Geneticists
A Career in Science
Branch of Science
This career is in the branch of life science, because it deals with human and animal life.
Education Path
I would have to get a degree in Human and Medical Genetics. In high school it might be helpful to take classes like biology, chemistry, physics, of pre-calculus. In college you would need to take genetics, biochemistry, or statistics. This degree is where you focus on the study of human genetics from a medical standpoint.
Training School and College
An option for a college is UW Madison. I chose this university, because its close to home, but not too close to home. It is in an urban environment. The campus size is 1050 acres. The student to faculty ratio is 17:1.
Academics
The average GPA needed is 3.69. The average ACT score is from 24 to 29. The average SAT score is from 600 to 699.
About the Job
Geneticists research genes in life forms. They find genes that identify their response to diseases. They also do research to find out causes of diseases. There are three kinds of geneticists. One focuses on plants and another focuses on humans. Also, some geneticists focus on animals. The ones who specialize in plants may do research on how a certain plant reacts to things, and how they produce protein. They them try to produce a hybrid plant that has the best qualities. The geneticists that specialize in humans also do research to find out how and why people get diseases and develop
pharmaceutics. People who specialize in animals do research to find out why certain animals produce products better than others, for example, how some cows produce better quality milk than others.
What Factors Affect Employment for This Job?
It will be easy to find job openings nationally, and even more of a chance in Wisconsin.
Salary
In Wisconsin, the salary for a beginner per year is $34,310. Nationally, the salary for a beginner per year is $41,560.
Employer
University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, located in Madison.
Summary
I don't think that this is a career I could see myself doing, because I really don't have an interest in science. The pro is that there are a lot of job opportunities available after college. The con is that I really don't have an interest in it, so it wouldn't be fulfilling for me personally.
Citations
By Dr Ananya Mandal, MD. "DNA." New Medical. AZonetwork, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. <http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Genetics.aspx>. "DNA." Insight on Disability. WordPress, 4 Mar. 2013. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. <http://sites.psu.edu/ renko/2013/03/04/genetic-potential-for-children-with-autism/>. "Geneticists." Wiscareers. The Center on Education and Work, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2013. <http://wiscareers.wisc.edu/C_ClientHome/home.asp>. Stub icon. Wikimedia. Wikimediaproject, 8 May 2007. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scientist.svg>.