BIOLOGISTS: what is your job really like? what would you like to say about it? I mean anything... I want to be

Question

a research biologist but I want some feedback from people in the career to help me decide what type of job I'm really looking for and what field I should focus on... I have this idea in my head and I want to know how close my idea is to the reality of actually being a biologist
Biology is definitely my thing... all facets of life fascinate me, from the life of a fungus to life in other parts of the universe. I'm starting college this fall with a major in Biology, but I want to know where I should go from there and what I can to with a degree in Biology.

Any (serious) answers are greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

I work in biomedical research at the University of Chicago. I got my bachelor's degree and master's degree in Microbiology, and I'm currently working in an immunology lab.

There's a great deal of variety between the different fields in biology. My background is more biochemical/molecular so I'm mostly inside the lab all day. Some biologists spend a great deal of time outside depending on the area they're researching, especially if they're studying zoology or botany.

Research can be a very frustrating area to get into. Experiments frequently won't work, or if they do, you'll get some result that makes things more complicated than you were hoping for. But ultimately, there's a real thrill in discovering something new. You need to be able to work hard and be patient at the same time.

If you are thinking of doing research, I would strongly encourage you to get involved with undergraduate research if it's available at your school. It's a great experience and you can learn first-hand what research is really like.

With a Bachelor's degree, you'll mostly be limited to Research Tech jobs at colleges and low-level non-research jobs in industry. A Master's degree or Ph.D. can open up a lot of doors, and if you really want to run your own research lab someday, a Ph.D. or M.D. is essential.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Answer 2

i'm a graduate student studying how neurons make the right connections in the fruit fly brain. i love what i'm doing! but i don't love it all the time because research is an emotional rollercoaster. sometimes you have the best high when you discover something totally new but sometimes you just have to grind out the work and that gets frustrating if things are not working. however, ultimately, it's fantastic. you get to choose your own hours and think about interesting things all day long and you get to use your brain. one great thing about research is that while you are doing the same techniques, you are never doing the same thing because your project is always moving forward. however, you have to love what you are doing and you have to have a lot of drive because it's a lot of hard work for not very much money. if you are good at what you do, eventually you can make really great money and do what you love. but there is a while where the money sucks though for biomedical research/basic research you do get paid to go to graduate school.

the first thing you should do is try and work in a lab in your undergraduate school. look up what kind of research is going on at your school that you find interesting. read a publication from that lab and talk to the professor. they love is when a student is seriously interested and it doesn't hurt to ask if you can volunteer there. at some schools you can also get credit. probably as a freshman you will get stuck doing something terribly mundane but just being in the environment you will learn a lot of interacting with the people in the lab and seeing how research is conducted. eventually if you are good maybe you can work on a cool project. good luck!

Answer 3

Keep with it, volunteer in a lab early (year 1 or 2) and work on a research project that spans at least two years and takes up 20hrs/week of your time at least (independent project if possible with a defined grad student or post-doc directing/training you for at least 6 months and at least watching over you thereafter). Then you will really have a good understanding of what it feels like to do biology. However, the scientist part will only come with graduate and post-doctoral studies. The reason is that as an undergraduate you are not yet in a place to truly understand biology and science, mainly because of experience and the final 2-3 courses of your undergraduate coursework for your major will be the only ones that tend to treat you remotely like someone intelligent, which is essential for your growth since they will finally ask for your thoughts and take them seriously.

You can do very little with a BS/BA in biology, except be someones lackey or a drone in industry. If you have tons of research experience you could eventually become a valued tech in a good lab or company, but still a tech.

Answer 4

Like someone else said: if you like Biology try to get as much of as many different fields as possible, as the field is so vast and the carrers are so different. Even if you end up becoming a bench scientist, like I am, if you have a solid field biology background, it really helps (I assume the other way around works probalby too). Don't specialize too early, college is all about finding out what you really like. Don't skimp on math and especially not on chemistry (I met many biology students who don't have a clue about chemistry; that will never work in your career). I used to work in an academic research lab and am now in biotech, the aim is different (academia is more like how do things work, biotech how can we make a cure) but both areas can be very exiting and rewarding. If you are more the how to make a cure type, try internships in the industry as early as possible, as academia will burn you out.

Answer 5

While there are lots of possible answers that you might find interesting, I suspect that you'll get a much better feel for what you want to do during your college time. Just don't try to specialize to soon, is my advice. Learn about all sorts of different things, and when you're finishing college you'll hopefully have a pretty good idea what you want to focus on in grad. school. For what it's worth, probably the biggest single difference is between bench-top biology and field biology (although there's lots of overlap there). Try to find out whether you prefer working with things out in the field, or whether you really like figuring out how they tick on a smaller scale in the lab.

Answer 6

There is so much excitement in the field of biology right now that I couldn't begin to tell you. From stem cells to astrobiology, the field is taking off. I spend my days in the lab and have pleanty of free time to help people on this website. There is a lot of repitition and sometimes it is really boring and disapointing if you don't get the results you expected, but I love it and wouldn't do anything else. Make sure you get a good background in math and computer applications, you will need that as well to be sucessful. Good luck.

Answer 7

It is a good rewarding path. Check this link for more info.