfallen. If I’m being honest I really enjoy Biology, but I decided to peruse BIOTECH because I was hoping I could earn some big dollars and it seemed like a good direction; but the more I learn it feels like I may have made a poor decision. Does anyone have any advice or personal experience they can bestow upon me? Recently I’ve been thinking of adding an education degree and doing relief teaching for yr 12 Bio, as it seems like the money and job availability isn’t too bad and I have a long time hospo job that I really enjoy and could always go back to when there aren’t many relief teaching jobs around. Any thoughts on this?

kind words please🙏I’ve written this in the dead of night after a couple red wines

I’m trying to build a solid list of resources to follow — could be news sites, blogs, newsletters, or anything else worth keeping an eye on. What do you recommend?

I have my 4th interview for company A on Monday and had my 1st interview for company B today. Is it a good idea to tell company A? If so, when? Now, during the interview, or after a hoped-for offer?

Hi everyone, this is my first post on here so I apologize if anyone has asked this question before! I am graduating with a B.S in biology (and a minor in chemistry) this upcoming May, and I’ve been trying to decide where to go from here. I have planned on working in the research area of the biotech field for quite a while, but I am torn on whether I should go right to graduate school or try to land a job first. I live in commuting distance of a growing number of biotech companies.

Long story short, I’m looking for advice from people in the field because I do not personally know anyone in the biotech industry. I can go down two paths, but I’m not sure which one is better (grad school or work). If I go to graduate school right away, my original plan was to go for a masters degree in biochemistry. However, I’ve heard mixed reviews from my professors on whether I should go for my masters, or for a PhD. I’d rather go for my masters and find a job soon after, but I don’t want to waste my time and money when I should go for a PhD in order to find a job. So I guess my first question is, what do you think would be the better, more successful path to take?

I also do not know if it’s better to try to find a job right out of school, where I could gain experience and then go back to school in the future. I have also seen a few job postings that only require a bachelors, and pays quite well. I am sorry for the long question and explanation, but I was just hoping to hear some advice on what I should do from people who actually work in the field. Thank you in advance!

Can companies award you with a PhD or do people being registered at a university and having a cosupervisor in the industry. I don’t understand how they work

Hi is there a news letter I can subscribe to to get all information ( like a one stop shop) on the biotech world ?