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Whether to shift from drug discovery to human-centered fields?
I am currently a junior international student majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences. When I entered college, I aspired to pursue a career in drug research. However, as I progress through my major, I find myself increasingly uncertain about whether this path aligns with who I am.
This uncertainty became clearer after taking a quarter of computer science, a field now intertwined with scientific research. While I understand its importance, I realized that I struggle in highly efficiency-driven environments. I tend to be more reflective, sentimental, and drawn to meaning-making rather than optimization and competition.
At the same time, I have strong interests and abilities in literature, documentary film, and emotional understanding, which make me feel more aligned with human-centered fields such as mental health counseling or social work. However, I grew up in a culture where science-oriented careers were viewed as the most “practical” or “valuable,” and I never seriously explored alternative paths. Now, as an international student close to graduation, I am concerned about the feasibility, and cost of changing direction.
I am respectfully seeking advice from professionals who have experience in:
drug discovery or scientific research, mental health counseling or social work, or interdisciplinary careers that apply science to human-centered fields.
Specifically, I would appreciate insight on:
-Whether there are realistic pathways that allow one to remain connected to science while working in human-centered or mental health–related roles?
-What factors I should consider, given my international student status, when deciding whether to pivot at this stage?
Thank you very much for your time and insight!
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4 answers
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
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Chinyere’s Answer
Hello, Tianna,
I like how well you expressed this. You are experiencing the development of self-awareness, not confusion or failure. That usually happens during a person's growth and not when they are lost. Many students choose to major in science because they believe it to be "practical," but it takes guts to understand when a field's daily realities clash with your natural thoughts, emotions, and sense of purpose.
It's important to make it clear that failing in highly competitive, efficiency-driven settings is not a sign that you are less competent or "scientific." It just indicates that you are better at reflection, context, empathy, and storytelling, all of which are highly important yet often overlooked in traditional lab or tech settings. Your preference for literature, documentaries, and emotional understanding is not an obstacle to your career but rather a sign of where you think most effectively.
It is not necessary to make an all-or-nothing decision between scientific and human-centered activity. There are practical middle options. Mental health research, public health, health education, scientific communication, patient advocacy, bioethics, clinical research coordination, behavioral health technology, and policy work are among the fields in which many individuals with expertise in pharmaceuticals or science go. While maintaining a connection to science, these positions prioritize people, purpose, and impact over competitiveness or pure optimization. They usually appreciate your capacity to make difficult concepts understandable to others, which is a true talent.
Sequencing is important given your status as an international student; you shouldn't rush a complete pivot at this time. Changing majors or beginning a new degree abruptly can be expensive and dangerous. Completing your present degree and then adding human-centered exposure through electives, majors, volunteering, research with a social or mental health focus, or health-related storytelling projects is a more strategic option. This allows you to more safely test alignment while maintaining your alternatives for work, graduate programs, and visas.
Try to really do the work rather than merely imagining it before committing to counseling or social work in particular. Speak with professionals, work on projects that blend research and human narratives, volunteer with mental health or community organizations, or shadow if you can. This will enable you to determine whether the processes and emotional work required are sustainable for you.
Lastly, let me reassure you that it's okay that you didn't pursue these options sooner. Many don't, particularly when cultural norms restrict what is considered "acceptable." You're on time to make an informed choice, not late. Today's careers are built through evolution, changes, and blends rather than a single, set identity selected at the age of 18. It's not impractical; rather, it's strategic that you are honoring who you are becoming and asking the right questions.
Best wishes!
I like how well you expressed this. You are experiencing the development of self-awareness, not confusion or failure. That usually happens during a person's growth and not when they are lost. Many students choose to major in science because they believe it to be "practical," but it takes guts to understand when a field's daily realities clash with your natural thoughts, emotions, and sense of purpose.
It's important to make it clear that failing in highly competitive, efficiency-driven settings is not a sign that you are less competent or "scientific." It just indicates that you are better at reflection, context, empathy, and storytelling, all of which are highly important yet often overlooked in traditional lab or tech settings. Your preference for literature, documentaries, and emotional understanding is not an obstacle to your career but rather a sign of where you think most effectively.
It is not necessary to make an all-or-nothing decision between scientific and human-centered activity. There are practical middle options. Mental health research, public health, health education, scientific communication, patient advocacy, bioethics, clinical research coordination, behavioral health technology, and policy work are among the fields in which many individuals with expertise in pharmaceuticals or science go. While maintaining a connection to science, these positions prioritize people, purpose, and impact over competitiveness or pure optimization. They usually appreciate your capacity to make difficult concepts understandable to others, which is a true talent.
Sequencing is important given your status as an international student; you shouldn't rush a complete pivot at this time. Changing majors or beginning a new degree abruptly can be expensive and dangerous. Completing your present degree and then adding human-centered exposure through electives, majors, volunteering, research with a social or mental health focus, or health-related storytelling projects is a more strategic option. This allows you to more safely test alignment while maintaining your alternatives for work, graduate programs, and visas.
Try to really do the work rather than merely imagining it before committing to counseling or social work in particular. Speak with professionals, work on projects that blend research and human narratives, volunteer with mental health or community organizations, or shadow if you can. This will enable you to determine whether the processes and emotional work required are sustainable for you.
Lastly, let me reassure you that it's okay that you didn't pursue these options sooner. Many don't, particularly when cultural norms restrict what is considered "acceptable." You're on time to make an informed choice, not late. Today's careers are built through evolution, changes, and blends rather than a single, set identity selected at the age of 18. It's not impractical; rather, it's strategic that you are honoring who you are becoming and asking the right questions.
Best wishes!
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Tianna,
If you are close to graduating, I would recommend that you complete your program and get that degree. Don't throw everything over board just because there are some aspects of one potential future career that you don't enjoy. There are other options that will put your degree to good use.
If you still want to consider pharmaceutical research and drug development as a career, get some experience in the field by doing internships and getting involved in research projects in your department. If you want to work in pharmaceutical research in the future, you might find entry level positions with a bachelor degree, but more likely you'll need an advanced degree.
If you are sure that you don't want to go into scientific research, check out masters programs and PhD programs related to pharmaceutical science that are not focused on scientific research. Maybe there is something that would interest you and use your other talents and interests. University of Toledo e.g. has a masters in Health Outcomes and Socioeconomic Sciences.
You can also opt to go to graduate school to become a pharmacist, not a researcher.
If you would prefer to be in a mental health field, you can consider going to medical school to become a psychiatrist. It's a long path, but your bachelor in pharmaceutical science would give you an excellent foundation. Have a look at the pre-requisites needed to apply to medical school and what kind of commitment is expected in terms of medical experience and volunteering.
Since you are also interested in literature and documentary film, science communication would be another excellent career option.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
https://www.educations.com/masters-degrees/pharmaceutical-science/usa
https://www.mastersportal.com/search/master/pharmacy/united-states
If you are close to graduating, I would recommend that you complete your program and get that degree. Don't throw everything over board just because there are some aspects of one potential future career that you don't enjoy. There are other options that will put your degree to good use.
If you still want to consider pharmaceutical research and drug development as a career, get some experience in the field by doing internships and getting involved in research projects in your department. If you want to work in pharmaceutical research in the future, you might find entry level positions with a bachelor degree, but more likely you'll need an advanced degree.
If you are sure that you don't want to go into scientific research, check out masters programs and PhD programs related to pharmaceutical science that are not focused on scientific research. Maybe there is something that would interest you and use your other talents and interests. University of Toledo e.g. has a masters in Health Outcomes and Socioeconomic Sciences.
You can also opt to go to graduate school to become a pharmacist, not a researcher.
If you would prefer to be in a mental health field, you can consider going to medical school to become a psychiatrist. It's a long path, but your bachelor in pharmaceutical science would give you an excellent foundation. Have a look at the pre-requisites needed to apply to medical school and what kind of commitment is expected in terms of medical experience and volunteering.
Since you are also interested in literature and documentary film, science communication would be another excellent career option.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Karin recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Vianne’s Answer
There are many ways to stay connected to science while working in roles that focus on people or mental health. Jobs like clinical research coordination, public health, health communication, bioethics, and patient-centered outcomes research use scientific skills but focus more on human experience, ethics, and communication. These roles often involve working directly with people, making scientific information easy to understand, and thinking about how research impacts real lives. If you have a background in pharmaceutical sciences and enjoy storytelling and understanding emotions, these paths can be a great fit, blending science with human interaction.
As an international student, it's important to plan your career steps carefully. Finishing your current degree is usually a smart move, as it qualifies you for science-related jobs that might offer visa sponsorship, such as roles in universities, hospitals, or research institutes. Direct mental health jobs like counseling often need more education and licenses, which can be expensive and tricky for visa reasons. A good strategy is to start in a science-related job that focuses on people after graduation, understand your goals better, and then decide if further training in counseling or social work is right for you.
When thinking about a career change, consider how much more schooling you're willing to do, the costs, visa issues, and what kind of work you truly enjoy. Decide if you want to support mental health through research and communication or if you want to provide direct therapy as a clinician. Exploring interdisciplinary roles now lets you use your scientific training and try out people-focused work, helping you make a confident decision for your future.
As an international student, it's important to plan your career steps carefully. Finishing your current degree is usually a smart move, as it qualifies you for science-related jobs that might offer visa sponsorship, such as roles in universities, hospitals, or research institutes. Direct mental health jobs like counseling often need more education and licenses, which can be expensive and tricky for visa reasons. A good strategy is to start in a science-related job that focuses on people after graduation, understand your goals better, and then decide if further training in counseling or social work is right for you.
When thinking about a career change, consider how much more schooling you're willing to do, the costs, visa issues, and what kind of work you truly enjoy. Decide if you want to support mental health through research and communication or if you want to provide direct therapy as a clinician. Exploring interdisciplinary roles now lets you use your scientific training and try out people-focused work, helping you make a confident decision for your future.
Updated
Suzanne’s Answer
Tianna, I appreciate your thoughtful question as I appreciate the answers from Karin and Chinyere. The topic you raise has led me to reflect on my own career as a family physician. Like most physicians, I was intrigued by science, in my case specifically biology, and I wanted to help people. I found the perfect combination of those interests and motivations in medicine. For me, family medicine was a way of applying my science background and interests to caring for people in their family and community contexts. I wonder if you'd like to look into the pre-health clubs and activities in your college and take advantage of the programs, advising, shadowing and volunteering opportunities which exist.
One other possibility if medicine is not what you are looking for, would be getting a PharmD degree after you graduate. You then could pursue a career as a clinical pharmacist, working directly with patients or working on a health care team in either an inpatient or outpatient setting.
For both medicine and clinical pharmacy degrees in the US and Canada, these follow the undergraduate bachelors degree, so you would be right on track should you decide to attend medical or PharmD school in the US/Canada.
One other possibility if medicine is not what you are looking for, would be getting a PharmD degree after you graduate. You then could pursue a career as a clinical pharmacist, working directly with patients or working on a health care team in either an inpatient or outpatient setting.
For both medicine and clinical pharmacy degrees in the US and Canada, these follow the undergraduate bachelors degree, so you would be right on track should you decide to attend medical or PharmD school in the US/Canada.