I spend about 80% of my day in front of the computer. That time includes analyzing data from research studies, reading scientific literature to think about future experiments and research direction, and generating presentations to summarize data and facilitate conversations with my colleagues and external collaborators. About 20% of my day is spent on the phone managing staff at companies that are running our studies or speaking with my colleagues or collaborators.
CAREER
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$95,310
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+17.4% (much faster than the average)
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Do
Conduct research dealing with the understanding of human diseases and the improvement of human health. Engage in clinical investigation, research and development, or other related activities.
Other Job Titles Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists May Have
Clinical Research Scientist, Research Scientist, Scientist, Study Director
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
Most mornings I spend awaiting arrival of a clinical sample taken from a person with HIV. I then process the sample to extract a particular type of cell that I'm interested in studying. Because this is research, the methods and techniques I use to study these tissues change frequently, but always involve the use of a lot of pretty complicated instrumentation. The one used most has lasers to excite molecules to emit light at a different wavelength allowing for detection of cell proteins.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
- Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.
- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.
- Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Doctoral degree (36%)
Doctoral degree
Master's degree
Post-doctoral training
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Graduate
Doctorate
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Computer Science
Bachelor
Molecular Biology
Bachelor
Mathematics, General
Bachelor
Chemistry, General
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
There are many "soft" skills but the ones that come immediately to mind are leadership, communication, and organization. Leadership and communication are critical any time you work in a team setting, and drug development is always done in a team setting. I need to effectively influence and manage people with different backgrounds and skill sets. Leadership in scientific thinking is important too. Being organized is critical for juggling multiple projects and moving them forward rapidly.
It's becoming more and more important in all areas of research to be familiar with computer science. It's not that you have to be an expert, but you will need to be able to understand how basic programming works, and is applied to data analysis. If you could learn something like R-code, Python or Pearl, that would be really helpful. Know how they are used in conjunction with statistical testing.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
College Students
If you're in college (or even high school), it's important to gain as much experience as possible working in a research lab. This can be pretty easily accomplished by asking professors or teaching assistants if there are volunteer positions available in their labs, or if they know of any in other labs. There almost always are such positions somewhere. The first step is just to ask!
Get a job in a research lab during college. The pay is small but the experience is immeasurable.
Education first, then, start with internships and informational interviews. Before you start job seeking, contact people who have positions you think you might be interested in, now or 30 years from now. Ask them about their jobs and career paths. Do internships, even if just over each summer, to test the waters in a real-life setting and to start gaining experience and building your network. Finally, have experienced eyes critique your resume and don't be afraid to apply.
Explore and realize that there are no barriers to your dream job. Take a job that will open up those opportunities to pursue your dream and build up to it. Be flexible and willing to compromise. Don't be ashamed of having to take jobs that might not be perfectly aligned with what you want to do. You will be building skills regardless, so make the most of it. Find really great mentors.
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
