The National Longitudinal Study of Young Life Scientists: Understanding Career Choices, Transitions and Success of Young Biomedical Scientists

Northwestern University At Chicago, Evanston IL

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Abstract

There is a compelling national interest in developing and sustaining a highly skilled biomedical workforce. Of those students who enter college with an interest in science, the great majority see science as something to ‘learn’ to then apply in settings like medicine. A much smaller number develop a drive and motivation to discover new knowledge through research rather than apply existing knowledge. PhD training then initiates an intensive process of development as scientists, with each individual ‘figuring out’ where to apply those skills as scientists in the many different niches within the biomedical workforce. Postdoctoral training then adds new skills and refines career goals for those who are still evolving. Much previous research has studied the motivators and facilitators for those who start toward research by entering PhD programs. Likewise, a number of studies have documented the types and frequencies of careers they ultimately achieve. However, there is a huge gap in our knowledge of what goes on DURING PhD and postdoc training that leads to different career choices and success. This gap exists because the primary tool of almost all previous studies is single time, cross-sectional surveys. This approach is severely limited by recall bias and cannot reveal the complexity of individuals’ experiences over time. By using annual, in-depth qualitative interviews over the past 17 years, our research has acquired an unparalleled repository of ‘life stories’ of more than 450 biomedical scientists from the time they start the PhD. Our analysis approach is also unique as it draws on multiple social science theories rather than being constrained by one. By combining the ‘lenses’ of Social Cognitive Career Theory, identity development, and cultural capital, we demonstrate that none of them alone can explain patterns of motivation and choices of young scientists. From these stories, we are able to identify common patterns as well as unique differences across individuals in similar careers. At the current stage of our study, most have reached stable careers, enabling novel insights into: motivations for those in different sectors of the biomedical workforce; how motivations shift dramatically during training for some but stay remarkably constant for others; how motivations are moderated by other life goals; and the nature of mentoring relationships that are particularly effective, or damaging, for individuals trying to achieve and succeed in different careers. A final unique strength of our study is the breadth and variety of young scientists who are a part of it. Individuals come from life experiences representing every aspect of America. From low income to high; from attending elite universities to starting out in community colleges; from PhDs and postdocs in the most highly supported research environments to institutions providing effective training with fewer resources. We are already able to show how even academic careers at research intensive universities can be achieved from all these pathways. By continuing to interview individuals we will provide truly unique insights into what is most critical during the transitions into careers and ultimately sustained success.