What made you pursue a PhD?

juillet
Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:33:00 +0000

I originally pursued a PhD because I wanted to do research for the public sector/government. I wanted to work at the CDC as a behavioral scientist, doing health research of national importance. I pursued my PhD in sociomedical sciences for that (although I think epidemiology might have been a better choice).

I just started my fifth year and honestly, things haven’t changed that much. I still have government jobs near the top of my list, although the range is wider - I’d still love to work at the CDC, but I’d also be happy working for a big city’s department of health (like NYC DOH) or for a state department of health doing research and more epidemiological work. I’ve also looked at other national agencies, like SAMHSA and the Census Bureau. But I’d also be happy at think tanks that do health and health policy research. And I think I might also be happy with a career as an academic, although I have yet to decide what kind of academic that might be. At first I thought I wanted to do a small LAC, but when I was faced with the actual reality of an LAC, I realized I wouldn’t have much time for research and that I liked research more than I thought.

Plus long-term, I see myself moving into health policy and administration. I’d like to take my research career into the administration of health centers or agencies, or doing health/science policy stuff in the government. A teaching career at a small LAC wouldn’t help me get there.