Expert: Sridhar Acharya Malkaram - 1/9/2009

Question
Hi, I am currently seeking a degree in Biomedical Sciences.  I was thinking of adding a Statistics minor. Do you think this would help me find employment in the areas of biostatistics or bioinformatics?  I realize that most "biostatisticians" have masters or doctoral degrees, but I was wondering if a Biomed bachelors degree with a statistics minor would make me a better candidate for careers in this field.  Thanks!

Answer
I am not highly knowledgeable about the field.
But with my experience of working in computational biology, Statistics is a very important component of Bioinformatics. Statistics in Bachelor's degree can be very helpful.
However, I recommend you to continue to study statistics at Master's level too as biostatisticians with some expertise in the field are preferred.