Getting Started with Biopharma Research
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| Title: | Getting Started with Biopharma Research | |
| Author: | Christine Traxler, MD | |
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Research employment in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals is somewhat different than academic research. A career in Biotech/Pharma is the right choice for the PhD or MD who truly embraces the impact of the life sciences on the immediate lives of people. This type of research is oriented toward outcomes such as the development of a product, creating a new medication or the development of a new medical technology.
Biotechnology and pharmaceutical corporations are looking for forward thinkers who understand the intimacy between research and product development. Job titles include: Biochemist, Clinical Research Specialist, Senior Research Chemist, Medical Biostatistician and Research and Development Scientist. Many of these are at major biotechnology firms.
There is perhaps no other field where ready-made jobs for MDs and PhDs in the life sciences are simply waiting for an application. At any given time, there are more than 300 drug products and vaccines currently in clinical trials. The U.S. biotechnology industry is spending around $20 billion annually in Research and Development; it is one of the most research-intensive industries worldwide. In the last five years, approximately 8,000 biotechnology patents were granted each year. In the U.S. alone, there are approximately 1,500 biotechnology corporations. The jobs are definitely out there, with research areas focusing anywhere from technological advancement and medical products to vaccines, pharmaceuticals and DNA fingerprinting.
The pharmaceutical industry is also going strong and ranks among the fastest growing manufacturing industries in the U.S. In 2004, the top twenty companies spent a combined total of over 56 billion dollars on research and development. The majority (59%) of jobs are in corporations employing more than 500 employees.
If you want to think “big,” consider working for one of the top biotechnology firms (by sales) in the U.S. You can search their web sites, both to understand their philosophy and vision and to look for available jobs. The top companies are:
While there is a great deal of overlap between the biotechnology firms and pharmaceutical firms, there are a few top companies that specifically deal with pharmaceuticals. Their sites have career opportunities to browse and include the following top corporations:
For one-stop job searching in the biopharma field, go to the Bio Career Center Jobs Board which has jobs listed that are targeted just to PhDs and MDs. Also available is a listing of many more generalized jobs boards in the pharma/biotech area at Alternative Jobs Boards. With about 1,500 biotechnical firms in the U.S. and over 250 pharmaceutical companies worldwide, it may be a mistake to focus on the only the largest corporations.
The site, Kriger Research Center, offers no jobs but may provide for you a leg up in the industry by offering nationwide courses in professional development in the biopharmaceutical industries. Classes focus on current regulations, phases of clinical drug trials and compliance requirements for the industry. If you have a solid background in the sciences but want to understand this industry better, investing in one or more of their classes may help you decide whether or not this is the career track you want to take. This training may also give you an advantage over other prospective candidates.
If you love the idea of working on cutting edge research, the right career in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry is open for the asking. Jobs for PhDs and MDs with a research focus can be found in large or small firms and throughout the world. |
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Christine Traxler, MD practiced medicine for fifteen years in rural Minnesota before turning her love of writing into a career. As a medical writer, she has worked on projects designed to make medicine simplified for the popular audience. She has two daughters and resides in Minneapolis. |
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