Careers in the Life Sciences

Department of Biology

Prof. Mike Butler Prof. Jim Dearworth

Life after Lafayette?

• What do you want to do with your degree?

• Are you selecting the right courses?

• What other things can you be doing?

• Where have our alums gone and what can you expect?

Some Avenues

1. Graduate School?

2. Health Professions?

3. Industry and government?

4. Not sure?

1. Headed to Graduate School?• GPA…study, work hard • GRE…take practice tests

– General and Subject

• Research Experience– Independent study, honors thesis, Excel (contact Biology,

Chemistry, Neuroscience, Psychology or other dept. faculty)– LEARN (contact Professor Lisa Gabel 303 Oechsle Hall)

http://neuroscience.lafayette.edu/– Teaching Assistant (contact Biology faculty)– RUI (elsewhere)…search the web

• Check out Sigma Xi

1. Headed to Graduate School?

Research the web for Graduate Programs!

Examples:

Nutrition

Molecular Biology

Neuroscience

Public Health

Education: Do you want to be a High School Biology teacher? Education degree?

Find graduate programs on web and see what are the required and recommended prerequisites. http://biology.lafayette.edu/related-links/

Career Service Website.http://careerservices.lafayette.edu/consider-grad-and-prof-school/

Graduate School Advising Liaisons (see list)

Pick based on both the program AND your advisor – talk to Lafayette faculty for guidance

1. Headed to Graduate School?

2000-2007 Alums who chose Grad

• 103/339 students (30%) went to grad school

– 52/212 (25%) of BIOL majors, went to grad

– 25/79 (32%) of NEUR majors, went to grad

– 26/48 (54%) of BIOCHEM majors, went to grad

E.g., Brandeis, Thomas Jefferson, North Carolina State and Pennsylvania State Universities

*Data provided by Career Services

Lafayette is member of Oberlin 50

• Despite accounting for only 8% of national student enrollment (NSF 2002), over 17% of science PhDs are awarded to individuals who received their bachelor’s at liberal arts colleges (NSF 1996).

• 15 liberal arts colleges make the list of the top 25 institutions that produce the greatest proportion of undergraduates who later obtain science PhDs (NSF 1996)

Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) at the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH/NIAAA). She investigated the efficacy of gene therapy on treating XP neurological disease. She is at Thomas Jefferson pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience.

Lori Cooper ('07, BS in Neuroscience)

• Call Health Professions Administrative Assistant in the Dean's Office (Mrs. Glaus, x 5521)http://healthprofessions.lafayette.edu/

• Dean Julia Goldberg and Prof. Nancy Waters • GPA…study, work hard • MCAT, DAT, OAT, GRE, etc.…take practice tests• Volunteer, shadow, internship• Research Experience

– Independent Research, Honors Thesis, Excel– LEARN (research with Lafayette alums at their home institutions)– RUI (elsewhere, federally funded)…search the web for institutions

• Mock Interviews: InterviewStream http://lafayette.interviewstream.com/Default.aspx

2. Health Professions (HP)?

2. Health Professions (HP)?Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) doctorsPhysician Assistant (PA), Nursing (RN, LPN/LVN)Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT)Podiatry (DPM), Chiropractic (DC)Public Health (MPH, PhD)Dentistry (DDS)Optometry (OD)Podiatry (DPM)Veterinarian (DVM)

• Find HP programs on the web and see what are the required and recommended prerequisites.

Courses not offered at Lafayette• Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II

• Many HP programs will accept substitution of these: Biol 213 – Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Biol 251 – Human Physiology.

• FIND OUT!

• If not, then the courses can be taken locally at LVAIC schools (e.g., Cedar Crest) or in the summer at a university or community college near your home.

NOTE: Many of you will have AP credit for Biology (101/102), Chemistry (121/122), Math (125 or 161), and English (110) courses. These AP credits may be used at Lafayette, but HP schools may not accept them. Thus, you must take other courses in these departments to meet HP school requirements.

Jason Brenner ('07, BS in Biology)Attending George Washington Medical School

2000-2007 Alums who chose HP• 102/339 students (30%) went to HP

– 60/212 (28%) of BIOL majors, went to HP

– 32/79 (41%) of NEUR majors, went to HP

– 10/48 (21%) of BIOCHEM majors, went to HP

E.g., Jefferson, U. Penn, Albany, UMDNJ, Temple, Emory, George Washington allopathic med. schools, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Cornell Vet. School, Penn. Dental, Suny College of Optometry.

*Data provided by Career Services

3. Industry or Government?• Most companies and government agencies demand experience.

Therefore, get it.

• Research Experience– Independent Research, Honors Thesis, Excel– LEARN (with Lafayette alums at their home institutions)– Teaching Assistant (here)– RUI (elsewhere, federally funded)…search the web– Gateway summer internships– Explore interests via job shadowing, such as through the

Lafayette January Externship Program

• Government internship

• Industry internship

• Role of Lab technician

• Sales or public outreach…get some experience

http://biology.lafayette.edu/related-links/

Start Learning About Job Hunting Now!

• Connect or re-connect with a Gateway Advisor in Career Services!

• Check online job recruiting services• Write your CV/resume• Mock Interviews: InterviewStream

http://lafayette.interviewstream.com/Default.aspx

• Do you know how to write cover letters?

Check your Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences from Biol. 101/102.

2000-2007 Alums who chose Ind/Gov

• 85/339 students (25%) went to Ind/Gov

– 63/212 (30%) of BIOL majors went to Ind/Gov

– 12/79 (12%) of NEUR majors, went to Ind/Gov

– 10/48 (21%) of BIOCHEM majors, went to Ind/Gov

E.g., Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, National Institutes of Health (NIH)

*Data provided by Career Services

4. Not sure?

• You’ve come to the right place!

• You’ve come to the right place!

4. Not sure?

(ha!)

• You’ve come to the right place!

• So courses like bioinformatics, biological modeling, etc., are really good ideas

4. Not sure?

• You’ve come to the right place!

• You can’t make an informed choice unless you’re informed.

4. Not sure?

4. Not sure?• Search your soul

– Where do you see yourself ten years from now?– Do you want to make money?– Do you have a passion for helping people?– Do you want to save the planet?– Do you want to have a family?– Do you like to solve problems?– Do you like to work in a lab?– Do you see yourself as patent lawyer?

http://biology.lafayette.edu/related-links/

• Talk to your peers, your family, your advisor.

• Form a Biology Club: As upperclasspersons (Seniors) next year, you will be the leaders.

• Sustain your support group: e.g., the Veterinarian Club.

2000-2007 Alums• 49/339 students (15%) pursued careers in

other areas:

– 37/212 (17%) of BIOL majors

– 10/79 (10%) of NEUR majors

– 2/48 (4%) of BIOCHEM majors

E.g., Genetic counseling, environmental consultant, technical editor, finance, banker, lawyer

*Data provided by Career Services

http://biology.lafayette.edu/

Biology Website

Career Service Websitehttp://careerservices.lafayette.edu/

http://healthprofessions.lafayette.edu/

Health Professions

It’s your life, so start planning your post-Lafayette career now.