Reply #8: Wow. That is so right on....

[The Diest]

I stopped at an MS in science because the only place to go from there was PhD, trying to get tenure, post docs for the rest of my life. Impossible when you want to pause for a child. The women who do get their PhD's usually end up throwing their kids in daycare as infants, which, for most women, is very difficult to do.

I have met many parents over the last couple years where HE was a stay at home dad because....she was in IT and he was in Science, hence, she made more money. Even most biotech jobs don't compete with IT jobs, salary wise.

From 96-2003 when I was in college, the women TOTALLY outnumbered men in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and even math. I remember in Organic Chem and Analytical Chem the guys dropping out so fast it was almost dizzying as the women kicked ass on the exams and set the curves. The impression I got was that the dudes were pretty intimidated and embarrassed.