- Joined
- Jan 20, 2017
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Fellow lab directors (sorry for the longish read),
How common is it to find PhD only lab directors? I'm curious because it's a long road that I'm considering on taking. I started undergrad back in 2011 as a chemistry major that wanted to work in the lab. I wanted to obtain a PhD in [analytical] chemistry since it sparked my interest the most, I did very well in the course and have always been fascinated with instrumentation. I eventually found myself working in a medical lab and as much as I want myself to go to medical school, my heart's not in it nor is it something I'm interested in. Not to sound arrogant or cocky, but I can comfortably say that I'm pretty good at my job and know it wouldn't be wise to leave something I'm good at. As some of you know, the lab doesn't offer much as far as advancements (Phleb --> MLT --> MLS --> supervisor --> manager --> director).
Given my current experience as an MLT and hematology supervisor, would pursuing a PhD be a good route to become a lab director? Is this a waste of time since most labs will want to hire a pathologist for these roles? Every lab I've worked at had physicians as the lab director. I've seen job advertisements for "MD and/or PhD" which is what sparked my interest in pursuing a PhD again. For those of you who have experience working with or knowing only PhD lab directors, what are some of the things that they are/aren't allowed to do?
Becoming a lab manager is not something I'm interested in at this time, but things can change down the road. I want to be considered an expert subject matter in my field. I know ASCP has specialist certifications we can obtain, but anything outside of an SBB is a waste of time (my opinion). The route(s) I'd be willing to take are: PhD in clinical bio-analytical chemistry (which offers a clinical chemistry specialization, not sure if one graduates with an AACC specialization) or PhD in [analytical] chemistry and pursue a 2 year fellowship in clinical chemistry.
FWIW: My employer, the military and VA benefits can cover parts of a PhD besides research/teaching assistantships, so finances won't be too much of an issue. I'd work my butt off to make sure my family and I are financially set for the long road of a PhD, with working part-time to receive additional resources from my employer.
I'm looking forward to hearing your responses. Thank you very much.
How common is it to find PhD only lab directors? I'm curious because it's a long road that I'm considering on taking. I started undergrad back in 2011 as a chemistry major that wanted to work in the lab. I wanted to obtain a PhD in [analytical] chemistry since it sparked my interest the most, I did very well in the course and have always been fascinated with instrumentation. I eventually found myself working in a medical lab and as much as I want myself to go to medical school, my heart's not in it nor is it something I'm interested in. Not to sound arrogant or cocky, but I can comfortably say that I'm pretty good at my job and know it wouldn't be wise to leave something I'm good at. As some of you know, the lab doesn't offer much as far as advancements (Phleb --> MLT --> MLS --> supervisor --> manager --> director).
Given my current experience as an MLT and hematology supervisor, would pursuing a PhD be a good route to become a lab director? Is this a waste of time since most labs will want to hire a pathologist for these roles? Every lab I've worked at had physicians as the lab director. I've seen job advertisements for "MD and/or PhD" which is what sparked my interest in pursuing a PhD again. For those of you who have experience working with or knowing only PhD lab directors, what are some of the things that they are/aren't allowed to do?
Becoming a lab manager is not something I'm interested in at this time, but things can change down the road. I want to be considered an expert subject matter in my field. I know ASCP has specialist certifications we can obtain, but anything outside of an SBB is a waste of time (my opinion). The route(s) I'd be willing to take are: PhD in clinical bio-analytical chemistry (which offers a clinical chemistry specialization, not sure if one graduates with an AACC specialization) or PhD in [analytical] chemistry and pursue a 2 year fellowship in clinical chemistry.
FWIW: My employer, the military and VA benefits can cover parts of a PhD besides research/teaching assistantships, so finances won't be too much of an issue. I'd work my butt off to make sure my family and I are financially set for the long road of a PhD, with working part-time to receive additional resources from my employer.
I'm looking forward to hearing your responses. Thank you very much.