Obviously, there can be cases made for doing research in either academia or industry. In the lab that I am currently working at, my professor is technically in a mix of both. (I will try to keep him anonymous) He works for a major rehabilitation company while also conducting his own personal research at NJIT. Most of his work tends to go more towards the company he works at. This provides a stable source of assistance, if needed, and some liberties when it comes to completing the project. However, he takes some of his own ideas and implements them into the project which he seems to really enjoy. Besides this, he has many other projects on the side in which he has received grant funding for. Through this professor, I have seen both sides of the spectrum that was discussed in the lecture when it comes to research in academia versus industry. My professor works on his projects with a sense of pride and truly attempts to make an impact through his work. However, as a researcher in academia, sometimes certain projects are not given enough effort and are forgotten about over time. On the other hand, as a researcher in industry, it can be seen with his joint project that he must complete certain tasks within a deadline. It also seems to be a project that will be able to help patients much sooner than later. Through this, research in either academia or industry have their own merits, and in the end, it comes down to personal preference.
I work at Saint Barnabas, and recently our team like many teams around the Saint Barnabas moved to remote work. So I’ve experienced first-hand how Implementing new software remote teams manage their projects, align on their tasks, and gain clarity on their work.
We can coordinate work across multiple teams and projects. Because Saint Barnabas brings together our plans, projects, tasks, and communications in one shared space, everyone stays up to date and nothing slips through the cracks. It’s easy to see how work is progressing and who is doing what by when.The main way to coordinate work is with projects. They are how we organize and plan all of the tasks related to a specific initiative, goal, or big piece of work. If you decide to choose between industrial or academic research all depend about the plan around the projects.
There are many differences when as it pertains to the Academia and Industry department of medical devices. First the salary is higher for the industry department by a huge margin. The Academia department also has to fight for grants to sponsor them and make money. However, there may be more benefits in the long run within the Academia route oppose to the industry. If you are an individual that works better with an organized schedule and hard deadline for projects then the Industry would be the best option. In the Academia setting there are multiple projects with not a lot of hard deadlines. Both areas involve travel and allow you to learn a new aspect as it relates to developing medical devices.
In week one, Dr. Simon went over different aspects of working in Academia vs Industry. He asked us to make an argument for working in either option. As we start going into each role of Medical Device Development, there are going to be pros and cons that favor Academia vs Industry.
For this week, the topic is research. Comparing Academia vs. Industry, what arguments could you make for someone choosing to work (in research) for academia? What arguments for industry?
I think working in academia you have a little more freedom. You are able to express ideas, be heard, and find ways that work for you. You might wait a little longer for money but you have the idea you can shop around for others. Being able to showcase your ideas combine them with others and create something new is always a great feeling. The industry has finances available and can help get resources needed faster to get devices expedited and out to the public faster. Quick process of everything and fast results when you don't have to wait can make the process much easier.
I would argue that working in industry, you have more opportunities to grow and make money. In academia, funding is a big factor in departments and universities and if funding is low, there is a strong possibility that one may lose their job. At least in industry, you have an opportunity to grow and get more hands on experience in your chosen field. In academia, you are a little restricted to what can be done.
In week one, Dr. Simon went over different aspects of working in Academia vs Industry. He asked us to make an argument for working in either option. As we start going into each role of Medical Device Development, there are going to be pros and cons that favor Academia vs Industry.
For this week, the topic is research. Comparing Academia vs. Industry, what arguments could you make for someone choosing to work (in research) for academia? What arguments for industry?
The discussion for this week's topic was very debatable. The advantages of working in academia is that if you and/or a colleague were to come up with a very useful idea that can benefit society in the medical field, environmental field, or engineering field, with the resources you already have, you can go ahead and bring your idea to life. The resources that come along with working in academia is a laboratory, computers, and professors who are there to guide you. You are also able to earn money through grants, travel, and work on projects at your own pace, in other words no pressure is being applied. On the other hand, the advantages of working in industry is earning a much larger income. People who usually work in industry have been in the scene for years. Therefore, the chances of investing in a potential successful product is usually likely.
People who usually work in academia doing research do it out of curiosity and for their love of science. They genuinely want to help people by making new discoveries in science. Moreover, it is a more relaxed environment where you can work on multiple different projects without any tight timelines. In order to keep funding the lab, you have to write grants which is very tedious. In academia, there is no guarantee that you will actually get the results you want, so it requires a tremendous amount of patience. It is very fruitful once you get results as you revolutionize the world when it comes to that field. On the other hand, working in the industry is very rewarding when it comes to money. The results of your work are immediately seen as you can see the change that it causes in people’s lives. Also, doing research in the industry moves much faster in general as the company is trying to get the product out on the market.
There are several advantages and disadvantages for both academia and industry. At the end of the day I think it boils down to what your passion is, or other terms what do you want to do. During my undergrad I had the opportunity to work on "academia" at a lab under a professor. It was very exciting at the time being because we working on something that was completely new, and it was something that no one has ever seen or worked on. Academia can be extremely appealing to those that have passion to actually make difference in the field or make new discoveries.
After working in Industry, I think it is a better option for me and their is a very simple reason behind it compensation. For the amount of work I used to do during undergrad for research and get paid close to nothing, however now I am getting paid a lot more for doing the same amount if not little less work. Additionally, I think in academia you are usually trying to hit a target in the dark however in the industry setting you have clear idea as to what you are trying to achieve.
Both have pros and cons. In Academia, you can have your own lab if you start as an assistant professor, which is pretty cool. You can do research according to your own interest. There are a lot of writings in academia as you have to write grants and also papers for publication. Also, you have to manage students and direct them to accomplish their thesis goals. Another good thing is you can travel a lot as you have to attend different conferences and during breaks, you can get a vacation easily if you plan your work accordingly. One of the negative sides is there is politics in academia. There is less pay in academia than in industry. Also, you have to almost all the time think about your research and what next even after working hours, as there is no fixed working hours. Whereas in industry there are fixed working hours so most of the time you don't have to think much about your work after the fixed working hours. You can see your product launching in the market and get feedback about it. Research will be more focused and goal-oriented in industry because there is competition between companies, and so it's also a very fast-paced environment in the industry. Also, there is higher pay in industry. You can also easily switch jobs if you want to and have good experiences. The disadvantages are you have to meet the business need and can't do what you are mostly interested to do always. You may not always do everything for science, and maybe there are fewer travel opportunities than in academia.
Someone choosing between academia and industry would have to determine what is more important to them when deciding where to invest their time. They would need to identify where they are in their career and ultimately what their career aspirations are. If someone is completely salary-focused, then industry is likely more rewarding from a financial standpoint. Additionally, industry is also more rewarding for someone who would like to be able to apply academic knowledge to real-world application. While academia research also applies academic knowledge, it is more focused on supporting or disproving information while industry is often direct application of already supported knowledge. Depending on the job role specifically, there is flexibility in the schedules for both academia and industry. However, both may require long working days.
I think that academia is for someone who has a true passion for research and wants to work on several projects without a time constraint or specific deadline to meet. Academia is for those who are always curious to learn more and also teach others as well. Industry on the other hand is for someone who is interested in making money. Money is the motive for industry whereas a passion for research is the motive for academia. Industry people seem to be more micromanaged in that they have specific deadlines to meet and they only have a few projects that they can work on at once. Academia focuses on curiosity and discovery on new things. Industry focuses on making products for people so that they can make money.
For some, an appealing aspect of working in academia is the freedom to dictate your own schedule, choosing when to teach, conduct research, and publish your work. By not having to answer to anyone about how you allocate your time, however, also means you must be proficient in time management and prioritization. Academic research is largely collaborative and team-work oriented. An academic environment creates an extraordinary opportunity for cross-disciplinary thinking and research. You can, however, enjoy a large sense of autonomy, should you choose, with the freedom to choose when, and with whom, you collaborate.
The industry and academia is an interesting Venn diagram in the realm of biomedical engineering. In terms of the qualities that one must have to possess, the center of the Venn diagram must include passion. Additionally, one must have the well known qualities that make up a hard working person: tenacity, patience, ability to work in a team, creativity, and problem solving. In order to be successful in any field or discipline, one must have the core important qualities that produces good work. Now, depending on if one is in academia or industry, these core qualities are applied differently because the work is intrinsically different. Industry requires focus to meet approaching deadlines, meet regulatory requirements, and be able to coordinate with other team members on a project. Academic research also requires focus, but involves long term projects, making discoveries, and working with other researchers, research assistants, and department leaders in order to appropriately complete a study. The environments, work atmosphere, and even work hours are different. A person considering either option must first assess themselves on these core qualities. Some will be had from prior experience, some are innate, and some will be learned on the job. However, the one must assess where they see themselves in terms of environment, work style, and compensation. Both options have tremendous impact on the general field of biomedical engineering, science, and advancing humanity forward.
