Should You Pursue a Career in Science?

"Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it." - Albert Einstein.

Spurred on by a dearth of people entering the sciences, schools across America are participating in what may be called "Science is Fun" days. Science fairs, trips to national labs, and scientific demonstrations are all the rage at various elementary and high schools, where youngsters are encouraged to enter the biological, chemical, and physical science fields. Unfortunately, what no one bothers to address is the dearth of funding and real job opportunities for these youngsters should they decide to embark upon a scientific career. Whereas 30 years ago one could expect to achieve a tenured (permanent) academic position at a respected university a few years after earning a Ph.D. (or even master's) degree, nowadays, that possibility is but a faint glimmer of hope. At government institutions (like the N.I.H.) and even in industry, the likelihood of a scientist earning an income commensurate with their education and experience is also nil. Add to that the high number of work hours required in the field, the lack of benefits such as 401(k), vacation/sick/personal days, stock options, and profit sharing, along with the constant job insecurity, and it is little wonder that fewer and fewer individuals are deciding to become physicists, chemists, or biologists.

One of the major changes in the scientific arena has been the role of the postdoctoral scientist. The postdoctoral fellowship was a position once considered an option for a few scientists following their graduation with a Ph.D., whereupon the research they performed in their graduate years was either wrapped up or expanded upon for (at most) a year. Payment during this time came from the mentor's grant, and the "postdoc" was under the mentor's, not the university's, direct employment. After that time, the postdoc was either hired outright by his/her respective school (usually as an associate professor), or had found steady employment elsewhere.