The Dismal Prospects for Scientific Employment
One of the most depressing articles I’ve ever read in my entire life describes the problem American students face when pondering a career in science. For years, the conventional wisdom was that our education system was 
failing to properly educate our children in STEM subjects (science, tech, engineering, and math). However, this article in Miller-McCune directly challenges this assumption.
The authors contend that the real problem facing American students is a lack of careers in science. The case they make is compelling: Although the number of graduates receiving Ph.D.’s has increased, the number of job opportunities has not kept pace. This trend is particularly noticeable in academia, where young Ph.D.’s spend years as post-docs, with only a small chance of ever landing a permanent position as a professor. Indeed, the average age of a scientist who earns his first independent NIH grant– a huge milestone in the medical science field– has risen from a researcher’s late 20s/early 30s to the ripe old age of 42.
One of the biggest causes indicated in this article is the flood of foreigners who are willing to take post-doc positions. It doesn’t take an economist to realize that a massive increase in labor supply will both eat up opportunities and drive down salaries. Post-doc positions, which were once viewed as prestigious, are now treated as temporary, cheap labor. With such a dismal prospect for career advancement and compensation, it’s no wonder that American students would rather get an MBA or MD… or to forgo higher education altogether.
Is our blogger having second thoughts about his Ph.D. studies in biology?
From what I hear about the “old days”, it has been at least 40 years since there were tenure-track positions in research universities for most Ph.D.’s who wanted them. Anybody can look at the number of available positions and compare to the number of Ph.D. students, and see this.
My advisor tells all prospective Ph.D. students and new postdocs not to have their hearts set on a position like his in a research university. Instead, to be open to all possibilities in industry, government, other related fields.
Postdocs in academia are no longer prestigious and decently paid? Try a postdoc in industry at twice the pay! With less stress, less competition, a bigger chance of success i.e. you don’t have to face the prospect of not getting the tenure-track job, or of being denied tenure 6 years or so after that. Of course, there’s also the chance of being in a company that fails, especially a small startup (we used to have those in abundance, I’m told).
The foreigners have been coming here for a long time. From my observation, they are at a disadvantage in the search for a tenure-track job. That is, a “native” has a lot of advantages, culturally speaking, if the scientific abilities, drive etc. are comparable. Personally, I would rather have opportunities for talented people, and attract the best foreigners to this country, as we always have.
Is there a shortage of scientists? Probably not, the best thing is for the government to fund academic research at whatever level it deems appropriate, and let the market take care of the rest.
Is there a shortage of jobs for scientists in America? Probably. American industry does not seem to be what it once was. The way to deal with that is change whatever is holding back scientific employment, mostly outside of academia.
It’s said that a lot of the financial crisis was caused by new financial instruments designed by particle physics and mathematics theorists who didn’t make the cut for academic jobs — so they went into finance at 10 times the pay.
Perhaps that says something about how things have become skewed in this country?
It seems that the only way to get a job now is to lie and support the political and global elite agenda. Scientists who speak up and tell us the dangers of all the chemicals in our life are shut-down. There is clearly a problem with all the drugs and vaccines that are being pushed down our throats yet every day there is an article justifying the safety. Anyone that has a control money agenda gets the support and the money. If everything was OK we would not be seeing superweeds, superbugs, unexplained bird deaths, colony collapse disorder etc. Something is very wrong in this world that toxic synthetic chemicals and drugs make huge profits but do not seem to be making this a healthier more vibrant world.