Biomedical Sciences Blog

For people interested in the pharmaceutical industry, I highly recommended you to read a whitepaper. Basically this study report is to provide a roadmap for industry professionals to better understand what the coming industry changes to the business will mean for their careers and where the best pharmaceutical job opportunities will be. More importantly, it is intended to identify the career planning steps that can be taken today that will allow them to capitalize on the many changes coming in the future.

Here, I want to give you highlights of the research:

• Six Future High Growth Areas of the Industry

1. Commercialization of Dormant Compounds
2. Generic or Biosimilar Versions of Biologics
3. Improving the Efficiency of R&D
4. Oncology and Central Nervous System (CNS) Disorders Research
5. Stratified Medicine and Diagnostics
6. Fusion of Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Goods

These six areas will offer great growth potential and, therefore, some of the best employment opportunities over the next decade.

• Seven Highly-Valued Skill Sets

1. Ability to Manage Decentralized Intellectual Capital Resources
2. Ability to Work in Joint Ventures and Across Divisions, Cultures and Countries
3. Ability to Integrate an Understanding of Intellectual Property Laws, Scientific Expertise and Business Strategy
4. Ability to Spur Creativity While Managing Commercially
5. Knowledge and Insight on the Decision-Making Dynamics of Payers
6. Expertise in the Functioning and Decision-Making of Regulatory Agencies
7. Human Resource Skills to Help Transform Pharmaceutical Companies
   

Finally, as claimed in the acknowledgment: "It took 11 months of work by a team of 14 people to prepare this report. As part of our research process we reviewed numerous studies and reports on different aspects of the biopharmaceutical industry."

This report is free to public. Click here to download.

Under a multi-year hiring initiative, the FDA is recruiting for 1,300 medical and science positions to strengthen the agency's public health mission. The FDA has been granted "direct hire" authority to fill these positions quickly with qualified applicants. For the hiring initiative, the FDA is filling jobs in these critical categories:

• Medical Officer
• Pharmacist
• Consumer Safety Officer
• Biologist
• Chemist
• Microbiologist
• Pharmacologist
• Statistician
• Epidemiologist

How to apply:

• Click on a position listed above and follow instructions to apply. (Note: some positions may have multiple locations)
• To help fill 1,300 medical and science positions, the FDA is holding job fairs throughout the United States. View job fair schedule!
• If you have questions, call 888-FDA-HIRE (888-332-4473).

Every mid-June, the academia society are getting excited or nervous about newly released journal impact factors. Probably nowadays the impact factor is the most popular and influential measurement to evaluate the people's quality of publications. If you want to know how the impactor for a journal is calculated, please refer to my previous post: What about Journal Impact Factors?

Here are the top 500 journals based on the journal impact factors published this month.

Abbreviated Journal Title	Impact Factor
CA-CANCER J CLIN	69.026
NEW ENGL J MED	52.589
ANNU REV IMMUNOL	47.981
REV MOD PHYS	38.403
NAT REV MOL CELL BIO	31.921
ANNU REV BIOCHEM	31.19
CELL	29.887
PHYSIOL REV	29.6
NAT REV CANCER	29.19
NATURE	28.751
LANCET	28.638
NAT REV IMMUNOL	28.3
NAT MED	26.382
SCIENCE	26.372
NAT IMMUNOL	26.218
ANNU REV NEUROSCI	26.077
NAT GENET	25.556
JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC	25.547
NAT REV NEUROSCI	24.52
CANCER CELL	23.858
ANNU REV CELL DEV BI	23.545
NAT REV DRUG DISCOV	23.308
NAT BIOTECHNOL	22.848
CHEM REV	22.757
NAT REV GENET	22.399
ANNU REV PHARMACOL	21.696
PROG MATER SCI	20.846
ANNU REV ASTRON ASTR	20.29
PHYS REP	20.263
NAT MATER	19.782
IMMUNITY	19.266
ANNU REV PHYSIOL	18.875
PHARMACOL REV	18.823
ANNU REV PLANT BIOL	18.712
ENDOCR REV	18.493
ANNU REV GENET	18.302
ANNU REV BIOPH BIOM	17.757
NAT CELL BIOL	17.623
BEHAV BRAIN SCI	17.462
CELL METAB	17.148
J CLIN INVEST	16.915
B AM MUS NAT HIST	16.385
ACCOUNTS CHEM RES	16.214
ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT	15.976
CLIN MICROBIOL REV	15.764
J NATL CANCER I	15.678
NAT NEUROSCI	15.664
J EXP MED	15.612
ANN INTERN MED	15.516
J CLIN ONCOL	15.484
NAT METHODS	15.478
TRENDS BIOCHEM SCI	14.994
NAT REV MICROBIOL	14.959
NAT NANOTECHNOL	14.917
TRENDS ECOL EVOL	14.797
GENE DEV	14.795
NAT PHYS	14.677
MICROBIOL MOL BIOL R	14.629
MAT SCI ENG R	14.4
ANNU REV MICROBIOL	14.362
NAT CHEM BIOL	13.683
TRENDS CELL BIOL	13.527
PLOS BIOL	13.501
CURR OPIN CELL BIOL	13.444
ANNU REV MED	13.415
NEURON	13.41
ANNU REV PSYCHOL	13.4
MOL CELL	13.156
CHEM SOC REV	13.082
ANNU REV NUCL PART S	12.885
PROG POLYM SCI	12.809
CIRCULATION	12.755
PLOS MED	12.601
TRENDS NEUROSCI	12.479
DEV CELL	12.436
LANCET ONCOL	12.247
LANCET INFECT DIS	12.058
ALDRICHIM ACTA	11.929
SURF SCI REP	11.923
CYTOKINE GROWTH F R	11.816
GASTROENTEROLOGY	11.673
ANNU REV BIOMED ENG	11.567
REP PROG PHYS	11.366
GENOME RES	11.224
PROG LIPID RES	11.194
AM J HUM GENET	11.092
NAT STRUCT MOL BIOL	11.085
J AM COLL CARDIOL	11.054
MOL PHARM	11.03
PSYCHOL BULL	10.905
MOL PSYCHIATR	10.9
BLOOD	10.896
MASS SPECTROM REV	10.896
ANNU REV PHYTOPATHOL	10.778
HEPATOLOGY	10.734
ANNU REV GENOM HUM G	10.722
ANNU REV ENTOMOL	10.68
CURR BIOL	10.539
IMMUNOL REV	10.536
PROG NEUROBIOL	10.467
ANNU REV ECOL EVOL S	10.34
LANCET NEUROL	10.169
CURR OPIN GENET DEV	10.15
CURR OPIN STRUC BIOL	10.15
ANGEW CHEM INT EDIT	10.031
GUT	10.015
MOL SYST BIOL	9.954
TRENDS GENET	9.729
BRIT MED J	9.723
CIRC RES	9.721
PLANT CELL	9.653
NANO LETT	9.627
TRENDS PHARMACOL SCI	9.61
J CELL BIOL	9.598
P NATL ACAD SCI USA	9.598
ADV PHYS	9.571
TRENDS IMMUNOL	9.48
ANNU REV FLUID MECH	9.471
ANNU REV PHYS CHEM	9.439
MOL CELL PROTEOMICS	9.425
TRENDS COGN SCI	9.389
PLOS PATHOG	9.336
CURR OPIN IMMUNOL	9.325
FEMS MICROBIOL REV	9.25
CURR OPIN PLANT BIOL	9.189
AM J PSYCHIAT	9.127
AM J RESP CRIT CARE	9.074
TRENDS PLANT SCI	8.995
ANNU REV PUBL HEALTH	8.978
CURR OPIN NEUROBIOL	8.958
CRIT REV BIOCHEM MOL	8.933
BIOL REV	8.833
ANN NEUROL	8.813
SYSTEMATIC BIOL	8.802
PLOS GENET	8.721
ANNU REV NUTR	8.689
EMBO J	8.662
BRAIN	8.568
COORDIN CHEM REV	8.568
BIOL PSYCHIAT	8.456
ARCH INTERN MED	8.391
DIABETES	8.261
CELL DEATH DIFFER	8.254
ADV DRUG DELIVER REV	8.224
NAT CLIN PRACT ONCOL	8.217
ECOL LETT	8.204
ADV MATER	8.191
NEUROSCI BIOBEHAV R	8.147
INT REV PHYS CHEM	8.121
ECOL MONOGR	8.117
J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUN	8.115
CLIN PHARMACOL THER	8.033
PHARMACOL THERAPEUT	7.968
EUR HEART J	7.924
ASTROPHYS J SUPPL S	7.898
J AM CHEM SOC	7.885
DIABETES CARE	7.851
OBES REV	7.821
HUM MOL GENET	7.806
PSYCHOL REV	7.803
ANNU REV EARTH PL SC	7.732
PROG RETIN EYE RES	7.725
ARTH RHEUM/AR C RES	7.677
CANCER RES	7.672
ADV CATAL	7.667
NAT PROD REP	7.667
CURR OPIN MICROBIOL	7.654
TRENDS MICROBIOL	7.618
TRENDS BIOTECHNOL	7.61
CURR OPIN CHEM BIOL	7.588
Q REV BIOPHYS	7.556
STEM CELLS	7.531
ADV CANCER RES	7.524
SEMIN CANCER BIOL	7.51
ADV FUNCT MATER	7.496
J NEUROSCI	7.49
EMBO REP	7.45
ANN SURG	7.446
MOL ASPECTS MED	7.386
CURR OPIN BIOTECH	7.37
ADV INSECT PHYSIOL	7.333
DEVELOPMENT	7.293
BBA-REV CANCER	7.264
MED RES REV	7.264
HUM REPROD UPDATE	7.257
TRENDS MOL MED	7.244
ARTERIOSCL THROM VAS	7.221
TRENDS ENDOCRIN MET	7.195
HYPERTENSION	7.194
REV MED VIROL	7.174
J AM SOC NEPHROL	7.111
CAN MED ASSOC J	7.067
SEMIN IMMUNOL	7
NUCLEIC ACIDS RES	6.954
PHYSIOLOGY	6.954
PHYS REV LETT	6.944
LEUKEMIA	6.924
REV GEOPHYS	6.9
J CELL MOL MED	6.807
FASEB J	6.791
DRUG DISCOV TODAY	6.761
PLANT J	6.751
CLIN INFECT DIS	6.75
J HEPATOL	6.642
AM J CLIN NUTR	6.603
GENOME BIOL	6.589
TRAFFIC	6.533
PROG SURF SCI	6.522
CEREB CORTEX	6.519
SEMIN CELL DEV BIOL	6.482
FRONT NEUROENDOCRIN	6.481
BRAIN RES REV	6.477
ONCOGENE	6.44
MOL BIOL EVOL	6.438
DRUG RESIST UPDATE	6.435
AM J TRANSPLANT	6.423
MOL CELL BIOL	6.42
ANN RHEUM DIS	6.411
SMALL	6.408
ASTROPHYS J	6.405
TOP CURR CHEM	6.394
CURR OPIN PHARMACOL	6.39
J CELL SCI	6.383
PLANT PHYSIOL	6.367
AGEING RES REV	6.365
CATAL REV	6.333
STROKE	6.296
CRIT CARE MED	6.283
HUM MUTAT	6.273
ADV IMMUNOL	6.264
BIOMATERIALS	6.262
CLIN CANCER RES	6.25
PLOS COMPUT BIOL	6.236
THORAX	6.226
J SEX MED	6.199
CURR OPIN LIPIDOL	6.194
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOL	6.157
HUM BRAIN MAPP	6.151
CARDIOVASC RES	6.127
AM J GASTROENTEROL	6.101
J IMMUNOL	6.068
J COSMOL ASTROPART P	6.067
J INFECT DIS	6.035
MOL BIOL CELL	6.028
NEUROLOGY	6.014
J BONE MINER RES	6.004
ASTRON ASTROPHYS REV	6
MOL INTERV	6
J THROMB HAEMOST	5.947
ADV POLYM SCI	5.93
NANO TODAY	5.929
STUD MYCOL	5.923
BLOOD REV	5.922
J NUCL MED	5.915
GASTROINTEST ENDOSC	5.888
MOL THER	5.862
AGING CELL	5.854
SCHIZOPHRENIA BULL	5.843
AIDS	5.842
RNA	5.84
TRAC-TREND ANAL CHEM	5.827
MIS QUART	5.826
DIABETOLOGIA	5.822
SEMIN LIVER DIS	5.814
NEURO-ONCOLOGY	5.806
NEUROSCIENTIST	5.796
ADV PROTEIN CHEM	5.786
ARCH NEUROL-CHICAGO	5.783
ANN MED	5.779
EMERG INFECT DIS	5.775
PHARMACOGENET GENOM	5.775
HIPPOCAMPUS	5.745
J PHOTOCH PHOTOBIO C	5.731
CHEM BIOL	5.718
SLEEP MED REV	5.705
J PROTEOME RES	5.675
NEOPLASIA	5.674
J HIGH ENERGY PHYS	5.659
ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP	5.636
EUR UROL	5.634
NEUROBIOL AGING	5.607
J BIOL CHEM	5.581
DRUG METAB REV	5.579
RADIOLOGY	5.561
CURR OPIN NEUROL	5.55
J MED GENET	5.535
PHILOS T R SOC B	5.529
HAEMATOL-HEMATOL J	5.516
INT REV CYTOL	5.506
J CLIN ENDOCR METAB	5.493
AM J PATHOL	5.487
ANTIOXID REDOX SIGN	5.484
PROTEOMICS	5.479
CLIN GASTROENTEROL H	5.465
MOL MICROBIOL	5.462
NEUROIMAGE	5.457
BRIT J PSYCHIAT	5.446
EPIDEMIOL REV	5.429
J PATHOL	5.423
CARCINOGENESIS	5.406
BIOESSAYS	5.402
CURR CANCER DRUG TAR	5.385
GLIA	5.38
EUR RESPIR J	5.349
MOL ENDOCRINOL	5.337
J VIROL	5.332
CHEM-EUR J	5.33
CELL MICROBIOL	5.293
ANAL CHEM	5.287
AM J EPIDEMIOL	5.285
EPIDEMIOLOGY	5.283
WHO TECH REP SER	5.273
PROG ENERG COMBUST	5.269
ACM COMPUT SURV	5.25
SEMIN NUCL MED	5.25
MON NOT R ASTRON SOC	5.249
NEW PHYTOL	5.249
PAIN	5.249
J MOL CELL CARDIOL	5.246
CELL MOL LIFE SCI	5.239
BIOTECHNOL ADV	5.236
NEUROTOX RES	5.234
STRUCTURE	5.231
PROG NUCL MAG RES SP	5.205
ENDOCR-RELAT CANCER	5.193
MOL ECOL	5.169
MRS BULL	5.168
INT J EPIDEMIOL	5.151
J CEREBR BLOOD F MET	5.147
CRIT REV TOXICOL	5.145
CHEM COMMUN	5.141
PHYS TODAY	5.133
TRENDS CARDIOVAS MED	5.129
INT J NONLIN SCI NUM	5.099
LAB CHIP	5.068
BIOSENS BIOELECTRON	5.061
J CLIN PSYCHIAT	5.06
BMC BIOL	5.059
ENDOCRINOLOGY	5.045
BIOINFORMATICS	5.039
CRIT REV CL LAB SCI	5.037
PSYCHOTHER PSYCHOSOM	5.022
ASTRON J	5.019
ALLERGY	5.014
PROG BIOPHYS MOL BIO	5.009
FARADAY DISCUSS	5
J COGNITIVE NEUROSCI	4.997
ADV SYNTH CATAL	4.977
PHARMACOGENOMICS J	4.968
TRENDS PARASITOL	4.961
OBES RES	4.953
CURR MED CHEM	4.944
ATHEROSCLEROSIS SUPP	4.935
ENVIRON MICROBIOL	4.929
KIDNEY INT	4.922
AM J MED	4.907
J INTERN MED	4.901
ADV MICROB PHYSIOL	4.9
INT J NEUROPSYCHOPH	4.895
J MED CHEM	4.895
CHEM MATER	4.883
ONCOLOGIST	4.876
ANN ONCOL	4.875
CURR PHARM DESIGN	4.868
ATMOS CHEM PHYS	4.865
J IMMUNOTHER	4.837
GREEN CHEM	4.836
J GEN PHYSIOL	4.831
J INVEST DERMATOL	4.829
ECOLOGY	4.822
J MOL MED-JMM	4.82
FREE RADICAL BIO MED	4.813
GENE THER	4.812
CLIN CHEM	4.803
ORG LETT	4.802
MOL CANCER THER	4.8
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOL	4.786
PLOS CLIN TRIALS	4.774
ANNU REV MATER RES	4.765
NAT CLIN PRACT NEPHR	4.764
J CONTROL RELEASE	4.756
CURR OPIN INFECT DIS	4.754
SOC NEUROSCI	4.75
NAT CLIN PRACT CARD	4.743
ACS CHEM BIOL	4.741
J CATAL	4.737
REJUV RES	4.728
MEDICINE	4.721
J NEUROPATH EXP NEUR	4.718
DEV BIOL	4.714
INFLAMM BOWEL DIS	4.705
SOFT MATTER	4.703
LASER PART BEAMS	4.696
PHYS REV D	4.696
Q J EXP PSYCHOL-B	4.667
INT J IMMUNOPATH PH	4.665
EUR J IMMUNOL	4.662
BRAIN BEHAV IMMUN	4.659
AUTOPHAGY	4.657
J AM ACAD CHILD PSY	4.655
COCHRANE DB SYST REV	4.654
APPL CATAL B-ENVIRON	4.651
CONTEMP PHYS	4.651
NUCL PHYS B	4.645
CANCER EPIDEM BIOMAR	4.642
CLADISTICS	4.642
BRIT J CANCER	4.635
CANCER	4.632
CRIT REV ONCOL HEMAT	4.632
BIOPHYS J	4.627
CURR MOL MED	4.624
INTENS CARE MED	4.623
OPHTHALMOLOGY	4.621
CRIT REV ENV SCI TEC	4.615
CURR TOP DEV BIOL	4.615
AM J RESP CELL MOL	4.608
ADV INORG CHEM	4.6
ANESTHESIOLOGY	4.596
J PHYSIOL-LONDON	4.58
PROG HISTOCHEM CYTO	4.571
INT J CANCER	4.555
ANTIVIR THER	4.547
AM NAT	4.543
ANN FAM MED	4.542
CANCER TREAT REV	4.539
GENE CHROMOSOME CANC	4.532
INT J PLASTICITY	4.516
CNS DRUGS	4.514
EVOLUTION	4.502
PLANT CELL ENVIRON	4.497
BRIT J HAEMATOL	4.49
CURR DRUG METAB	4.49
LAB INVEST	4.479
CRIT REV PLANT SCI	4.477
PEDIATRICS	4.473
J MOL BIOL	4.472
J PHYSIOL PHARMACOL	4.466
CURR GENE THER	4.455
EUR J CANCER	4.454
BREAST CANCER RES TR	4.453
J NEUROCHEM	4.451
PROG NUCLEIC ACID RE	4.448
BIPOLAR DISORD	4.442
EXERC IMMUNOL REV	4.438
GLOBAL ECOL BIOGEOGR	4.435
J CHILD PSYCHOL PSYC	4.432
EUR NEUROPSYCHOPHARM	4.43
J ECOL	4.422
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINO	4.422
AM J PHYSIOL-RENAL	4.416
BRIEF BIOINFORM	4.415
NAT CLIN PRACT GASTR	4.415
JAIDS-J ACQ IMM DEF	4.412
CURR TOP MICROBIOL	4.411
MACROMOLECULES	4.411
TISSUE ENG	4.409
CURR OPIN HEMATOL	4.408
ANTIMICROB AGENTS CH	4.39
BIOCONJUGATE CHEM	4.384
NEUROBIOL DIS	4.377
BBA-MOL CELL RES	4.374
J SOIL SEDIMENT	4.373
BREAST CANCER RES	4.371
J HYPERTENS	4.364
ENVIRON SCI TECHNOL	4.363
MAYO CLIN PROC	4.362
CURR OPIN COLLOID IN	4.354
MUTAT RES-REV MUTAT	4.353
SLEEP	4.342
J MATER CHEM	4.339
NAT CLIN PRACT NEURO	4.339
CELL CALCIUM	4.338
CHROMOSOMA	4.337
J LIPID RES	4.336
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEM CY	4.335
BASIC RES CARDIOL	4.333
HUM GENE THER	4.33
CURR TOP MED CHEM	4.325
MOL CANCER RES	4.317
EARTH-SCI REV	4.31
J CHEM THEORY COMPUT	4.308
MECH AGEING DEV	4.308
BRIT J SURG	4.304
J COMPUT CHEM	4.297
INT J RADIAT ONCOL	4.29
PIGM CELL RES	4.288
ATHEROSCLEROSIS	4.287
MODERN PATHOL	4.286
OBSTET GYNECOL	4.282
NEUROGENETICS	4.281
MOL PLANT MICROBE IN	4.275
ADV PARASIT	4.27
FRONT ECOL ENVIRON	4.269
CARBON	4.26
ASTRON ASTROPHYS	4.259
APPL SPECTROSC REV	4.25
CRIT REV BIOTECHNOL	4.25
BIOMOL ENG	4.246
CANCER METAST REV	4.241
SCHIZOPHR RES	4.24

Second, after the two-year ABMG (American Board of Medical Genetics)-accredited fellowship, the trainee should be ready for the certification of ABMG. The key steps for the certification process I summarize here:

1. The training program director must submit to the ABMG Administrative Office documents verifying the training of each medical genetics trainee planning to seek ABMG certification.
   
2. The ABMG Credentials Committee will review the documents. If all credentialing requirements have been satisfied in one or more specialty areas and all application review fees have been paid. The active candidate status will be granted to the trainee, who is eligible to sit the certifying examination(s).
3. Take the certifying exam! The examination will be computer-based, which is administered at Thomson Prometric test centers located in the United Sates and its territories.
   

For details of the certification process, you can check the ABMG website.

Another nice thing is when I search indeed.com using the key word: clinical molecular genetics+Ph.D, I saw the increasing recruitment over time (see the figure above) and the stunning average salary: $98,000!