• Question: I want to know how long did it take for the scientist to become scientists

    Asked by anon-285639 on 5 Mar 2021. This question was also asked by anon-289207.
    • Photo: Karen Burstow

      Karen Burstow answered on 5 Mar 2021:

      Hi, I chose science subjects for my A Levels (age 16-18) and then to study Chemistry at university (which was a 4 year course). I then got a job as a scientist after I graduated at age 22. But there are different ways into science, such as apprenticeships for school leavers! Or if you want to specialise more you can do a PhD after your degree, to become a Doctor of that field.

    • Photo: Alice Cardall

      Alice Cardall answered on 5 Mar 2021:

      I did science at school (GCSEs and A-levels) and then went to University and studied a science degree for 3 years (which is a normal length of time for any university degree). After this I went into my first scientist role which was working in a hospital labs to identify infectious diseases in patient samples. After this I decided that I wanted to learn more about a specific area of science and that’s when I decided to do a PhD (which takes 4 years) – and I’m just finishing my PhD now. There are other routes, you don’t always need to go to University to become a scientist, there will be apprenticeships out there or lab assistant roles you can do once you finish your A-levels.

    • Photo: Anna Westland

      Anna Westland answered on 5 Mar 2021: last edited 5 Mar 2021 5:16 pm

      It can be quite a long time! By the time I finish my PhD I will have been at university for nearly 10 years!
      ~
      There are some apprenticeships that get you working straight after school, depending what you do after your GCSEs.
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      Lots of people go to uni to do an undergraduate degree, which takes at least 3 years (you can choose to do an extra year within that degree to study abroad or work for in industry). After that you can get jobs in lots of different organisation, for example working in lab at a pharmaceutical company or university, or working in the field for an environmental organisation.
      ~
      If you want to be more specialised, then you can do a Master’s degree (1 year) and then a PhD (3-4 years usually). A lot of scientists who work in universities will have a PhD.

    • Photo: Claire Price

      Claire Price answered on 6 Mar 2021:

      It can take a very long time and has to get to where I am today. I think my journey started with my GCSEs. I did double science (the only thing my school offered). I then did chemistry and biology for AS/A level. I then when did a degree in physiology (human biology) at university and that took 3 years. I then did a PhD in biochemistry which took 5 years. So let’s add that up!

      GCSEs = 2 years
      AS/A levels = 2 years
      Degree = 3 years
      PhD = 5 years

      So that is a grand total of 12 years studying to get to the position I am in today!

    • Photo: Felicity Hunter

      Felicity Hunter answered on 8 Mar 2021: last edited 8 Mar 2021 10:45 am

      Hi Abi! Surprisingly, it is actually a similar length compared to other professional careers. After doing A-levels or a BTEC course (2 years) followed by a University degree (3 years) you can get a job as a scientist working in a lab. This is a similar to the length of time it takes to do most other non-science careers. However, if you want to become a Dr. with a PhD you’ll need to do a PhD degree which is an extra 3-4 years. Some people also do masters degree before their PhD. But you do not need a masters degree or a PhD to be a scientist. So the short answer is 5 years (A levels/BTEC + University degree).

    • Photo: Jess Buddle

      Jess Buddle answered on 8 Mar 2021:

      Hey! I suppose that depends what you class as a scientist. I did my A-levels then studied microbiology for my degree for 3 years. I then got a job as a microbiologist for a year before doing a PhD 🙂 So it makes longer if you want to research (do a PhD) or less time if you just want to work in industry as you can do that straight from degree:)

    • Photo: Katie Endersby

      Katie Endersby answered on 9 Mar 2021:

      I think it depends on when you start calling yourself a scientist! For me, once I left school I studied my undergraduate degree for three years, then went straight into doing a one year Master’s course, and then went straight from that into a four year PhD course – which I am currently in year three of! It has been a lot of time at uni all in one go, and a lot of people choose to take a break to do other things in between, or jump straight from their degree into a job as a scientist!

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