The excitement of getting your first real job after graduate school cannot be understated.  Several aspects of the contract research organization (CRO) enticed me to my current position as a Staff Scientist II.  I was attracted to the fast-paced environment where scientists switch between analytes or chemistries on a daily, if not more frequent, basis.  In addition, the stability of an industry-related position was attractive over something shorter-term, like a post-doctoral position in an academic laboratory.  In the four and a half years I have been in the work force, I have learned many valuable lessons.  One of the most difficult transitions from academia was entering a confidential environment.  In the CRO laboratory, quality research is always conducted; however, sharing this information with the scientific community is greatly restricted.  Research is shared with clients but presenting results to a wider audience depends on the willingness of the client.  One of the other challenges is the documentation and planning required to work in a Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) environment.  The amount of time spent documenting and reviewing data and associated paperwork was an adjustment.  We are constantly adapting our practices to comply with the regulatory guidelines, but I feel that I have overcome the initial hurdle of the GLP culture.  Finally, being able to conduct a wide variety of experiments has kept the learning process fresh.  Starting in the environmental fate group, I conducted soil metabolism, adsorption-desorption, and hydrolysis studies on radiolabeled compounds.  After a company merger, I transferred to the product chemistry team where studies included physical chemical property evaluations and characterizations.  My next opportunity has been overseeing pesticide residue studies in the residue group.  I am thankful that I have had the ability to learn a wide variety of scientific studies without having to move or transfer employers.        <br/>

Lessons learned from starting career at a contract research organization

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.