Why Early Career Biomedical Scientists are Suffering

Mike the Mad Biologist makes an interesting observation about why there are so many unhappy early-career biomedical scientists fighting for so few academic jobs:

So why does this dysfunctional cultural paradigm exist? I think it has to do with two things: specialization and Ph.D. training. When you go to Ph.D. school in biology, especially biomedical sciences, you learn a great many difficult techniques requiring lots of skill--it's not for dummies at all. The problem is that most of the skills you learn are only useful in...the biomedical sciences. Most don't learn enough 'generalist' skills, such as high level math or serious programming skills, to have other career alternatives if academia doesn't work out. Worse, many of the skills they learn become obsolete. A decade ago, sequencing was a Ph.D. activity, or at least, an activity supervised very closely by a Ph.D. Now, it's largely automated, and the machines are mostly run by technicians with bachellors degrees. So even within biomedical science, for some Ph.D.s 'up or out'--moving to a managerial position (i.e., becoming a PI)--is the sole option. 

I've often struggled with this dichotomy when imagining my future career path:  Do I plant myself in strict molecular evolution and be in a constant battle for funding? Or do I branch into an integrated neuroscience program, which would open up future funding opportunities, but at the same time I'd entering a much more competitive field.  Ultimately I think I'd like to end up in a science policy or administrative position anyway, but I'm not looking to close any doors just yet.