Thursday, 4th of September 2008 at 12:43:05 PMGraham Randall is a regular contributor to Startup Houston on the topics of biotech, life sciences and entrepreneurship.
Do you need a Ph.D. to be a Biotech Entrepreneur? This seems to be a popular question these days, even though I think the answer is pretty obvious: No.
There are lots of biotech entrepreneurs out there without Ph.Ds. What really matters is what role you want to play in your startup company. If you want to found a company and be its lead scientist, then obviously a Ph.D. will be required. Not just for the credential, but because it’ll take you several years to acquire the knowledge necessary to do the kind of research that yields results with commercial potential.
But if your intent is to be the founder and general manager of a biotech company, then the value of a Ph.D. is diminished.
Why would you need a Ph.D.?
The knowledge you gain from earning a Ph.D. will help you evaluate technologies. Even when you’re evaluating technologies that aren’t directly in your field of expertise, the critical and analytical skills you learn in acquiring a Ph.D. will help you quickly get up to speed and start asking the right questions.
You’ll also learn some leadership skills while doing your Ph.D. You’ll gain experience giving lectures and communicating your ideas. You’ll learn how to think on your feet and handle tough questions. And from these experiences, you’ll gain some confidence.
The Ph.D. is also a credential that will allow you to apply for grants on your own. Even so, if you’re not the inventor of your technology, then your partner, the inventor, will probably have a Ph.D.
Why don’t you need a Ph.D.?
If your goal isn’t to be the Chief Scientist of a biotech company, then the 4-7 years you spend in a lab trying to get a Ph.D. would be better spent working at a biotech company gaining practical business experience. Working in a company will not only teach you a lot of technical business skills like finance and accounting, you’ll also be exposed to a variety of management styles, team work, project management, quality assurance, manufacturing, regulatory approval, and sales and marketing. This is the experience you’re probably not going to get in the lab, but it’s crucial to starting a company.
Conclusion
No, I don’t think a Ph.D. is required. Getting a Ph.D. is a personal decision. If you feel passionately about science, or if you have a strong personal compulsion to “phinish”, then go get your Ph.D. But if you think it’s only a means to an end, I think your time is better spent getting real world experience. Maybe even get an MBA (which will be the subject of a future post).
SIR, I HAVE COMPLETED MY M.PHIL IN BIOCHEMISTRY IN 2005. NOW I AM WORKING AS A LECTURER IN BIOCHEMISTRY IN REPUTED INSTITUTION, TRICHY. I WANT TO JOIN Ph.D IN BIOTECH.
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I’ve been reading a few posts and really and enjoy your writing. I’m just starting up my own blog and only hope that I can write as well and give the reader so much insight.
Any interest to co-host a Nobel-Pauling Biotech Symposium in Hoston (seminar fee $0)?
On behalf of the organizing committee of the Nobel-Pauling Biotech Pharma Symposia, we would like to invite you to participate in the 2010 Nobel-Pauling Biotech Symposium, to be held on May 1-2, 2010 in Chicago (pre-Bio2010)
We originated this symposium to give founders, biotech CEO, CSO, COO, CMO, CTO etc the opportunity to gather together to hear about new directions in biomedical research, as well as to meet and speak with biotech pharma experts from around the world.
Themes:
1) If Innovation is the seed, where is the soil for biotech science?
2) Biotechnology: USA vs. Europe vs. Asia (China vs. India)
3) Sea of Learning: start up, biotech & big pharma for new drug discovery
The Nobel-Pauling Biotech Symposium is to honor the life and works of Dr. Linus Pauling who has won two Nobel Prizes; in 1954 for Chemistry, and in 1962, for Peace, for his work to stop above-ground nuclear testing. Our goal is to promote science and biomedical research around the world by helping to build bridges between academia, Government and industry and among the US, Europe and Asia. We hope to strive to bring innovators, inventors, investors, leading scientists and executives together to mix cutting-edge science with business and to stimulate thought for new biotech collaborations and provide advice for scientists and start up biotech entrepreneurs.
Pre-registration is required at http://www.pauling.us but seminar fee is $ 0. Sincerely, Alex Pauling.
LOVE THIS BLOG!! I want to become a biotech entrepreneur. I love stem cells.