I think that the academic jobs are limited in teaching and researching; however, there are some the other academic works which are surrounded by high competition. Also, the academia income is low considering the effort and the time.
there are more jobs for biomedical engineers in industrial area such as design, operation, production, marketing, etc. Industrial field has some features like high salary and commission, but there is no stability of tenure in these careers.
Academia gives you the in depth knowledge and also expand such knowledge. The more you teach the more knowledge you gain as you pass on to the student you are helping to create their own path, which can be fulfilling. Looking at research on the other hand both the industry and academia conduct research but the academia will be more detailed because they are not on a fast pace and they do not have a deadline to meet as the industries do. With all this effort put in as an academia i do think they do require to be paid more when they focus on one research project at a time.
On the other hand the industry throws you into the real life experience of how things work as a whole in biomedical engineering. Working in the industry myself i have seen and also kind of gained a bit of experience of how things work in each field or department. it is really a fast pace working environment and all efforts put into work does pay off. They do have lots of areas to branch into - these then develops the knowledge gained into real life world and molds you with experiences and also cross train into other professions.
In nutshell both can still work hand in hand, either be more academia and a bit of the industry or more into the industry and on the side be academia. At the end of the day both academia and industry do have research base line. What set them apart is just the pace and how the research is defined; is either is been done for personal knowledge (Academia) until you are been acknowledged for your work as you sell just to keep your grant going or for an organization (Industry) and you get higher pay.
Personally i would like to own a lab where I can carry out personal research project while i work in the industry to fund my project. Its a win win on each professional area, its all about personal preference.
Most of my work experience has been in industry with several pharmaceutical companies and now cell and gene. I can understand how many students feel comfortable with the academic world and for some this is the right decision. I think this course can help substantially to make that decision.
However, I would also like to point out that industry also has a research orientation to it also. Many large firms have R&D groups with discovery, product development, etc. The rigor that industry expects and potentially the focus in an area may seem restrictive in comparison to academia, but there are roles that a similar to academic posts. I think it should be investigated also by students. The professor certainly shared other roles on the commercial side but some individuals who like research could still find a career in industry.
This week is an overall introduction to the field of medical device development. We take some time to pay attention to the differences between Academia and Industry (Commercial) because students in this course may come from one of these two areas and need to understand the other facet in relation to theirs.
If you had to compare careers in academia vs. industry on their merits, what arguments would you present to someone in favor of working in academia? What arguments for industry?
I was unsure of this until lately. First, if we look at the professional angle in academia, you work whenever you want. YOu do your research whenever you want to do it—daytime or night time. In industry, you don't have that luxury (mostly). In the sector, usually your daily, weekly, monthly, and sometimes yearly work plan is already set. There are checklists you need to make sure you have checked. From this viewpoint, academia has won in my eyes. But overall, academia is painful, especially if you are a Ph.D. student, which means like an intern for a research position lower perhaps.
If you look at job security, the personal satisfaction and financial benefits industry is the winner by a landslide, which is more important. People want to have lives, get married, etc. and for all of that, you need a stable life with a better financial gain, especially in the early years of your adulthood. It is possible to have personal satisfaction in academia or even more (in a limited number of cases), but you always need to be ready for the next project. You need to come with new ideas, new sources and find new Ph.D. students to have cheap labor in your lab. Unlike academia, even if you started at a hospital as a BMET intern, you'll eventually reach BMET 3, and if you are lucky, maybe the manager level. You'll earn money by just managing or fixing hospital equipment.
From a personal point of view, the industry wins by a landslide again. Did you hear a rich Ph.D. student in your life? I have not. And most of the students who can graduate(if they can keep their sanity) they usually become nothing more than regular industry workers in terms of salary, and they always need to come up with new ideas to keep earning that salary. No time to have fun, maybe meet someone new to create a family, almost no time to get sick.
To sum up, academia is a choice for two types of people (unless there is a particular reason). The first one is to, in terms of the USA, to come here and become citizens to have better living than their own countries (unfortunate, but it's true), and the second reason is they care about research, and that's fine. Everybody has a different purpose in this life. One sentence definition of academia would be exiting, more independent, but stressful and financially not a good idea. One sentence definition of the industry would be monotone and could be boring but economically secure and more left over time to achieve your goals, have a hobby, and create a family.
The exposure I had in academia was during an undergraduate research fellowship (about 2.5 years) in which I interacted with a lot of post-docs and phd students. I am now working in industry. The main thing that stands out to me was that in my experience, as a student working under a PI you have limited boundaries. Your life is the lab and that's how it is, something that did not appeal to me personally, also pay is not as great. In industry yes it is a 9 to 5 however depending on the projects and timelines you are working on it certainly will take you more than the 9 to 5 you're supposed to work. The money is better (though no overtime if salary), if you get a good manager it makes it all the more pleasant. In academia you get more creative freedom, you can choose the projects you or your PI want to focus on, the things you are passionate about. In industry, you work on whatever marketing tells you to work on because that is what will keep the business going. During my experience in academia I did get more opportunities to present on work that I worked hard on which gives you a type of satisfaction you don't get many other places. In industry it really is all about timelines and deliverables. If you don't deliver on time then there can be heavy consequences for your project. If you are trying to choose between the two I would ask what is important to you. From my experience (if someone disagrees please share!) if you want more creative freedom then I would lean towards academia.
I conferred bachelors in biotechnology and mathematics and I got a job as Bioanalytical scientist. It is been 4 years since i have been working in industry and I love it. I love working in industry but definitely NOT as a bioanalytical scientist. Working in industry also sometimes give time flexibility depending on the company but mainly higher pay especially if you are like me with student loans, car loans and never ending bills. Being lead scientist after four years, I have learned whether it is academia or industry, you have to work hard. I am putting 10-11 hours a day with full time school so I dont think there is much difference in acadedmia or industry, either way you work hard and if you are lucky get reward!
I agree with this statement. Coming out of undergrad you have bills to pay and start your independent adult life so working for industry can be the way to go in this scenario. However, I was always eager to further my education, so when i got a job that had education compensation i was able to further my education without putting my life on pause to be in scahool, get paid my salary and have work pay for school.
It is always great to have a choice, and it is always tough to make one .The claim is that you’ll make more money in industry, but have less flexibility. What’s important is that you’re able to pursue your goals in your chosen career. Plenty of people successfully pursue families in both sectors and It comes down to knowing yourself and how much money and flexibility you really need.
At the end of the day, it's a personal choice, but one best made with extensive consideration.
My experience working in the industry is that the projects are goal-oriented. The project team works together to complete these goals and meet the desired specifications. I think the most rewarding benefit of working in industry is getting to view the impact that your work does on people's lives. Personally, I got to observe a surgical instrument prototype that I designed be used in a developmental cadaver surgery.
Academia is rewarding in the aspect that it benefits the industry. The knowledge-base of the industry is rooted in academia. The research that the provider is directly used in the industry to design and develop new and better products. The biomedical industry does not exist without academia.
Without both Academia and industry professions, our world wouldn't be where it is now. Even though many people prefer industry over academia, I believe that money shouldn't be the drive to choose between the two. Academia gives people the chance to study a field that they are interested in, research in it and teach it to others. The pay is of course less than working in an industry, but it does increase over time, and the more and more research that is done, the higher that the pay and opportunities become. The work schedule is flexible, but many people also work outside of the lab, and finish more research at home. There is always something new to learn or discover that could benefit our society at some point. For instance, with what was going on this year with Covid-19, I felt like we need more people in academia to make research on this pandemic and find a cure faster than the time we spent on it.
In an industry, we may know how to work a medical device, make tests and compare results, but that isn't enough to find causes and answer the "why's" out there. There is much more action that comes with working in industry, such as higher pay and promotions. Also, it requires working a schedule that is already set by the employer, and having a boss on your head watching your every move. There is of course less freedom and heavier practical work load. Also, working in industry gives you plenty of work options to choose from, such as working in a lab or a hospital, or maybe a clinic, and sometimes it gives you the opportunity to travel!
Academia gives solutions to many of our problems, and it drives people working in industries to work on these problems practically.
Working in Academia is completely research-oriented. People working in Academia get to discover new things and during the research, and learn a lot. In Industry, people work for their personal growth which can be either money or the position of employment. It is very challenging in the industry to meet the deadlines. The main difference I find between academia and industry is in the academia you run after a goal set by yourself to discover something that may be life-changing whereas in the industry you have to work on projects given by other clients which means you work to complete their goal. It is up to the individuals to choose between both and also it is a very tough choice to make.
I believe academia and industry both have their pros and cons. It totally depends on the individual which path to choose. I am currently doing an internship in a pharma company. The work is typically pre-decided and executed, which has stringent deadlines. Whereas in academia you can design your own research/work patterns without having the stress of meeting up a specific deadline. Industry focuses on projects which can be completed in short term and launched in the market for monetary gains. Projects in academia are long term and research-oriented. In lab research, there is sort of an individual task to work on the idea. But in industry, there are people around to help if someone gets stuck up with a certain problem. The salary is 1.5 to 2 times higher in that of the industry than in academia. But job security is good in academia as compared to the industry. Ideally, I feel that it is good to work in the industry so that you can meet new people and learn new things from others around you. There is more space for growth, job opportunities, and promotions.
This week is an overall introduction to the field of medical device development. We take some time to pay attention to the differences between Academia and Industry (Commercial) because students in this course may come from one of these two areas and need to understand the other facet in relation to theirs.
If you had to compare careers in academia vs. industry on their merits, what arguments would you present to someone in favor of working in academia? What arguments for industry?
My professional background is in education. I have been a teacher for the past thirteen years. I was quite interested in and pleased with the first presentation...academia vs industry. From a personal perspective, after having been in the classroom for so many years, I think it would be more interesting to embark upon a career in industry. It would provide a unique perspective. I do believe that education is one in which many individuals are impacted, but one where everyone does not have first-hand experience in the field. One common frustration is when those who are not educators attempt to act as an authority on education because they went to school at some point in their lives. Academia surely has its share of pros and cons, and I am sure there are more advantages to post-secondary education than secondary education. To address the points in the presentation, academia is research oriented, so anyone who has that interest would very likely enjoy this. Traveling the world is also a plus. The closest I would ever get to traveling as a secondary teacher is a field trip, but those are far and few between by one's sophomore year. Academia is a safe choice because, although it pays less than industry, it offers opportunity for tenure, and better benefits. Some factors are not quite favorable: job security dependent on grant funding; large amount of writing, politics, and scattered projects. On the other hand, industry is quite deadline and business oriented, offers higher salaries, is all about the money, and provides a fast-paced environment. There may not be as many projects and tenure is not available.
This week is an overall introduction to the field of medical device development. We take some time to pay attention to the differences between Academia and Industry (Commercial) because students in this course may come from one of these two areas and need to understand the other facet in relation to theirs.
If you had to compare careers in academia vs. industry on their merits, what arguments would you present to someone in favor of working in academia? What arguments for industry?
There are many pros and cons to working in academia versus the industry, but I think a lot of them are subjective and based on one's lifestyle or the lifestyle they are hoping to achieve. I think the biggest pro of academia is the flexibility in working on something personal to you. You have the more creative freedom of your work than you would in the industry. However, for someone who is not interested in creative freedom and likes having the right structure, that would be a pro of working in the industry.
On the contrary, if one were to start a business, they could achieve the creative freedom of academia and have the structure and benefits of working in the industry.
When dealing with academia versus the industry there are many differences. In the Academia area you are dealing more with the education and laboratory setting. Within this setting you tend to work more individually and while working by yourself you are able to explore and do outside research that is work-related. Lastly, the academia area is going to need teachers, and grants and scholarships to fund the programs. The industry jobs involve stakeholders and other companies to supply/fund resources. They also are placed in a setting where they tend to work with other employees. The job also requires work that pays a higher rate than in the academia setting. Both areas involve hard work with a deadline that the work has to be completed.
Academia relies on grants and academic personnel like student volunteers or other professors to continue their projects, and there is lower pay compared to industry jobs. However, the freedom of conducting your own experiments and traveling without much of a corporate schedule is a bonus. For industry, there are fewer projects, and these projects are funded for commercial success--very money-oriented. The trips that take place are strictly for company purposes and involve many conferences. However, the pay is increased significantly, and there is more interaction with others in this field than sitting in a lab for the majority of your day or lecturing to students.
