Biophysical Society Bulletin | December 2025

Career Development

What Can You Do with a PhD? A Lot More Than You Might Think

The study also examined careers in science communication and publishing. Individuals who did best in these fields often had broad scientific interests rather than a single narrow focus, and they enjoyed explaining complex ideas to diverse audiences. Many shared that they enjoyed how these roles allowed them to stay connected to science while exercising their strengths in writing, teaching, and public engagement. Ultimately, McGee emphasized that the best way to de termine the right career path for you is to think carefully throughout your training about what parts of science you truly enjoy. What do you like or dislike doing in the moment? What specific parts of research are you best at? The most satisfied scientists were those who did this, and who con tinued to explore new experiences even after identifying a likely path. Career preferences can shift over time, he noted, but that is not necessary for exploration to be valuable. Even if your goal stays the same, sampling other career paths will leave you with a firmer idea of why. McGee spent the first 20 years of his career in laboratory research focused on neurobiology and cellular pharmacology, and he now uses that experience to study how young scien tists develop and to design research training for scientists at all levels. His work in that area ranges from the “basic science” of how undergraduate and PhD students make their career decision to assisting junior faculty develop into fully established scientists. He utilizes a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates physical and social science techniques to conduct a wide variety of studies in support of these goals. Some examples include randomized controlled trials to test the effectiveness of novel coaching and teaching techniques, the application of specialized analytical frameworks to study career outcomes from marginalized groups, and a longitudinal study tracking the career progress of 500 PhD students over more than a decade. For those interested in learning more, the full webinar record ing is available in the BPS Video Library (www.biophysics.org/ video-library).

BPS recently hosted a webinar with Rick McGee , Associate Dean for Professional Development at Northwestern Univer sity Feinberg School of Medicine, who shared findings from his team’s long-term study following hundreds of biomedical PhD students as they moved from graduate school into a wide range of careers over more than a decade. His study examined the path each scientist took and where it led them, while also attempting to learn how satisfied they were with their choices. The goal of this webinar was to help current and future students when planning their own paths forward, and some of the key takeaways from his team’s research can be found below. Interestingly, for those who went on to become faculty, the study found no connection between postdoc length and job placement. What the participants shared instead was a deep interest in specific research areas and a desire for indepen dence in their work. Many had explored other career options along the way but ultimately returned to academia because they were motivated by the freedom to pursue their own scientific questions. Those who found the most satisfaction in faculty positions often viewed their research as a personal interest rather than just a professional goal. Participants who found greater fulfillment in industry re search careers were similar to those who became faculty, but they tended to express more frustration with the slower pace of academic research. They also reported enjoying the collaborative environment of industry while avoiding some of the additional demands that come with faculty positions (particularly grant writing). While science consulting is similar to industry research in many ways, consultants move between projects frequently. This appealed most to those who thrived on intellectual vari ety. The participants who enjoyed these roles were ones who had a love for the scientific research process itself, but who may not have had a particular niche that they preferred.

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Since launching the Networking Events program in 2011, BPS has supported 110 events held around the world, either in person or virtually.

December 2025

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