Master’s Notebook
In the May 2008 issue of Amstat News, a letter from a biostatistics graduate student, Stephanie, written to me was printed. Stephanie
pointed out what got her interested in pursuing a graduate degree in biostatistics and asked what statisticians and biostatisticians do
exactly. We requested input from the community, and I received the following response from a master’s-level biostatistician.
Master’s-Level Biostatistician Advises
Keith Crank, ASA Assistant Director for Research and Graduate Education
Dear Keith,
I
currently work as a biostatistician at a university to limit myself to specific fields of medical research.
in the southeastern part of the United States. I The things I can do with SAS and statistics tran-
have been on the faculty in this department scend pharmaceutical research, and I apply them
since 2000. Although I do not have a PhD, I serve to projects that are more diverse. In the past eight
as nontenure-track faculty, serving on committees, years, I’ve designed studies or analyzed data for stu-
teaching a multitude of courses, and working on dents earning degrees in divinity, a firm looking at
collaborative research funded by a number of large translators in California, major airlines, the CDC,
organizations, including the NIH, CDC, Gates the Carter Center, and the state of Georgia. I am
Foundation, and CARE. I earned my master’s also involved in a data analysis project, looking at
degree in the 90s and have considered returning for ancient ruins on the isle of Samothrace, Greece, try-
a PhD at various points since graduating. ing to determine a modular foot that the ancient
I think you make a very good, general point Greeks used for building their structures. I work
about the relative dispersion of degrees determin- with doctors, dentists, epidemiologists, lawyers,
ing a working statistician’s autonomy. However, in art historians, archaeologists, and environmental-
my fairly limited work experience as a master’s-level ists—anyone who has some data to analyze and
statistician, I think I’ve seen a reversal to the situa- some money to pay for it. Certainly, I would have
tions you described in your article. When I was a fewer opportunities if I only decided to work on
contractor at the CDC (prior to joining this uni- one specific kind of project. This tends to be a real
versity), I had almost no autonomy and there wasn’t sticky point for some of my colleagues with PhDs.
a single PhD-level statistician in the area. I think They only want to work in their area, and won’t
this was because I (and the rest of the people on take on projects that don’t fall into that range. I’d
the team) were contractors, and full-time employees tell Stephanie that if she wants a job that’ll never
were treated better than contractors in that particu- be boring, stop with a master’s degree and get a job
lar branch. In my time here at the university, I have as a contractor for a couple of years. Go from job
enjoyed more autonomy in my job. There are many to job for a while to learn the ropes in a variety of
tenure-track faculty here in the department who areas and then hang out a shingle and do her own
spend most of their time engaged in methodologi- consulting. If she can get into a nice academic set-
cal work. This leaves a lot of collaborative work for ting and learn on the job, she’ll have a great career.
those of us who choose to be involved in interdisci- The money takes time, and the respect takes a little
plinary research. while to build, but I think my life would not have
I think that, if I were going to give Stephanie been nearly as cool if I’d ‘wasted’ my time getting
some advice, I would start by asking her just what the PhD. I think it’s a good path for some people,
she wants to do with the rest of her life. The best but I’m sure my life is better without it. ■
part of my job as a biostatistician is that I don’t have
MARCH 2009 AMSTAT NEWS 37
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