9 Careers For PhDs In The Coronavirus Economy (#6 Is Surging)

The need for scientists is rising, and it’s rising fast.

With the recent outbreak of the “coronavirus,” media have reported all kinds of information, not all of it true and accurate.

News and other media outlets thrive on timely reportage, and unfortunately, panicked viewers will pay more attention than relaxed ones.

The effects of this panic are already observable.

Who is in the best possible position to work against this alarmist racket? 

The world needs industry PhDs who can bring science to the general public.

They must lead the charge against not only disease but misinformation.

The real world—the world of vaccine development, science promotion, pharma project management—NEEDS PhDs, and that is why I founded Cheeky Scientist.

Your time is now – the world needs you.

The National Science Foundation is accepting research proposals for investigations on the coronavirus.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI) is hard at work developing partnerships with groups that can assist the vaccine race.

Here’s the flat truth from Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy:

"The only real expertise in the world to make [coronavirus] vaccines in a [sufficient] quantity and a safe environment is in the private sector… If the private sector isn’t fully engaged and involved, it’s a show stopper."

Industry companies are at the core of humanitarian science like the search for a vaccine.

Without the funding and powerful drive of businesses, how can the world expect mass production of a critical new medical treatment?

For the private sector to get the scientific expertise it needs, STEM PhDs must recognize their value, learn the language of industry, and push themselves to get jobs outside academia.

But industry PhDs don’t have to work directly on a vaccine to make a difference.

Businesses work together in complex ways to innovate and fund important medical projects, and that process requires a lot of different industry roles.

Here are 9 industry careers for PhDs that will work together to obliterate the coronavirus...

1. Quantitative Analyst

Quantitative analysts perform quantitative data analysis, financial research, statistical modeling, and pattern recognition—all related to predicting trades.

Science PhD with backgrounds in “quant” related disciplines such as Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, and Computer Science are highly sought after for these positions.

However, many Life Science PhDs are also being hired as QAs. This is due to increases in financial trading in the biotechnology industry.

Some QA firms prefer science PhDs because of their proven ability to conduct independent research and their detailed understanding of the scientific aspects of technology-based sectors.

As a QA, you will be expected to have a strong scientific background and to be able to work under pressure with little supervision.

You will also be required to gain deep financial knowledge of your markets and be able to grasp advanced mathematical concepts quickly.

As we have recently seen with the coronavirus, outbreaks of infectious disease are not exclusively a public health problem. 

They can also paralyze the economy of the most-affected countries. QAs can help create models on how to avoid recession associated with outbreaks.

2. Business Development Manager

PhDs excel at understanding complex technologies, which is crucial to technology-based sectors such as biotechnology, software, consumer electronics, and pharmaceuticals.

A BDM’s key responsibilities include developing new business opportunities, managing existing products, developing market strategies, and building new business partnerships.

As a BDM, you will have to prioritize innovative products based on market needs and competitor positioning.

Thorough knowledge of not only a company’s technology, but its culture and products is key to this role.

BDMs can help design strategies to make sure drugs and other products get to those who need them the most.

BDMs must use scientific knowledge, analytical skills, and market trends to forecast things like revenues, profits, and losses.

3. Medical Communication Specialist

Medical Communication Specialists (MCSs) are broadly described as technical writers involved in the development and production of communication medical and healthcare-related materials.

MCSs will make sure that patients understand the implications and risks of new treatments developed to address COVID-19.

A Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows that Medical Communication Specialist positions are expected to have grown by 8% by 2028.

As a Medical Communication Specialist, your responsibilities will include writing and editing materials that healthcare organizations will use to communicate with patients, clients, and medical professionals.

You must be able to organize, edit, and present information to different audiences.

Medical Communication Specialists must also possess excellent written communication skills and understand the ethical or regulatory guidelines in their field.

The main reason for this is that Medical Communication Specialists often work to produce a variety of documents, including patient education brochures, web content, physician articles, sales training materials and regulatory documents.

4. Healthcare Information Technology Specialist

If you are trying to control an outbreak, this role is hugely important.

As a HIT Specialist, you will be responsible for organizing patients’ medical records into electronic databases, verifying patients’ medical charts, and communicating with physicians to ensure the accuracy of their diagnoses.

Doctors need to access patients’ information quickly and keep agencies like the NIH and WHO up to date with all the latest COVID-19 patient data.

PhDs with a Life Science background who have experience with online databases such as Genomics and Bioinformatics are highly sought after for this position.

You will need a strong background in medical research as well as medical terminology to excel at this position.

You must also be willing to learn about medical coding, information technology, clinical database management, and medical billing.

Hospitals, ambulatory healthcare services, clinical research centers, academic research institutions, and health insurance providers are the main sources of employment for HIT Specialists.

5. Operations Research Analyst

Operations Research Analysts are responsible for investigating complex issues, identifying and solving operational problems and facilitating a more cost-effective and efficient functioning of an organization.

During a viral outbreak, companies might have to increase the production of potential treatments and preventive products with reduced manpower.

In short, these Analysts are very high-level problem-solvers. Their job is to systemize organizations as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Operations Research Analysts were first implemented by the military a few decades ago, but now, they are used in almost every sector.

The demand for this role has increased investments in big data analytics platforms.

Job reports show that Operations Research Analyst positions are estimated to grow by 26% by 2028, making it one of the hottest jobs of the next decade.

You’ll need to mine data and perform mathematical modeling/statistical analyses to provide real-time operational guidance for biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

STEM PhDs with academic training in Mathematics, Statistics, Computational Modeling, and Data Mining are highly sought after for these positions.

6. R&D Scientist

This is industry's secret weapon against the coronavirus – one of the most direct, effective weapons in humanity's arsenal.

In industry, research is driven by a singular goal: developing a cure for a specific disease, for instance.

By contrast, academic research is more exploratory. Either way, it is research scientists who have the freedom and talent to pursue vaccines directly.

Industry R&D scientists are among those who propose and develop new therapies to treat diseases – including vaccines.

Many innovation-based companies have actually been showing an increased interest in basic research. They often encourage their R&D scientists to publish and attend scientific conferences to present their data.

7. Product Manager

Product Managers (PMs) are responsible for managing the entire life-cycle of an innovative product.

They oversee the development of a product and continue to monitor it after it launches.

PMs are responsible for analyzing a product’s market performance.

They determine ways to boost a product’s commercial success and how to terminate older versions of the product.

Product managers working in pharma can help ideate and accompany the development of new products to fight and control an unknown disease.

PM roles are multifunctional and demand collaboration spread across multiple divisions of an organization. As a PM, you must be able to quickly identify market needs, communicate those needs with your marketing team, and find innovative solutions for these needs.

You must also possess a unique blend of business acumen and creativity. 

Successful PMs are able to envision new products and clearly understand the competitive landscape of their market.

8. Medical Science Liaison

Becoming a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) is an outstanding opportunity for STEM PhDs.

MSL positions can be found in a variety of healthcare-based sectors including pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device sectors.

MSLs act as scientifically trained field personnel who are considered to be part of a company’s medical staff. 

As a result, they gain a deeper knowledge of therapeutic areas and are able to discuss detailed medical and scientific issues with physicians.

During an outbreak, MSLs can serve as the communication line between A) different companies developing new treatments and B) physicians caring for the general public.

As an MSL, one of your key responsibilities is to build rapport with KOLs in various therapeutic research areas. You must have extensive clinical or medical knowledge and, at the same time, be a “people-person.”

You can become a more competitive candidate for these positions by first taking a Clinical Research Associate (CRA) position.

A PhD combined with CRA experience is considered by industry experts as the best way to prepare yourself for an MSL position.

9. Medical Writer/Science Journalist

Medical writers and Science journalists can expect to write about things like clinical trial-related documents, marketing for medical products, topics in medicine, and more.

Written communication skills are obviously very important for this role. 

In general, science journalists will cover a viral outbreak, playing a role in the availability of information.

Medical writers are in a prime position to double as science journalists.

They can provide coverage on the topics they professionally write about within the medical sphere.

With an intimate knowledge of vaccine trials, for example, a medical writer can produce well-written articles on dense scientific info that the general public can understand.

With so much negative hype and misinformation across social media, good writing about scientific facts has never been more important.

Are you a PhD?

If so, what are some of the ways you can apply your knowledge to fight the coronavirus right now?

Tell me in a comment below.

To learn more about transitioning into industry, including how to gain instant access to industry career training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, a complete industry transition plan, and a private online job referral network for PhDs only, get on the waitlist for the Cheeky Scientist Association.

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