Phd/non-MD lab directors

[dingdong28]

Fellow lab directors (sorry for the longish read),

How common is it to find PhD only lab directors? I'm curious because it's a long road that I'm considering on taking. I started undergrad back in 2011 as a chemistry major that wanted to work in the lab. I wanted to obtain a PhD in [analytical] chemistry since it sparked my interest the most, I did very well in the course and have always been fascinated with instrumentation. I eventually found myself working in a medical lab and as much as I want myself to go to medical school, my heart's not in it nor is it something I'm interested in. Not to sound arrogant or cocky, but I can comfortably say that I'm pretty good at my job and know it wouldn't be wise to leave something I'm good at. As some of you know, the lab doesn't offer much as far as advancements (Phleb --> MLT --> MLS --> supervisor --> manager --> director).

Given my current experience as an MLT and hematology supervisor, would pursuing a PhD be a good route to become a lab director? Is this a waste of time since most labs will want to hire a pathologist for these roles? Every lab I've worked at had physicians as the lab director. I've seen job advertisements for "MD and/or PhD" which is what sparked my interest in pursuing a PhD again. For those of you who have experience working with or knowing only PhD lab directors, what are some of the things that they are/aren't allowed to do?

Becoming a lab manager is not something I'm interested in at this time, but things can change down the road. I want to be considered an expert subject matter in my field. I know ASCP has specialist certifications we can obtain, but anything outside of an SBB is a waste of time (my opinion). The route(s) I'd be willing to take are: PhD in clinical bio-analytical chemistry (which offers a clinical chemistry specialization, not sure if one graduates with an AACC specialization) or PhD in [analytical] chemistry and pursue a 2 year fellowship in clinical chemistry.

FWIW: My employer, the military and VA benefits can cover parts of a PhD besides research/teaching assistantships, so finances won't be too much of an issue. I'd work my butt off to make sure my family and I are financially set for the long road of a PhD, with working part-time to receive additional resources from my employer.

I'm looking forward to hearing your responses. Thank you very much.

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[ClinPathDO]

if your sure you want to be be a Clinical
Chemistry director PhD to Clinical Chemistry fellowship is a good route. You would be limited to chemistry though.

Pros:No loans, shorter time in training.
Cons: Salary is less than an MD, as they are limited to their area of specialty. Competition is also harder for fellowships as a PhD than an MD/DO. You will also be limited to academic centers, most likely.

Both are long and challenging routes. You also have to have a passion for research if your going the PhD route.

 

[dingdong28]

if your sure you want to be be a Clinical
Chemistry director PhD to Clinical Chemistry fellowship is a good route. You would be limited to chemistry though.

Pros:No loans, shorter time in training.
Cons: Salary is less than an MD, as they are limited to their area of specialty. Competition is also harder for fellowships as a PhD than an MD/DO. You will also be limited to academic centers, most likely.

Both are long and challenging routes. You also have to have a passion for research if your going the PhD route.

Thanks for the response. I'm all right being limited to strictly only chemistry. I figured I'd probably have to work at the large, tertiary centers that have chemistry tests that I've never heard of and continue to develop new tests every day. Although salary is less, it's probably better than being a bench tech or manager. I've done a very limited amount of research in the past and given my current lab mindset where everything is stat, it would take some time getting used to having work on a project for months or years with small amounts of progression along the way.

 

[Ziehl-Neelsen]

What kind of laboratory?

Esoteric, stand-alone laboratory that focuses on a niche area of testing (whether that be molecular, clinical chemistry, forensic toxicology, etc.)... Sure. I think a PhD in the relevant field is a viable pathway.

Hospital laboratory/Department of Pathology... You'd be better served going to medical school and becoming a pathologist IMO. Hospital labs are big, unwieldly things, and while I certainly know much less microbiology than the PhD who is the medical director of the microbiology section in my lab, he knows far less about blood banking, clinical chemistry, hematology, and every part of AP which would make it difficult to understand the particular issues supervisors and techs face in their specific sections and really set the agenda for the lab as a whole. In part, it's why I think US pathology residencies are designed the way they are--everybody knows it's impossible to do justice to the field of clinical chemistry with the 3-4 months on service as a resident, but it's just enough knowledge to understand what's going on and speak intelligently to your chemistry supervisor in 3 years when she comes to you with a problem.

The same knowledge gap is there with your primary customers as the medical director of a hospital lab--other physicians. The time spent in medical school and residency learning how other specialties operate and what they need from the lab to do their jobs effectively is indispensable for a lab director when the chief of surgery is calling because he's pissed off about this and the chief of Ob/Gyn is calling because she wants the lab to do x, y, and z.

If your goal is a directorship of a hospital-based clinical laboratory of any size, I think medical school and pathology residency is the better option.

 

[gbwillner]

It's not only chemistry. You could direct ID, molecular, and chemistry labs.

Lots of directors both in academia and industry are PhDs. They have two advantages over MDs:

1. They are typically hyper-focused on their specialty, and generally know a lot more about the scientific processes such as R&D than MDs; and

2. They are generally cheaper and can provide an appropriate substitute

While PhDs generally make less than MDs, you will make a LOT more money as a PhD running a clinical lab than a research one


Good luck

 

[Autopsy101]

Consider toxicology - I think it gives you the most varied career options as a PhD. You can work in hospital setting, reference lab, forensics lab, pre-employment testing. Although being a MLT, it is advantageous that you understand the CAP inspection process in a different way than most medical directors if you decide to go that route. Have you considered the DCLS degree? I have no idea what the job market is for that because it is so new, but it might be an option for you with your current training.