the power of goo

Thanks to “Blogosphere Entertainment in 3… 2…” I have just surfed over to a very interesting post over at In the pipeline: “Decisions, decisions”; a happy (or rather not so happy) discussion of chemists about grad school and getting a job in pharma.

Now, you may think about pharma all you want, but this is some serious matter. Not only does it touch the deep inner self-feeling of us chemists, but also of academia and personal well-being, in general. It is almost as if the question is the question of all:

I would like to join the first group but obviously I want to be able to get a job. If I joined the first group, would I be unemployable in pharma?

Much work has been posted over on the pipeline, so I will not go too much into reality here. Just some quotes that summarize the consensus, I regret:

Derek’s comments:

be sure to get a varied chemistry background in whichever group he joins. You don’t want to get too specialized - for future med-chem employment, that can be a killer.

The work described is definitely not so far afield that it’s going to mess up later job-hunting.

And some reader’s comments:

I know it strokes a students small ego to be actively courted by some big shot prof, but once you’re in the group, are you ever going to see him? (…) Then, after 5-6 years of soul breaking work, sweat shop hours, and a host of other denigrations, he is still not guaranteed a job in pharma.

To any unfortunate souls heading to Grad School, go where you’ll be happy. Grad school is a long time, and going somewhere you’ll not like because it serves your career well isn’t going to get you finished.

Chemists are simple-minded folk, who are overly impressed with name-recognition (the same can be said of MBA’s!). It’s far more important than ability. The system weeds out those who are inquisitive or creative long before they can obtain their synth Phds. Grad school for most synth people is just ‘obedience school’.

Ahh, well, read the comments yourself if you need more.

Let me just add my 2 cents to all of this:

First, decide on what you want to do with your life, where you want to be, which skills you need, what, besides work, makes you want to live.

Then decide on whether you want to be a specialist or a generalist.

And then, if necessary, decide whether you really want to be in pharma in the first place. There are many other alternatives to pharma, as well as there are many alternatives to academia. And many places to get your PhD from.

What are the key reasons for getting that damn title? What will be different after you get that title? What will you have learned? What skills and experiences will you have added to your CV?

Will you want a job where you count as a person — or one where only your PhD’s topic counts, or even worse just the name of your supervisor? Will you be able to integrate your personal skills with your chemical skills, your problem solving abilities and your communication skills? Will you be the autistic scientist that will dwell in some lab forever? Who will you be?

Who are you? Who will you be?

What do you want?

And yes, my experience is a bit different. I have not done any total synthesis. I have not done any big names. And I have done some medical research — but decided against the pharma gang.

OK, maybe I am biased because things seem to look too good for polymer chemists and material scientists, but still: I believe that your personal development should come first. After all, in the end of the day: we are all chemists. We should be able to think alike, be able to get started in any field of chemistry. Be able to solve problems. To survive periods of frustration. To make gut-based decisions.

Remember: for the job at hand in industry, many others have more experience than you do. Many have more experience, period. Your contribution will not be that of the “know it all”, but maybe more that of the energetic apprentice who asks too many questions, is curious and naive enough to get things done that might seem not worthwhile for those who have been there, done that.

In the end: you are the one who counts. Your personality, including your education. Never neglect any one of these.

Just my 2 cents.