Education · 1 of 4

The path

This is one of the longer science paths. Decide early whether you want the lab bench or the lab office.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Chemistry and biology are essential, and take the highest math your school offers.

2. 2

   Bachelor of Science in biochemistry

   4 years

   Four years of organic chemistry, molecular biology, genetics and a lot of lab time. An honours thesis year is the standard on-ramp to graduate school.

3. 3

   Master's degree or straight to PhD

   2 to 6 years

   Many Canadian programs let strong students transfer from a master's into a PhD after a year.

4. 4

   Postdoctoral research

   2 to 4 years

   A paid research contract, often abroad, that most academic and senior industry jobs still expect.

5. 5

   Clinical route, if you want a hospital lab

   2 years

   A two-year accredited postdoctoral fellowship in clinical biochemistry, then the certifying exam.