Editorial

A student expressing general interest in "biology" is at the threshold of a bewildering array of career options. Training in biology prepares an individual for a very large number of occupations. Consider the following, which represent less than 1 0% of the identified occupational categories related to life science: agronomy, biophysics, developmental biology, environmental law, forensic entomology, forestry, genetic counseling, immunology, medical practice, molecular biology, neurobiology, secondary school teaching, systematics, veterinary medicine. Some of these deal exclusively with molecules and cells, others concern entire ecosystems; some involve daily interaction with dozens or hundreds of people, others can be done in complete isolation; some are narrowly specific, others require knowledge far beyond science.

Flexibility appears to be a key trait for anyone entering the job market in the future. While the educational requirements for most fields of biology and medicine tend toward specialization, the actual jobs developing for the next century place a premium on adapting to change, moving into new settings, and combining diverse areas. For instance, a typical research project in the pharmaceutical industry lasts only a few years, after which a scientist might be asked to tackle an entirely different project. On the other hand, consider the biotechnology industry, where many research scientists find themselves moving into management positions and working with such topics as patent law and marketing.

In analyzing current job offerings, on® is immediately struck by the number of positions that ask for expertise in two or more areas. Look at these occupations; evolutionary ecology, genetic toxicology, environmental microbiology, molecular systematics, and bioinformatics. Successful applicants will have had cross-disciplinary training and will be working on projects that were not feasible (or imagined) 30 years ago. A good start toward being ready for such jobs is to take the variety of courses typically available in a college. Even the budding biochemist going through college chemistry should try to fit in several diverse biology courses.

Some exciting careers involve combining biology with nonscience skills. Put together biology and English to become a technical writer or even a science fiction novelist. Combine biology and art to go into medical and scientific illustration. Link biology and history to become a historian of science or medicine. Work in both biology and religion/ philosophy as a medical ethicist or bioethicist. Combine biology and psychology as a neuroscientist. Join biology and political science to carry out science policy studies or work as a patent lawyer in biotechnology. Try mixing biology business to get into hospital administration and biotechnology administration.

Admirably, some students want a career that improves the lot of humanity. A number of fields in biology can provide this opportunity. Direct impact for good con be made in any area of medicine. Pharmacologists working on the development of new antibiotics and vaccines can see the impact of their efforts, as can molecular geneticists working in areas such as gene therapy. Epidemiologists must be prepared to rush into isolated areas where disease has broken out. In addition, there are the workers in conservation, ecology, and biosystematics who study the endangered rain forests and coral reefs.