What I've been up to

I have a bad habit of starting blogs and then abandoning them, and I'm determined not to let that happen. I've been a little less focused on the variety of career options available to scientists recently because I think I've finally picked on that I'm going to stick to. To recap my situation, I've been considering going into patent law. In late April, I passed the USPTO exam, which allows you to file patent applications in this country. In taking the patent bar, I was hoping to increase my chances of getting a technology specialist position at an IP law firm. These firms will often hire people with PhDs and then send them to law school part time. Although passing the patent bar was a big achievement, it soon started to feel like all that hard work was for nothing because no one is hiring technology specialists and the few places that are want people with a background in organic chemistry or electrical engineering rather than genetics. So things were looking pretty dreary. I was trying to keep other career options open, but having one foot in medical writing and one in patent law and one in consulting and one in whatever else I happened to think of that day was driving me crazy. I was talking to a very wise young patent attorney about how too many options can be a bad thing, and I realized that was precisely my problem. I was trying to keep all my options open to maximize my chance of finding a job, but the best way to find a job is to be really committed to getting the one thing that you really want, not being sort of committed to getting any of 5 things that you sort of want. I realized that what I really want is to be a patent lawyer and that is my only focus right now. I realize that the chances of me finding a technology specialist position sometime soon are small and I am not dissuaded. If I can't find a job now, then I will go to law school, and get a job when I'm done. Yes, maybe I'll end up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, but sometimes you have to take the big risk to get the big payout.

The Informational Interview

Since my goal is to work in IP law, I'm planning on doing some informational interviews with patent attorneys. The point of the informational interview is networking and learning something from the person you are interviewing with...not trying to get a job. I'm hoping that by speaking to some patent lawyers, I'll get a better feel for what it's like to be a patent lawyer and what law firms are looking for. These are some of the questions that I am planning on asking:

Can you tell me how you got to this position?
What’s a typical day like for you?

What do you like most about what you do, and what would you change if you could?

What surprised you most when you started working as a patent attorney?

What does a typical patent law career path look like?

How do you see your industry changing in the next 10 years?

What qualities make a good patent lawyer?

What are the types of jobs that exist in the industry?

Are there any professional or trade associations I should connect with?
What is the best way to get comprehensive information about IP firms in Boston?

What do you read — in print and online — to keep up with developments in your field?

How has becoming a patent lawyer differed from your expectations?

Preparing for the USPTO exam

I passed the patent bar! I've put together some tips for taking the exam specifically geared towards people (like me) who knew nothing about patents. As I mentioned earlier, the patent bar is a 6 hour, 100 question test based on the material in the Manual of Patent Examination and Procedure (MPEP). You're allowed to access the MPEP during the exam, but it is a huge document (thousands of pages). The more of the information you have memorized, the better. Passing the exam is necessary to become a patent agent - one who can file applications with the USPTO.

-Take a review course. I don't normally take review courses. For the SAT and the GRE, the most I did to prepare was take a couple of practice tests. But patent law is different. They are testing your knowledge of a very specific set of laws, and your ability to apply that knowledge. So, not only do you have to know as much of the MPEP as possible, but you need to be able to apply that knowledge. I took the PRG course. It consisted of a four volume text on patent examination, 40 hours of video lecture, sheets of notes to go along with the video lecture, and simulated exam software. I really liked this course because I felt that it gave me an in depth knowledge of the patent system. I've heard that other courses focus on giving you information to memorize. I'm sure that works well for some people, but I'm terrible at memorizing things and information has to have a context before I will remember it. The downside to the PRG course is that it's the most expensive one out there, at $3500. And supposedly the DVDs and software stop working after a year, so it doesn't have much resale value. 

-Take as many practice exams as possible. This is the thing that was most important in my preparation. After I had finished going through the course material, I kept scoring in the 60s or low 70s on practice tests. I was very concerned, as I felt I had absorbed as much information as my brain could hold and 70% is needed to pass. But after taking a few more practice tests, my score reproducibly shot up into the high 80s/90s. There was some sort of transformation and the questions suddenly made much more sense.

-Get  exposure to intellectual property and patent law. I did a couple of things to help familiarize myself with intellectual property issues. I went to events on intellectual property issues and careers. These included a panel on licensing IP by WEST and a panel on IP careers by the Harvard Biotech Club. In addition to increasing my understanding of IP, these events were also valuable networking opportunities. I also started reading patent law blogs, such as patentlyo.com, which often have in depth discussions of current issues in patent law. 

So, that's my advice in a nutshell. Practice makes perfect, especially when it comes to the USPTO exam. 

Shifting Careers Blog

Today I ran across this really cool blog on career transitions. It has lots of great advice, including many posts on networking and informational interviews. The Shifting Careers Blog is run by the New York Times. They have unfortunately chosen not to continue it due to the current economic situation, but it is still on-line and remains a great resource.

USPTO Exam

So, I’m taking the patent bar exam in 6 days. Anyone with a degree in math, science, or engineering can take the patent bar….no JD required. If you pass, you are a registered patent agent, which means you can file patent applications with the USPTO. I’m hoping that becoming a patent agent will help me to get a job in an IP law firm. These firms often hire PhDs as technology specialists and then support them in passing the patent bar and in eventually going to law school, so that they can litigate as patent lawyers. A few years ago, technology specialist positions were easier to find. But now, like in every other industry except debt collection, no one is hiring. If I pass the patent bar exam, I’m hoping it will give me a leg up by showing law firms that I’m dedicated to this career path.

The exam is 6 hours long and consists of 100 multiple choice questions. It covers all the information in the Manual of Patent Examination and Procedures (MPEP), a 2,000 page long and very dense, government document covering all aspects of patent application filing and examination. An electronic copy of the MPEP is available during the exam, but with a little over 3 minutes for each question, you definitely don’t have time to look everything up.

I’ve been studying since last October, using the Patent Resources Group patent bar course. It consists of a 4 volume 4000 page text, 50 hours of DVD lectures, and exam software. It’s certainly been a lot of work trying to cram so much information into my not so big head. And now that I’m thinking about just how much information it is, I’m realizing that I really should get back to studying. Wish me luck!

Teaching Careers

One obvious alternative to a research career is teaching. I have been teaching laboratory courses at a local college for the last two years. This is really a lot of fun, doesn’t take up too much time, and is a great way to supplement my post-doc salary. I enjoy it so much, in fact, that I’ve considered applying for teaching positions at liberal arts colleges. But when I thought more about it, I realized this probably wasn’t for me. In these positions, you usually have to teach 3 and sometimes 4 full courses a semester. The definition of a course is different from school to school, so this could mean as much as 4 full lecture courses with labs. It’s a lot of work for me to get together the half hour lecture that I give at the beginning of lab. I can’t fathom preparing 12 hours of lecture a week. I certainly can’t imagine doing it well while also supervising undergraduate research in the lab.

It seems to me that this system if fundamentally broken. Everyone knows that it takes much much longer to prepare for a lecture you’ve never taught before than one that you taught last year. So what’s the reasoning in starting a junior faculty member out with 4 new courses, instead of letting them build up to the full course load over a few years? But if you can prepare lectures and grade papers at light speed, then this might be the career for you. Of course, landing one of these jobs isn’t easy. If you’re not one of the chosen few, or if you like teaching but don’t want the pressure-filled race for tenure, high school teaching might be a better option. Private schools will hire PhDs right out of graduate school. Often biology teachers have the option of continuing their research and teach college level courses. Public school teaching, on the other hand, requires licensure. Normally, this would mean getting a Masters of Education, but many states have routes to licensure for PhDs that don’t require going back to school. I love teaching, but I don’t think any of these options are for me. That doesn’t mean it’s not a great option. Many have found deeply rewarding careers going down these paths.

IP Licensing

I'm finding WEST (Women Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology) to be a valuable resource both for learning about potential career paths and for networking. Last month, they had a really interesting panel discussion on licensing new technology. The panelists included a technology transfer professional, a venture capitalist, a patent attorney, and the director of business development for a biotech. Each panelist talked about the licensing process from their perspective, giving me valuable insight into the role of intellectual property in each of their careers. If you're an IP buff like me, you might want to read more about it here.