2 answers
Christine
Student
1
Question
Updated
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"What are the pros and cons of being in Biotechnology Pharma vs. Academia"?
I was asked about whether I'm planning on going the Pharma or Academia route, but I wasn't 100% sure about the differences.
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2 answers
Michael Trocchia
Supply Chain Director
80
Answers
Mine Hill Township, New Jersey
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Depends on your interests and major. To go into academia you’d likely need a doctorate level degree.
To go into industry a bachelor degree will likely suffice.
To go into industry a bachelor degree will likely suffice.
Jaime Koralewski
Quality Assurance Senior Director in Biotech/Pharmaceutical Industry.
6
Answers
Bath, Pennsylvania
Updated
Jaime’s Answer
Few things.
1 - Academia will require additional degree work if you want to go above lab assistant type work. So, you're looking at PhD, etc. In Biotech/Pharma, you can do a lot more with just a bachelor's degree.
2- Academia generally has less regulations to perform research, versus Biotech/Pharma is more heavily regulated as you move through the phases of development (candidate therapy identification & characterization), preclinical (animal safety studies, etc.), and clinical (human trials). There are also a lot more functions and directions to go in when you enter the Biotech world if you don't want to be in the lab or research environment forever. Think - quality, business operations, clinical monitoring, supply chain, technical writing, etc.
3- Salaries and possibly benefits are going to be more competitive in Biotech/Pharma than academia
4-I would suspect that there is more volatility in job security when working in Biotech/Pharma as layoffs and reorganizations happen a lot.
5- Work in academia is more reliant on research grants and university budgets
6-Navigation through corporate politics can be frustrating in Biotech/Pharma
For Biotech/Pharma, you also have to consider the size of the company. There are huge differences in operations and culture between Big Pharma (Pfizer, Sanofi, K&J, GSK, etc.) than smaller Biotech (e.g. Cambridge area biotechs ranging from 30-500 or so employees).
Even if you decide that Academia is for you, it would be worth taking on an internship if you can at a Biotech or Pharma company so that you can experience it first hand. Granted, you won't get the full picture as an intern but you can learn a lot just by witnessing the culture, surroundings, and the people you work with.
1 - Academia will require additional degree work if you want to go above lab assistant type work. So, you're looking at PhD, etc. In Biotech/Pharma, you can do a lot more with just a bachelor's degree.
2- Academia generally has less regulations to perform research, versus Biotech/Pharma is more heavily regulated as you move through the phases of development (candidate therapy identification & characterization), preclinical (animal safety studies, etc.), and clinical (human trials). There are also a lot more functions and directions to go in when you enter the Biotech world if you don't want to be in the lab or research environment forever. Think - quality, business operations, clinical monitoring, supply chain, technical writing, etc.
3- Salaries and possibly benefits are going to be more competitive in Biotech/Pharma than academia
4-I would suspect that there is more volatility in job security when working in Biotech/Pharma as layoffs and reorganizations happen a lot.
5- Work in academia is more reliant on research grants and university budgets
6-Navigation through corporate politics can be frustrating in Biotech/Pharma
For Biotech/Pharma, you also have to consider the size of the company. There are huge differences in operations and culture between Big Pharma (Pfizer, Sanofi, K&J, GSK, etc.) than smaller Biotech (e.g. Cambridge area biotechs ranging from 30-500 or so employees).
Even if you decide that Academia is for you, it would be worth taking on an internship if you can at a Biotech or Pharma company so that you can experience it first hand. Granted, you won't get the full picture as an intern but you can learn a lot just by witnessing the culture, surroundings, and the people you work with.