--Robin LucasSo what do you plan to do after you graduate? I must have been asked this question by friends and family nearly as many times as the old reliable, When will you be done with school? and the ubiquitous, What exactly is it that you do? At one time, I had a quick and easy response. Like most other students in my program, I planned to teach and do research in academia. Over the past four years, however, my interests and goals have gradually changed, and I find myself exploring other options.
For many, an alternate career may seem more attractive once they realize just how long it takes to get a permanent academic position. After four years of college and five years or more of graduate school, students are expected to complete at least one post-doc for three years or more. After finishing this educational marathon, there is certainly no guarantee of finding a tenure-track academic position. Even those who do get jobs at colleges and universities may face years of scrounging for funds and racing to publish in hopes of getting tenure.
My fellow students and I began graduate school well aware of the monumental task before us. Many have put off attaining financial security and starting a family in favor of pursuing their careers. I have watched my college friends get married, have children, buy cars and homes, and even save for the future while I struggle just to pay the rent. After eight years of higher education, I may well be 10 years away from any real job security in academia. Like a growing number of my classmates, I have started to question whether the long and difficult years ahead will be worth reaching that pinnacle of academe, a tenured professorship.
A few years ago, such musings would be considered heresy. It was taboo for PhDs in science to abandon the hallowed halls of colleges and universities to pursue a nontraditional occupation. Today, nearly everyone I talk to from my class has at least considered doing just that. The BBS program has even sponsored forums for graduate students to make contacts in a variety of other fields including business and industry, journalism, law, education, and public policy. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has a new Web site (http://www.nextwave.org) devoted in part to promoting alternate careers for scientists. AAAS also sponsors several fellowships designed to give graduate students in science experiences in other fields.
We Need Choices
For students to successfully colonize new niches, major changes should be made in faculty attitudes and graduate school training. Advisers should accept that not everyone wants to follow in their footsteps and that students need experiences outside of the lab if they are to embark on an alternate path. The curriculum should change to reflect the interests of graduate students, including courses to introduce basic concepts in business, science writing, education, and law. If Harvard wishes for its graduate programs to remain competitive in the future, there must be a greater focus on ensuring that students will be adequately prepared for the job market in the real world.
When I asked my adviser about the nine years she spent doing two post-doctoral fellowships, she simply remarked, "I loved it!" It occurred to me that in all likelihood, I would never be able to say that about academic research. While I appreciate the education I have received--and I certainly don't regret coming to graduate school--I realize that my future has to be quite different from the path my adviser chose if I am to be happy. I can only hope that someday I will be as satisfied with my career as she is with hers.
--Robin Lucas
Robin Lucas is an HMS graduate student in the BBS microbiology program.
Focus 7/17/98