Hey everyone,
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been holding out for pics and putting off posting. So there will probably be a lot of posts without pics but updates and I'll respond more frequently.
Anyway, a lot has happened in the past three months. Unfortunately I didn't meet my deadline for May 2nd BUT I've made significant progress in the lab and it just a matter of time before I have my pentultimate committee meeting (where they give me permission to write). I'm working on two months to that date and three months to the end but only the science will tell.
I have to give props to Brunsli and Breadfruit for giving me advice on being a scientist in the real world. I've been considering different careers and science and they both gave me perspectives that allowed me to see the science world in a tangible light. Lately I've been thinking, "I like science, but does it like me?" I realized that I don't like the personal sacrifices that it takes to be a PI (Principal investigator) at a Tier I (Harvard, UCSF, etc. . .) institution.
I want a career that is fulfilling, and does not require me to be dependent on the whims of external sources for support. Right now there's a dip in NIH (National Institutes of Health) funding. Governmental funding is the primary source of funding for academic researchers. I just don't want to be at the mercy of the politics required to get a grant funded.
So I'm looking at different ways to live in the science field. I'm thinking about the business side of science. It seems like those who study are the least rewarded and I'd like to be on the side of those who give the reward instead of receiving it. (Deep breath) I'm looking into venture capitalism. . .Yes it sounds very Republican (tee hee). In other words I'm interested in being the source of funding that entrepreneurs use to start up their companies. Personally, my expertise is in the biological sciences and thus I would be interested in developing companies in biotech.
Where did you get this you say. Well, I was in church, talking to God about what I should do with my life. All of the sudden, the word Venture Capitalist popped into my head and everything clicked. My degree is very necessary when it comes to evaluating technology and I would be in the position to fund companies that provide life enhancing products. I wouldn't be at the bench (something that has a big impact in the long term) I would be at the decision-making end (something that has a big impact in the short and long term). I also have a dream of starting a self-sustained science learning center for inner-city youth. I could see myself having the means to push this dream forward without waiting on grant funding to start it.
So right now, I'm in the idealist stage. After researching different VC firms that support biotech startups I've learned that most science-related VC managers and directors have a PhD, industry experience and an MBA. I've mapped out the many ways that I could do it and I've learned that VC is hard to break into. I'm going to have to get an MBA (and I want it at a discount so I need someone to pay for part of it) or go into consulting (which has good and bad points). I also need to develop industry experience. I think the length of time to do this would take 2-3 years of MBA education, 3 or more (possibly simultaneous) years consulting or working in industry and then working my way up the ladder in a VC firm when I get in, and I don't know how long it will take.
I'm starting to network and get in touch with alumni who are VC's as well and friends who are/were in consulting (Brunsli I need to holla!). But for the first time in a long time, I'm excited about the future. I feel like I'm facing a new and exciting adventure and I don't know where I'll end up but I'll be in a better position to live life on my own terms. I'm starting to leave the idealist stage and ask some really important questions: Is business for me? If business is cutthroat (as I've been told) how do I succeed with out sacrificing my integrity? And on and on. Stay tuned. . .
