======= Date Modified 07 41 2008 15:41:00 =======
Is this possible?

I'm currently working as an Account Manager for a company that specilises in providing Molecular Biology and Protein analysis research tools (i.e viral gene expression vectors, PCR enzymes, Cloning systems). I guess my job can be best described as sales, but I am in no pressure to sell, I mostly have to visit various researchers in London finding out about their research and then discussing technologies that we have that could help them. If they are interested, I pass them to the sales rep who discuss price. My job does involve a lot of lab based trouble shooting and a very broad knowledge of molecular biology since I need to answer very tough technical questions put forward by researchers in person.

I kind of fell into this job by accident. I have a BSc in Genetics and a MSc in Forensic Science. I worked in R&D for a Forensic DNA analysis company for 3 years and then 1 year a research assistant for a Molecular Biology Dept in Oxford NHS. As you can imagine, it was very low paid. I started looking for a way out since I wanted to earn more money, since I was getting married and wanted a better more secure job. I sent my CV to various job sites. I was contacted by a recruitment agent, who got me my current job. I stood out from all other candidates since in addition to by lab experience I also had experience in sales since I worked p/t in telesales when i was a student.

I enjoy my current job very much. It is very well paid and I can see my self spend the rest of my career with them. However to progress to the higher positions, I believe a PhD would help me. All the top bosses in my company have PhD.

Therefore I was wondering what you guys think my chances our? Do Supervisors often consider people from scientific sales backgrounds and is it possible to do a P/T lab based project? My job is very flexible and I get to set my hours, so I can easily fit in 4 hours of lab work a day.

Look forward to reading your thoughts

I'm sure you'd be considered for a PhD but since you have ''a very broad knowledge of molecular biology'' including some lab experience I am very surprised that you really think you could get by on a regular 4 hours lab work/day. I can't see how that would work since experiments have to run for X many hours and you need to be able to tend to them regularly. Especially this field which usually involves living systems of some sort.

======= Date Modified 07 Oct 2008 22:26:17 =======
sorry that was a typo, I was typing so fast I ended up typing ribbish. I meant since my work is flexible I could easily fit it around my lab work. I usually only work around 4 hours a day in my current job, the rest is admin which dont take me long.

Ah, ribbish, that explains it ;-)

lol....i'm gonna give up:$

I really hate to discourage you but I think it may be very difficult to find somewhere that will take you to do a part time lab based PhD. I find that supervisors in the sciences often want student who are not committed to other things and so they are completely flexible for the PhD (including weekends and evenings). Although it could be possible to achieve it, I think you may find it difficult to get accepted on such a course. To be honest I don't know anybody who has come from a scientific sales background (although I have met people who have gone the other way from PhD to sales), however I don't see why it couldn't happen. Sorry if this post sounds a little negative, I'm sure there is a way around it, but I'm just saying you may have to fight a little harder than others applying for full time positions.

======= Date Modified 08 Oct 2008 10:22:25 =======
I do know people who have done part time lab based PhDs but the other half of the time they are working as research assistants in the same lab. Therefore they do have a bit more flexibility over how they manage their time and dual projects - they could set up a PhD experiment and do some RA work while it's running, for example.

I don't know if it would be possible to do it part time and literally only be there for half the week. If it is possible at all, then I would imagine it would work better if you were willing to give 2-3 whole days a week to it, rather than 5 half days. The latter is the path to insanity and frustration, when you turn up and find a piece of equipment on the blink, or an experiment over-runs. It would take you way more than 6 years to finish doing it that way, and you would waste a lot of time.

Have you actually checked whether a PhD will improve your career prospects? It might not be crucial. Certainly doing one just for the sake of ticking a box on an application form won't give you much joy.