Medical Scientist

Duties and responsibilities

Design and conduct studies that investigate both human diseases and methods to prevent and treat them. Prepare and analyze medical samples and data to investigate causes and treatment of toxicity, pathogens, or chronic diseases. Standardize drug potency, doses, and methods to allow for the mass manufacturing and distribution of drugs and medicinal compounds. Create and test medical devices. They develop programs that improve health outcomes, in partnership with health departments, industry personnel, and physicians. They  Write research grant proposals and apply for funding from government agencies and private funding sources. They follow these procedures to avoid contamination and maintain safety.

Salary

$82,240 is the annual median wage for medical scientist.

Education

Students planning careers as medical scientists typically pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, or a related field. Undergraduate students benefit from taking a broad range of classes, including life sciences, physical sciences, and math. Students also typically take courses that develop communication and writing skills, because they must learn to write grants effectively and publish research findings.After students have completed their undergraduate studies, they typically enter Ph.D. programs. Dual-degree programs are available that pair a Ph.D. with a range of specialized medical degrees. A few degree programs that are commonly paired with Ph.D. studies are Medical Doctor  Doctor of Dental Surgery, Doctor of Dental Medicine , and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Whereas Ph.D. studies focus on research methods, such as project design and data interpretation, students in dual-degree programs learn both the clinical skills needed to be a physician and the research skills needed to be a scientist.

Demand

Communication is critical, because medical scientists must be able to explain their conclusions. In addition, medical scientists write grant proposals, because grants often are required to fund their research.