Leaving The Bench – 1 solution to help PhD’s find a job outside the lab

Voices are becoming louder as scientists justifiably complain about their limited job opportunities. One solution to help PhD’s find a job outside the lab is introduce business curriculum to the PhD training. How’s this for a class schedule:

• Cellular Hydrodynamics
• Pharmacology of the Vessel Wall
• Finance 101

A lab is a business and most labs manage $100,000′s to $millions of dollars.  Money comes in, money goes out. Supplies are bought, ideas are sold. Employees are hired and fired. A business/finance class will better equip a student to find a job outside the lab. And if they stay in the lab, they are better qualified to manage the finances of a lab. A win-win situation.

This solution is only one piece of the puzzle. Is this a good solution?

Articles that motivated this post:

Opinion: The Postdoc Challenge (via @TheScientistLLC)

Is a Science PhD A Waste of Time? (via Slate.com)