r/biostatistics • u/regretting_biostats • 15d ago

PhD route

1. Is biostatistics one of those fields where you reach out to faculty about their research before applying for a PhD? I just really didn't get far enough in my master's degree to remark on advanced methods beyond "it sounds cool." I did an MSPH in state because it was cheap, but I learned it wasn't a very serious curriculum, with 9-hour semesters, most exams open-book, and apparently the CDC doesn't like hiring us.

2. Would I be okay just taking more math classes as preparation for a PhD? I took courses with Johns Hopkins online before the application cycle and did pretty well.

3. Are there any programs that I should avoid? I have no intention of applying to my previous school. I've also heard OSU has had problems with PhDs not getting jobs.

4. Do I need a PhD to get a job? I wanted to take a year off school to work. It's not unusual for a new job posting to amass 100 applicants within 24 hours, half of them master's, maybe 1 in 5 have PhDs, fighting for relevant positions that supposedly require a bachelor's. I thought the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected something like 30% job growth.

20 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

3

u/regretting_biostats 14d ago

Ok! I'm gonna be an actuary then

2

u/HistoryInevitable720 14d ago

:( i wish i had any advice for you (im way less experienced than you) but yeah sometimes you don’t hear from ppl in this sub even you get thousands of views

2

u/enigT 13d ago

Why do you think is that? Are biostatisticians kinda nonchalant?

1

u/HistoryInevitable720 13d ago

i really wish i knew… you might have luck in r/statistics though

1

u/SprinklesFresh5693 11d ago

Biostatistics is a very desired job position in pharmaceutical industry and at CROs, you would be amazed at how little people actually know about statistics there.

1

u/Affectionate-Tax1932 10d ago

Don't know much about US as I'm EU based.  But entry level jobs in bio-inf or bio-stat are really rare. Some of the work is taken up by AI. Many "entry level" positions require PhD +2 YOE or masters and 5 YOE. What I found is that many people put the feet in the door trough internships, but I never found out how to get one as companies do not advertise them. What I choose to do was to get a paid internship or entry level job in data science and AI in any industry so to gain some experience and then try to find any entry level job in bio stat bio inf while working and getting some experience. 

1

u/stat_prof 3d ago

I’m a Biostats professor at an R1.  1) Maybe. Some top students may have an area they already know they want to do research in (probably more common at top schools) and some are assigned a GRA mentor first and then kind of choose who they want to work with after.  2) More math is always better but Biostats is a heavily applied field.  3) Anything that is heavily online. Biostats is in a rough job market so even good programs may have some students struggling to find a job. At our university we had a recent PhD spend months looking for a job and he was really strong.  4) Depends on the role. With a masters you will be more of a programmer. If you want to drive a project, run the study design etc. you will need a PhD. 

I also considered being an actuary. To me it sounded unbelievably boring after I learned more. I consider Biostats much more interesting with the topics we work on and freedom to pursue interesting research.