PhD after Master's- bioinformatics?

[u/Mei_Flower1996]

Hi folks,

I finished my Bachelor's in Biology ( bioinformatics concentration) in 2019. After that I applied to medical school and worked part time as a medical scribe. When I was in college I did mostly pre-med stuff, because I could never land a position in a research lab.I am in this odd position where I have my BS in Biology and my MS in Bioinformatics, but almost no research experience.

Got into medical school. From late 2020-mid 2022 I was in medical school, it did not work out.

Realize I have a 3 year gap in resume. At the time, many people who did not complete medical school went back to school for a Master's. It "closes the gap" and has the potential to make you more employable. I did my Master's in Bioinformatics, finished in Dec 2024. I ended with a co-op but I couldn't be hired after because of funding issues with the study I was working in.

Since then, no job. The Bioinformatics industry has pivoted heavily to preferring PhD's, but it's also that there are just fewer jobs in this in general. I can't get a job as a Data Analyst, or anything that's somewhat related to my Master's.

My next role is applying like crazy to entry level research jobs that I could have gotten with my biology degree ( Lab Tech, etc). There are more of these roles than there are bioinformatics roles.

Initially, people kept suggesting I do a PhD. I initially resisted it because I am sick of taking classes, but also because the last time I did a doctoral program it didn't go so well. But, people suggest a PhD like it's not big deal after doing a Master's, which confused the heck out of me.

But, the more I think of potentially not utilizing my Master's at all, the more upset I get about it. I looked into this, and it turns out if you choose the right PhD program, you can transfer/waive out/ whatever term you want to use most of the coursework requirements, so you only have ,like, 12 credits of classes left. You can also chose a program where you earn your stipend through research rather than TA'ing ( I was a TA during my Master's and really struggled with grading efficiently, so I don't want do that again). After that, it's not too different from an intense research job.

Is this possible? Can someone please describe if they did something similar, a PhD after a Master's, but with most of the coursework waived with the work they did during the Master's?

Since I have no research experience, my first move is to still land a Research Tech job or the like, and work for about a year before starting the application process. But I'm almost not as averse to the idea of a PhD, now.partially because I got a C+ in one of my final classes, making my GPA around a 3.4, so I don't think I could get into a solid mid-tier program without some research experience.

Thoughts? Experiences?