It had been seven years, and I knew something was missing. When I graduated from physical therapy school in 2016, I was easily able to get a job; first in an outpatient clinic, then in the homecare setting. I have had innumerable success stories with my patients. I have helped amputees walk (and even run) again. I have taught patients with spinal cord injuries how to get back some independence. I have worked with children with cancer and given them a bit of a normal life back. I have seen literally hundreds of patients after severely painful and debilitating knee or hip replacement surgeries and gotten them on a pathway to success. Physical therapy, and healthcare more broadly, can be a very fulfilling career.
And yet, I knew something was missing. My days became routine. My moment-to-moment existence was focused more on documenting patient interactions than actually having them. And the truth of physical therapy for many patients is that many simply get better on their own, with or without physical therapy intervention. Instead of looking forward to work and feeling engaged, I would be completely disengaged. Brain off, simply going through the motions. My interest in the quantitative side of science was not being fulfilled at all.
Switching Careers Will Be Daunting
As a 33-year-old with two kids, a mortgage, and a well-paying job, switching careers initially seemed like something completely off the table. How would I have the time? What would I even do? How could I possibly even think about throwing out seven years and hundreds of thousands of dollars of education? But I knew in my heart that I wouldn’t be able to go on in a career where I wasn’t fully happy. So for me, the first thing I had to do was figure out what pathway to go down.
Having no idea where to start, I just…started. I took job quizzes online. I met with a career counsellor from my undergraduate school. I researched endlessly. Ultimately, I kept getting pointed in the same direction. I always knew that I had an interest in statistics and research. I took an introductory statistics class during my undergraduate training, and we had multiple research interpretation classes in physical therapy school. I became so interested in physical therapy research I started my own blog discussing it. In the middle of 2023, I started looking at biostatistics much more closely.
So if you haven’t been feeling fully satisfied in your healthcare career, and have been thinking more qualitatively and analytically about some of the research questions in your field, a career in biostatistics might be for you. Luckily, being in healthcare provides a perfect starting point, and may give you an edge in getting into the field. If you are considering going down this pathway, here is where I would start.
Taking The First Steps
Understand the barrier to entry
While there are many different roles someone with a biostatistics background can play, working as a biostatistician specifically requires a Master’s degree. Many universities offer a Master’s of Science in biostatistics, and some have a Master’s of Public Health with a concentration in biostatistics. An MPH is focused more broadly on public health, and an MS typically is more technical. In addition, one can obtain a PhD in biostatistics, but any PhD program will be more competitive and have more rigorous admission standards. Non-accredited certifications and classes will be useful to gain skills, but probably will not secure a job.
Address the mathematical prerequisites and admission requirements
When talking about a potential career change, one of the most common concerns I saw from people in a similar position to me was the mathematical background required. It should go without saying, but having a deep appreciation and love for mathematics in general is a good start. While there is some variability with every program, most require a full series of calculus, typically I, II, and III, a basic statistics class, and linear algebra. And of course, the better your grades for these classes and the more math classes you take, the more likely you are to be accepted. As long as you took these classes in some capacity, whether as part of your major or as a non-matriculated course, that should be fine. Some programs also require the GRE, or Graduate Record Examinations, which will provide an indicator of mathematical ability. Lastly, you want to make sure your application has something memorable; a “wow” factor. Whether it is a keen research interest, a blog you have been writing, volunteer work with a principal investigator, or other relevant exposure to the field, having some experience that shows your interest in biostatistics will help your application stand out.
Be proactive
Nothing is going to happen unless you make it happen. Prior to making the decision to switch careers, I was ruminating for a long time; unsure of my first move, afraid to talk to people. But once I did, I was able to learn so much more and it made the decision easier. Switching careers can be a life-changing decision, which makes professional networking an absolute necessity. The more insight you can get from people in the positions you are interested in, the more confident you can be in your decision.
I reached out to people in my own organization and on LinkedIn. I emailed biostatisticians lists of questions about the field. I set up Zoom calls, made phone calls, and attended online meetings. I reached out to admission counsellors at a few of my prospective schools. Not everyone responded; some people completely ignored me, and some were decidedly unhelpful. But many, especially people who are passionate about the field, will be more than happy to donate some of their time to talk to you. And by reaching out to these people, you can build connections and get a foothold into biostatistics. Send emails, make phone calls, schedule meetings, and immerse yourself in the field as much as you can.
Leverage your healthcare background
Already being in healthcare provides you with a great deal of advantages. First, there are probably biostatisticians in your organization that are simply an email or a phone call away. It never hurts to reach out to someone to ask questions. People who are passionate about their work will more than likely be happy to speak with you.
Second, working in healthcare will give you a great deal of domain knowledge that will help you in the future. For example, if I am working on a clinical trial for an arthritis drug, having the background of working with patients with arthritis as a physical therapist and seeing their progress over time will make things easier and give me insights I would not have had otherwise.
Third, if you work in direct patient care, you more than likely have experience translating complex health information into language that the average patient can understand. Accurately summarizing, simplifying, and conveying technical information to a non-technical audience is a required skill in biostatistics.
Try to get some experience in the field
There are a wealth of online classes and books that are available for free or at a very low cost, some of which have been catalogued here. These classes can provide an overview of some of the concepts and will allow you to get a taste of what it would be like to work as a biostatistician. In addition, it may be beneficial to get some volunteer experience with a research project. If there are members of your organization that are performing research, consider contacting them and offering assistance in whatever way you can.
Lastly, consider doing some writing and post it online on your own blog, or look for websites looking for contract writers. When I first came out of physical therapy school, this was one of the first things I did. Writing articles for websites allowed me to meet people, showcase my professional interests and writing skills, and discuss issues in my field from a scientific perspective. If you are passionate about what you do and want to explore a career in biostatistics, start writing about it!
Conclusion
Switching careers can be extremely stressful; I know firsthand. But what continued to motivate me was a nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right. I felt much more captivated thinking about the interplay between mathematics, science, and philosophy, and what that means for my field, not necessarily about treating patients. If you currently work in healthcare and have been feeling burnt out or intellectually unfulfilled and have an interest in mathematics, consider a change to biostatistics. Explore your options, reach out to people who are in roles you are interested in, and try something new. Switching careers and working in biostatistics may feel very remote from where you are now. For me, it seemed essentially impossible about a year ago, but I start my MS in about two months, and I couldn’t be more excited.
