Pros
The biostatistician managers I’ve had have been great. My issues mainly stem from decisions made higher up. There’s a renewed focus on training and mentorship, which makes it an ideal place for new biostaticians to start their careers. There’s lot of variety in the types of projects one can work on. Over time you usually have the opportunity to specialize in an area if you want. My managers support work/life balance but there are collaborators that do not. I think the managers are trying to address this.
Cons
Salary is far below what you could make elsewhere and annual raises are typically no more than 3%. Even promotions are only 5% raises. The health insurance options are fairly expensive for the level of coverage, especially considering Henry Ford owns the health insurance company (HAP). They’ve pulled back on remote work, forcing the biostatisticians to go onsite 3 days a week. The setup onsite isn’t conducive to this much onsite presence (I.e., cubicles with very little privacy, lack of space to take conference calls, distracting environment, etc). Some collaborators are great to work with while others can be demanding and have unrealistic expectations. The above issues have led to high turnover and burnout for those who stay.