Katherine L. Monti is Principal Statistical Scientist at Rho, Inc.
Considering a career in biostatistics? If you like math and biology and want to make a difference in the world, this is a good plan. Biostatistics is a rewarding career, with a lot of opportunity—and the compensation is good, too.
How does one prepare for a career in biostatistics? There is no one “right path” to becoming a biostatistician, just as there is no one career path in biostatistics. Nonetheless, here are some general suggestions that should help someone considering a degree in biostatistics, whether starting such considerations in high school, college, or later on.
High School: If you are thinking about biostatistics as a career and you are still in high school, excellent! Take as much math as you can and do your science homework. If you have the opportunity to take a technical writing class, go for it. Learn some programming along the way if you can. Check the web for undergraduate degrees in biostatistics to see if any of those programs appeal to you, and see what the requirements are. If biostatistics was not on your horizon in your teens, no worries—you have plenty of time.
Undergraduate School: If you plan on a degree in biostatistics, do you need to major in biostatistics as an undergraduate? Not at all. In fact, most of us did not. You do not even have to be an undergraduate math major, although most graduate schools will require a strong math background. So plan on three semesters of calculus, a semester of linear algebra, and introductory probability and/or statistics as a minimum, with real analysis and advanced calculus required for some programs.
What other types of courses should you take as an undergraduate? Many graduate programs in biostatistics recommend biology, epidemiology, ecology, or other science courses. I personally wish I had taken college chemistry; it would have helped me in every job I have held since graduate school. If you have not yet done so, it would be useful to learn a programming language or statistical package. I had one colleague who swore a course in logic was an invaluable aid to him, but I imagine few statisticians have taken logic in college.
What Is Biostatistics?
Biostatistics is the science of obtaining, analyzing, and interpreting data using statistical theory and methods to address problems in the biological and health sciences. Unlike departments of statistics, which are generally found in a university’s college of arts and sciences, departments of biostatistics are found in a university’s school of public health or school of medicine.
By all means, work on your communication skills, written and oral. I had no idea how much writing a math-major-turned-biostatistician would need to do on the job. Learn to write. Also, work on your spoken English in several ways: grammar, “understandability,” and formal oral presentation skills. Poor grammar is detracting in professional situations, so clean up the verb tenses and pronoun cases. However, even if your grammar is perfect, you have to be understood. I know several people who have benefited greatly from a bit of speech training or an accent neutralization course, depending on their particular situation. Finally, take opportunities to make oral presentations to groups small and large, because chances are you will have presentations to make in the future. Remember, practice makes perfect.
My final piece of undergraduate advice to those who are math majors: Give your inner nerd a rest. Take literature, art, music, science, history, philosophy, psychology, or whatever interests you to round out your education. If you are going to spend the rest of your professional life applying math to the biological and medical sciences, use the time in college to add balance to your life. My senior advisor wisely suggested I refuse the math department’s offer to join the honors program because that program required I take extra hours in math. If I was going to graduate school in biostatistics, he advised, I needed to broaden my college experience more than I needed to graduate with honors. I took pottery instead.
Degrees: While there are exceptions, most of us who call ourselves “biostatisticians” have a degree from a statistics or biostatistics department, but what degree should you seek—a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate? Degrees do matter because they are like union cards: They open doors of opportunity.
If your aim is to develop new theoretical statistical methods, then you would be well served obtaining a theory-based doctorate from a theoretically inclined statistics or biostatistics department. If your aim is to teach in a biostatistics department, then again, you will need a doctoral degree.
However, if you prefer to work in government, industry, or an academic or nonacademic clinical trial research environment, then a doctorate is an option, but not a requirement. And if your goal is to become a proficient SAS programmer in clinical trials, then a master’s degree or even a bachelor’s degree in biostatistics will serve you well. With just a bachelor’s degree, you can obtain a position that allows you to confirm your interest in biostatistics before launching into a graduate program. At the same time, you will be gaining valuable experience that will enrich your graduate education and post-graduate opportunities.
A simple algorithm regarding degrees is that the more demanding the degree, the greater the range of opportunities and, in general, the higher the salary that you can command. View this Amstat News article for an idea of the 2009 salaries broken down by degree, years of experience, and type of job.
While there is a considerable salary bump associated with the degree, a doctoral degree takes a lot of resources (your time and tuition money, if it is not available from other funding sources) and perseverance. If you cannot afford the time nor tolerate the effort of obtaining a PhD—or if “doing school” is not your thing—fear not. A good career is available to those with a master’s degree.
Jobs: What do you want to do? Chances are you do not know what career is best, and even if you think you know, your plans may change with time and circumstances. I graduated with my PhD thinking I would teach biostatistics forever. That never happened. I ended up teaching elementary math and statistics in a mathematics department for three years before moving into industry (Ralston Purina), medical devices (Ciba Corning Diagnostics Corporation), the pharmaceutical industry (Astra), and consulting to the pharmaceutical industry (Rho, Inc.) While this career path was not my plan, it has worked well for me. Because a biostatistician is so employable, I was able to move where my husband moved and maintain my career in biostatistics.
Gain Insight into the Profession: The more you learn about the profession, the better you will be able to prepare yourself. To consider what a career in statistics might encompass, check out the following websites:
www.sph.unc.edu/bios/prospective_students_ 13235_10577.html
www.public-health.uiowa.edu/biostat/video/index.html
www.sph.umich.edu/richmedia/sph/prospective_depts/biostat/player.html
You also can find sites by searching “prospective student” and “biostatistics.” There are summer programs in statistics at some universities and some corporate internships available (see the ASA’s internship listings or search the web for “biostatistics” and “intern”). Also, visit the American Statistical Association’s website to see whether there is a local chapter near you and what activities it sponsors.
Finally: Good luck on your adventure in biostatistics!
Dear Katherine,
thank you very much for the article. It is really very useful, and actually, I would like to ask for some advice.
I have finished my PhD in biochemistry and I becoming very interested in biostatistics and its relation to the pharma industry.
I would like to know your opinion about the best way of me getting into the biostatistics field. Is that by a masters? is a diploma useful? should I take math classes to prepare?
The second question is, will my PhD in biochemistry be considered in the course of my work? or, since it is not in statistics, noone will care about it?
Thank you very much for your attention and your time. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
All the best,
Javier
Hi Javier,
I’m glad that you found the article useful. Taking your questions in reverse order, no, your biochem background will not have gone “all to waste.” In fact, you might well be able to merge biochem and stats very nicely. Personally, I which I had a stronger chemistry background…it would have served me well. I strongly suspect the biochem+stats combo would be very attractive.
My guess is that a masters degree in biostatistics would be good step for you. Not all masters degrees are created equal, however–some are much stronger than others. Having been out of academia for ages, I can’t advise you on them all, but my recommendation would generally be to get a relatively strong masters but not in a program that is not focused on preparing you for a theoretical PhD. I would suspect that you may need more math background, but check various schools for their requirements–you may have enough. Google is a wonderful tool for finding schools–use it to find various programs, then read their info and view their on-line videos (when available) for prospective students. You can find the programs, then don’t be shy about calling the departments to discuss your level of preparedness…and to find out what jobs their graduates have.
One thing that comes to mind is that you might do very well pursuing Phase I drug development. Phase I is the pre-clinical stage–chemistry matters a lot here. (Or I suspect it does. I can’t say that I know a lot about it.)
I can give you advice on how to get advice: if you are a member of ASA, join the Statistical Consulting Section and/or the Biopharmaceutical Section, then ask the question using the online discussion group(s). (I bet Rick Peterson –rick@amstat.org — would be able to help get you started.) I suspect that you will get a broad spectrum of advice in response.
Good luck!
Warm regards,
Katherine Monti
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Dear katherine,
Thank you for the article, I realy gain a lot and I like to ask U̶̲̥̅̊ a question.
I have my degree in statistics in nigeria and I will like to ave my master degree in biostatistics but I don’t know where to start because here in nigerai their is no master in biostatistisc.. I like you to help me out.
Regardsm
I’m glad you enjoyed the article. As for your future education… If you would be able to travel out of the country in order to obtain a degree, then I would search out the programs in whatever country or countries that would be most accessible to you. Then contact those departments directly in order to determine what the prerequisites for the program are, whether your current training meets the entry needs, and so on. If you are not able to travel, that’s another matter. I don’t personally know of on-line masters degrees. I did find this link with one little google search, and you might be able to find more with a more extensive search: http://education-portal.com/articles/Online_PhD_in_Statistics_Program_Overviews.html
Good luck in your efforts!
Warm regards,
Katherine Monti
Hello Katherine,
Thank you very much for the article, it is very helpful. Here I would like ask for some advice.
Now I am undergraduate senior student majored in statistics and economics. My friends say I have to get a PhD degree in order to get a job in the biostatistics field; actually the job market for biostatistics master is not good in recent years (maybe because there are so many biostatistics master graduates). However personally I don’t want to do PhD.
I applied several biostatistics master programs, and got admission from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, John Hopkins University (they are all MS program). Could give me some advice on choosing the schools, I really want to get a job after graduate, so I think Columbia may be a good option since it is in the city of New York?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Alex
I would be willing to give you advice, but I don’t know the programs well enough to distinguish among them. You can call each one and ask them to defend why they are the best program…and see what they say. Amount of funding your receive may be another factor. If you are in NYC and want to stay, then Columbia is a good choice. Personally, I would chose NYC last as a place to live.
Hope I’m not too late answering you–I don’t check this very often. Good luck in your selection and your career!
Katherine
Dear Katherine,
The above article is excellent!!! Thank you!! I have pursued my Master’s in Chemical Engineering two years and currently working as a Manufacturing Associate at Johnson and Johnson(Pharmaceutical). I am very good in Maths and I am interested in the Pharmaceutical field and now I want change my career path to Bio-statistics. Is this possible?If so how long it would take? and what are the steps can you suggest me? Your answers will definitely help me. Will wait for your reply. Thank you.
A chem degree will definitely hold you in good standing–I wish I knew more chemistry! How long will it take? That depends on several things: do you want to get a Master’s degree or a PhD. Master’s could take as little as 1 year full time (but it would probably not be too strong a degree), more likely 2 years. A PhD would be more like 4-5 years. Master’s degrees come in different levels of intensity from “little math needed” to “very strong.” The stronger the program, the more you will know at the end. Search websites for Biostatistics departments and look at the different programs and their requirements. You probably have the pre-requisites, but you need to check that out. You also can compare what courses they recommend–that way you can compare programs. Don’t be afraid to call some departments and ask to talk to people about their programs. You can ask what the strengths are, what other programs are like there programs…basically you can figure out which are weak programs and which are stronger by snooping around. “Our program is the best, but x, y and z are about as good…and you want to avoid w, q, and t.” Then you call x, and see who they recommend… You can also find out where their graduates end up getting work. Any masters will help you, but a “weaker one” (like an MPH–master’s of public health) won’t help you as much as a stonger one. GOOD LUCK. Katherine Monti
I enjoyed reading this page. There are 3 questions that I would like to ask. I am interested in obtaining a masters and PhD in biostatistics. Is it best for me to get work experience right after my masters degree and go back later to get my PhD or is it ok to get a PhD right after my masters degree with no job experience in between the masters and PhD? Are there many entry level biostatistician jobs? I have been looking and really don’t see any. Maybe it is because of the bad economy. Do you know where the entry level jobs are?
Hi Lisa,
1. You ask if it “best” to get work experience after the masters and before the PhD? There is no right answer here. First, I went straight though and wish I had had some experience in between so that I understood what I was learning better. I have, however, done pretty well anyhow. Second, if you stop to work, you might not end up going back to school. You might end up getting married, having a baby–it’s harder to go to school then. Or you might just enjoy the lifestyle that comes with an income, or just not want to face school again. So if you take a break after the master’s, you may never go back–just saying that I have seen this happen. (The reason that I wanted to go straight through was that I had endured my mother’s return to school–twice: once for her MS then for her PhD. I knew that was a hard road.) Third, another way to gain experience is through internships…see the ASA page for this: http://magazine.amstat.org/blog/2011/12/01/internship12/
2-3. To be honest, I have not looked for an entry level job recently — to put it mildly — but I do understand that they are harder to come by. An internship is a WONDERFUL asset to your resume, and gives you and “in” in the company itself. Monster, career builder, etc and the ASA website are sources. Also, look at specific company’s “career opportunity” pages. Also, call various graduate programs and see where their students have landed jobs. If the students from that school have not ended up employed, apply elsewhere.
Good luck!
Kathy
Hi Katherine,
Awesome article!! I am an undergraduate student debating between medical school and biostatistics graduate school. I was wondering how possible it is for biostatisticians in the medical or pharmaceutical industry to be promoted to an executive position? My dream is to serve on the management board of a biotech company one day.
Best,
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan,
Well that is an interesting career goal! To answer the question about executive position: Biostatisticians who are so inclined can rise to the level of VP of Biostats or something like that; most don’t go on to head biotech companies although some of them may be on management boards. And it depends on what you mean by “management board.” Do you mean “external board of directors” or “helping to run the company”? BOD–not so likely for a statistician; influence in the company–probably more likely but not as likely as an MD. That being said, the route to becoming an MD (board certified, preferably) is longer and probably more expensive. You might research a bunch of biotech companies to see who is at the top and what degrees (aka “union cards” they have.) However, in either event, it is likely that you will need to build your career credentials first–your lofty goal will not be achieved until you have achieved a distinguished career. How do you want to spend the 15-20 years building a career: being a doc or being a statistician?
Good luck!
Katherine Monti
Hi,
I am from India working as a lecturer in a university (in Statistics). I have been offered a fully funded PhD in biostatistics (designing clinical trials) at a US university. Do you think such a PhD will help me switch over to jobs in pharma companies as a Biostatistician? And what is the scope as a lecturer specialising in biostatistics?
Hi Pankaj,
To answer your first question: If your goal is to switch from a lecturer in statistics (I gather with a master’s degree) to a job in a pharma company, a PhD in bios would almost surely be helpful in obtaining a job, a good salary, and eventually more responsibility and authority.
As for the second question, I don’t really understand. If you are switching to a pharma company, you would not be a lecturer. Can you please elaborate? Thanks,
Katherine Monti
Hi Katherine,
I’m applying to the masters program of biostatistics this fall. Meanwhile, I have a lot of free time, so I was wondering whether there is any specific kind of work/volunteer experience that will make my application more competitive?
Thank you.