106 Why on earth would you do a PostDoc?

An honest discussion about the up and downsides of doing a postdoc in front of an audience of first year PhD students. Guests Dr Emma Waters, Dr Heather Felgate and Dr Muhammad Yasir are joined by Dr Andrew Page. It was recorded in front of a live audience of PhD students at the Microbes, Microbiomes and Bioinformatics doctoral training program in the Quadram Institute in Norwich UK. Emma starts the conversation by sharing that she enjoys research and solving problems with different tools. The thrill of discovery and exploration that comes with the postdoc position is something she loves. Heather echoes Emma's thoughts and believes that she is happy where she is, rather than chasing after a higher paying job in the industry. She appreciates the flexibility that academia offers, which has enabled her to balance her family and personal life. The conversation takes a turn when PhD students ask if any of the postdocs regret the decision of choosing academia despite the evident pay gap between the industry and academia. Emma points out that although she may have earned more in the industry, she is happy where she is, and finds satisfaction in helping people through her work. Chasing profits in the industry would not offer her that kind of gratification. Yasir shares his success story of sequencing 600 samples of the SAR-CoV-2 virus in Pakistan, and how it contributed towards the fight against the pandemic. He credits the freedom and flexibility of academia that allows him to collaborate with colleagues from all over the world. In conclusion, Andrew advises students to explore their options and to keep their careers open-ended. He suggests that if they are after a higher paycheck, they should consider the bioinformatics data science path that offers more earning opportunities in the industry. The postdocs stress the importance of following what makes one happy in life, rather than chasing big salaries.