zaxanderson

It depends on your goals in life. The PhD will make you an expert and would be very desireable in the private or public secotrs.. It also gives you the option of remaining in the university system, where you can teach and/or do research.

 

The MBA helps if your goal is the private sector and you wish to move up the management ladder or to even start your own business down the line. If this your goal, the best way, to get into a top notch MBA program, is to work for 2-4 years and then let the business sponsor you. That lets you know how the industry works and the MBA will create a tailored fit.

 

Most accepted applicants in top MBA programs prefer the age of about a PhD person, but with several years industry experience in lieu of thesis. If you go directly into the MBA, you may never do any bio-work. You could be recruited by a top notch computer industry, for example, and skip right over your undergraduate education.

 

You may vision yourself making a cure for something, but after an MBA you may end up marketing shoes. The pay will be excellent, but you can lose connection to your first love in the process. If your bio-chemical company pays tuition, it become a relationship that creates a continuity up the ladder that combines all that work in three areas of expertise.

 

When I was young I went up to MS and put off the PhD. I wanted to get in the trenches and do some science and get paid well for it. The goal was to work 3-5 years and then go for the MBA. Almost all companies will pay for continuing eduction and some will allow a leave of absence. When you return you have an elevator up the company ladder. I took off in my own direction at the time it was ripe for the MBA and decided to do theoretical science. I wanted to stay in science instead of doing budgets.

Hi Pioneer,

Thank you very much for your detailed suggestion. Your elaboration is going to be very helpful for me in defining specific goal for my future. Can I take liberty to ask you a query related to your professional achievements. I am excited ! Kindly let me know how did you take your career after MS. Did you go for a MBA ?

Hi,

I have a happy pleasure to see the forum. I am facing a similar sort of problem. I am a PhD chemistry and working in a pharmaceutical R&D center since last three years. While joining PhD I was having a great interest for doing research. However, after being experienced in the industry, I don’t like to remain as a bench scientist any more. I feel I can better utilize my time and work in the management level. I am not interested in doing a postdoc in chemistry any more. I am interested in an MBA. Thank you very much for the forum. Could you please suggest me whether it is the right time for me to plan for a MBA and should i go for a MBA finance ?