I prefer industry research because it creates real products that helps patients and it offers many ways to grow. There are opportunities to move into management or even become a company officer . I like the idea of joining a company early and contributing to its success. In the future, I could also start my own company and be own boss. 

Personally, research in academia sounds appealing because the reason for research is curiosity, the desire to help others, and a genuine love for research. My decision to pursue biomedical engineering stems from a passion for improving people’s lives, and the job security and lifestyle in the academic route also sounds appealing. However, I have always known that academia is not the right path for me, mostly because I am not drawn to the teaching or grant writing aspects. While industry research is more focused on profit, I find it to be a better fit for my strengths and goals. I work best under strict deadlines and structured environments, and I want to see the immediate impact of my work on people’s lives. Industry offers the opportunity to contribute to innovations that directly reach patients, which makes the work feel more rewarding to me. I see industry as a space where I can balance my passion for helping others with the practical benefits of career growth.

I would much rather have a company fund my research, as they are able to secure funds quicker than in an academic setting, and in my experience was able to set their own goals and targets for the research, especially if its with the aim of turning that research into a product. In my experience, industry is a lot more financially motivated to get a job done well and done without wasting time waiting for external funding. This being said, in my experience, academic research can be a lot more forgiving if an error is made within the process. They both have their perks but I personally would prefer doing reserach for industry.

@danieshat1 I think the profession of a physician can combine both academia and industry research. A doctor can conduct research and clinical trials for different medical devices if they partner with a company, or they can do research purely for academia, based on their work. Additionally, they can combine both types of research. However, a physician’s main job is to provide clinical care, and one cannot become a physician without the drive and passion to do so. Thus, if one wants research to be the main focus of their career, they should not be a doctor. However, there are MD/PhDs available, where a physician is able to focus on research more than a regular MD. This would be a very viable option for someone who wants to be a doctor and do extensive research.

Additionally, the main question for this thread is excellent and something that everyone should consider before jumping headfirst into a job after graduating. I love that Professor Simon includes the two pathways in his first week lectures and continues to show the differences in his following lectures, since his class is the first where the difference between industry and academia is really emphasized. I bring a new perspective to this discussion since I am doing a BME degree to have the knowledge of the engineering side of medicine, as my main goal is to become a physician. I already work in academic research, and being at the forefront of science is extremely exciting and fulfilling, even if it takes years of work. I truly respect PhDs as they have spent so much time dedicated to research, and without them, science would not be able to move forward at the rate it is moving today. Thus, I would still take the path of academia for research and contribute as much new knowledge as I can to science. 

With the onset of AI, how do you think the occupation of an MD/PhD will change? What changes will come to their work both as a physician and researcher, and do you think the balance between research and clinical care will shift due to AI? Will AI make research easier, allowing MD/PhDs to spend more time on clinical care, or will there be a different kind of shift? How would changes with AI affect the amount of research being done for industry versus academia?

I would definitely prefer industry when it comes to research for medical device development. The first reason is because of the availability of direct impact and visibility of the direct impact on patients. For example, companies that make MRI machines for hospitals or other types of imaging machinery often have employees go and either check on their machinery or do validation of it, meaning that you can directly experience how the MRI is working, whether it is being used properly, and what you can fix/do to make it better. In terms of the research aspect, finding ways to improve things like an MRI, testing those methods by creating a study, and then validating your equipment would be much more rewarding in my eyes. In addition, I know that the research I am doing and the funding that I get can be changed and increased or decreased respectively, by getting approval from a manager. Generally, in academia, if you are not the PI, especially for PhD students, if your ideas do not follow the professor's way of doing certain tasks then your idea will in a sense get rejected. This is true in industry as well but there is significantly more flexibility when you are doing research projects in industry. Although I did not directly work with medical devices, in my chemical engineering internship I was tasked with trying to research a specific chemical and how to omit it while maintaining certain properties. I was able to take my own path and as long as my manager approved and saw my direction, I was able to do my own research and set out my own study methods. This freedom is not so prevalent in academia (from what I have seen, but you can obviously prove me wrong if you have had a different experience).

Another reason is because of funding. In industry, funding is quickly accepted or rejected. It doesn't take months to gain funding and generally, since companies are worth lots of money due to outside investment, funding is more readily available especially at larger companies. If you have good direction, have done proper background research, and have a good method in hand, getting approval for funding or incremental funding in an industry setting is not as difficult and time consuming. Some labs in academic settings take years to get funding for their proposals, so this is also one reason why I would prefer industry when it comes to research for medical device development.