What to do? Where to go? A Psychology PhD Pursues Biopharma

As if completing one's research projects, writing a thesis, submitting articles, making sure that you finish in the allotted time and, most importantly, that you do not run out of funding are not stressful enough activities... The ever-present question in the mind of the majority of my psychology graduate school colleagues was: “What will I do when I graduate?” Students in the clinical psychology track foresaw a clinical psychologist career, away from academia, while those in the experimental track anticipated continuing their education with a post-doc or two before pursuing an academic position. Few, very few were attracted to a different path, that of the pharmaceutical industry. Why so few? For a moment, I will set aside the question of why so few and answer a different one: “Why would a psychology graduate consider a career path in the pharmaceutical industry?”