Career Pathways for Biomedical Scientists in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

CONTENTS
•	What is a Biomedical Scientist in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine?
•	Why Pursue Pathology as a Career in Biomedical Science?
•	Is a Biomedical Career in Pathology for Me?
EDUCATION
•	Undergraduate Education
•	PhD Graduate Programs
•	Post Graduate Training Programs
THE ACADEMIC PATH
•	The Laboratory
•	The Institution
•	Academic Program
•	Personal Issues
•	Choosing a Supervisor
NON-TRADITIONAL CAREERS
•	Science Writing
•	Biotechnology/Pharmaceutics
•	Science Policy & Administration
•	Clinical Diagnostics
•	Teaching
•	Finance
•	Biomedical Science
SEARCHING FOR YOUR FIRST JOB
•	CV & References
•	The Interview
•	Negotiating
LAUNCHING YOUR CAREER
•	Tenure, Promotions and the First Ten Years


•	About this Booklet
•	The Institutional Challenge to Train and Maintain Biomedical Scientists
•	Links and Resources
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
•	Tara Sander
•	Avrum I Gotlieb
Available in Print, PDF, and HTML Formats. Download PDF Version Request your copy from: Laurie Menser, Director of ASIP Marketing and Development (lmenser@asip.org)

Choosing To Be A Science Writer

Science writing is a great way to use the skills that you already posses, but in a different medium. Staying involved in science means that you are still using your formal education. Oftentimes, somewhere during your graduate training or your postdoc, you realize what you enjoy most is not the lab bench but instead writing about your science and that of others. At this point, you would begin to explore the field of science writing and editing/publishing to see if this is indeed how you want to proceed.

Get involved in professional organizations related to science writing/editing and find a mentor. The advice of an individual who has already made the transition from the laboratory bench can be extremely useful. The more information you gain the better. Take courses and do self study to improve your skills. Many of the professional organizations offer classes or certifications that can boost your resume and improve your knowledge base as well as your confidence. It is important to seek out opportunities or make your own. If you cannot find a freelance opportunity, determine if you can volunteer your services to members of your own department: editing grants and manuscripts, writing for your departmental or society newsletter.

There are some professional societies in the United States that are very helpful in providing information on career opportunities and educational programs to train you in science writing, editing and publishing. A source of information is the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA; www.amwa.org). They have regional chapters that are active throughout the year, often hosting regional seminars. The organization also has an annual meeting with more courses and seminars, and they offer course certificates. Another is the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences (www.bels.org). They offer a certification examination that is recognized in the editing community as denoting a high standard in biological editing abilities. Finally, the Council of Science Editors [formerly known as the Council of Biology Editors (CSE); www.councilscienceeditors.org] is also useful. They put on an annual meeting and cover editing, publishing, and policy issues. They also publish "Scientific Style and Format," an excellent style guide. AMWA and CSE post freelance opportunities, and AMWA has active listservs.
For information on publishing the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP; www.sspnet.org) is an excellent resource. SSP hosts an annual meeting as well as webinars and seminars. There is also Professional Scholarly Publishing (PSP; www.pspcentral.org), a division of the American Association of Publishers. PSP sponsors educational workshops and an annual conference.