Hello everyone
I would really appreciate some guidance regarding my next career step toward computational biology/bioinformatics.
I come from a life sciences background with a BSc in Biotechnology and an MSc in Infectious Diseases. My experience is primarily in wet-lab research (immunology, microbiology, cell biology), and I currently do not have formal training in bioinformatics or computational biology.
I am interested in transitioning into computational biology/bioinformatics. I am considering two possible paths:
Pursuing a second MSc in bioinformatics/computational biology (e.g., systems biology, bioinformatics) to build a stronger foundation before applying for a PhD. Or applying directly for a PhD (for example, in a lab with some omics inclusion), developing computational skills during the PhD by myself, and specializing further later (e.g., during a postdoc)
Since my background is almost entirely wet-lab based, I assume my chances of getting into a highly computational bioinformatics or computational biology PhD program may be limited without additional preparation.
My questions are:
Would pursuing a second MSc be a more appropriate step for transitioning into this field? or
Is it realistic to make this transition during a PhD starting from a wet-lab background?
I would be very grateful for any advice, perspectives, or examples.
Thank you.
I wouldn't recommend doing a second MSc. It would be a waste of time and money in my opinion. Yes, you learn the concepts, but unless you're doing an MRes somewhere during a 2 year programme, you don't get much experience. And even then, it really depends on what projects you end up doing. In the UK, a 1 year masters would definitely not be worth it.
Of the two, I would try for the PhD in a lab that balances both computational and wet lab work. This is how I got into bioinformatics. I didn't even go into the PhD with the intention of focusing on computational work. I got lucky, but I have met plenty of people with only wet-lab experience that got lots of good computational skills during their PhDs.
I agree in all points.
Is it realistic to make this transition during a PhD starting from a wet-lab background?
Yes, that is how most people here (from what I know) made the turn. It is helpful to transition in a real world scenario, which a MSc is not, but a PhD is, even though it's one that requires a lot of discipline and self-study as there is usually little to no formal framework to educate you. At least here in Germany.
There are many more wetlab positions where interest in data analytics is much desired than computational positions where someone from a wetlab background is still competitive.
I'll second dthorbur that doing a second MSc is more like a plan B than plan A.
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