Graduate School and Careers
Graduate School & Careers
Recent Otterbein Chemistry graduates have gone on to:
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Graduate school in chemistry and biochemistry at Yale, Washington University, and OSU, among others.
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Employment in chemical industry and research labs including Ashland Chemical, Ross Laboratories, and Battelle, among others
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Medical school at OSU, Cincinnati, and Ohio University
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Graduate school in chemical engineering
Below are some ideas to get you thinking about some of the career possibilities for chemists:
Industrial Chemists
The majority of chemists, about 60%, are employed in the chemical
industry. Industrial chemists develop and oversee the chemical process
that turns raw materials into valued goods. They are responsible for
developing such life-enhancing products as plastic, synthetic fibers,
pharmaceuticals, food products and flavorings, agricultural chemicals,
cosmetics, fragrances, detergents, and adhesives.
Chemists must understand not only the chemical design of a product, but
how to scale the production up for mass production. Chemical engineers
are also involved in quality control, analyzing the product at various
stages during production to make sure that it meets requirements.
Chemical engineers have greatly lessened environmental pollution with
such innovations as catalytic converters, reformulated gasoline, and
smoke stack scrubbers. Additionally, synthetic replacements, more
efficient processing, and new recycling technologies reduce the burden
on natural resources.
Chemists bring once scarce materials to all members of society through industrial creativity.
Government Laboratories
Federal as well as local government employ many chemists to do such
things as monitor and protect the environment; fulfill regulatory
responsibilities such as testing the safety and effectiveness of new
drugs; and provide basic research support for industry.
Major federal agencies which employ a large number of chemists are the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), the Department of Energy (DOE), and The National Science
Foundation (NSF).
Education
University professors generally both teach classes and conduct research
with graduate students. They may contribute to the basic study of
chemistry or work on more applied problems. Professors publish the
results of their work in scientific journals and frequently interact
with chemists in industry. A Ph.D. degree is almost essential for work
in this area.
A career as a chemistry teacher in a high school or community college is
another career possibility. The teacher has the satisfaction helping
teenagers and young adults become interested in this diverse field.
Clinical Laboratories
Clinical chemists and technicians analyze of body tissues and fluids to
provide medical doctors with diagnostic information. They may also
develop new diagnostic tests and methods, as well as carry out basic
chemistry research.
More Career Options
Chemistry provides a solid background for many other occupations. For
instance, many medical doctors, forensic chemists, patent attorneys,
metallurgists, and technical writers were chemistry or biochemistry
majors.
Many chemists combine an interest in business with their technical
knowledge and work their way into sales or management positions.
Medical school and the MCAT
The Chemistry major can be the basis of an excellent preparation for
medical school and for the MCAT. All medical schools require at least
two years of chemistry for admission.