Activities	Conduct research dealing with the understanding of human diseases and the improvement of human health. Engage in clinical investigation or other research, production, technical writing, and related activities.
Outlook	Faster-than-average-job growth
Median Income	$72,600 in 2008
Work Context & Conditions	Biological and medical scientists must be accurate and thorough. They usually work regular hours in offices or laboratories and usually are not exposed to unsafe or unhealthy conditions.
Minimum Education Requirements	Ph.D.
Skills	Critical Thinking, Instructing, Writing, Active Listening, Time Management, Complex Problem Solving, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Science
Abilities	Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension, Near Vision, Speech Clarity, Inductive Reasoning, Oral Comprehension, Written Expression
Interviews	Tracy Doty Milton English Byron Ford Zayd Khaliq Ofelia Olivero

Job Category		Life, Physical, & Social Science
Job Description		Medical scientists research human diseases in order to improve human health. Most medical scientists conduct biomedical research and development to advance knowledge of life processes and living organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and other infectious agents. Past research has resulted in advances in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of many diseases. Basic medical research continues to provide the building blocks necessary to develop solutions to human health problems, such as vaccines and medicines. Medical scientists also engage in clinical investigation, technical writing, drug application review, patent examination, and related activities. Medical scientists study biological systems to understand the causes of disease and other health problems and to develop treatments and research tools and techniques, many of which have medical applications. These scientists try to identify changes in a cell or in chromosomes that signal the development of medical problems, such as different types of cancer. For example, medical scientists involved in cancer research may formulate a combination of drugs that will lessen the effects of the disease. Medical scientists who are also physicians can administer these drugs to patients in clinical trials, monitor their reactions, and observe the results. Those who are not physicians normally collaborate with a physician who deals directly with patients. Medical scientists examine the results of clinical trials and, if necessary, adjust the dosage levels to reduce negative side effects or to try to induce even better results. In addition to developing treatments for health problems, medical scientists attempt to discover ways to prevent health problems, for example, by affirming the link between smoking and lung cancer or between alcoholism and liver disease. Swift advances in basic biological knowledge related to genetics and molecules spurred growth in the field of biotechnology. Biological and medical scientists using this technology manipulate the genetic material of animals or plants, attempting to make organisms more productive or resistant to disease. Research using biotechnology techniques, such as recombining DNA, has led to the discovery of important drugs, including human insulin and growth hormone. Many other substances not previously available in large quantities are starting to be produced by biotechnological means. Some may be useful in treating cancer and other diseases. Today, many of these scientists are involved in biotechnology, including those who work on the Human Genome Project, isolating, identifying, and sequencing human genes and then determining their functionality. This work continues to lead to the discovery of the genes associated with specific diseases and inherited traits, such as certain types of cancer or obesity. These advances in biotechnology have opened up research opportunities in almost all areas of biology
Working Conditions		Medical scientists usually work regular hours in offices or laboratories and usually are not exposed to unsafe or unhealthy conditions. Those who work with dangerous organisms or toxic substances in the laboratory must follow strict safety procedures to avoid contamination. Medical scientists also spend time working in clinics and hospitals administering drugs and treatments to patients in clinical trials. Some biological and medical scientists depend on grant money to support their research. They may be under pressure to meet deadlines and to conform to rigid grant-writing specifications when preparing proposals to seek new or extended funding.
Salary Range		Median annual earnings of medical scientists, except epidemiologists, were $72,600 in 2008. The middle 50 percent of these workers earned between $51,600 and $101,300. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $39,300, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $134,800.

Education Required		The Ph.D. degree in a biological science is the minimum education required for prospective medical scientists because the work of medical scientists is almost entirely research oriented. A Ph.D. degree qualifies one to do research on basic life processes or on particular medical problems or diseases, and to analyze and interpret the results of experiments on patients. Medical scientists who administer drug or gene therapy to human patients or who otherwise interact medically with patients -- such as drawing blood, excising tissue, or performing other invasive procedures -- must have a medical degree. It's particularly helpful for medical scientists to earn both Ph.D. and medical degrees. In addition to formal education, medical scientists usually spend several years in a postdoctoral position before they apply for permanent jobs. Postdoctoral work provides valuable laboratory experience, including experience in specific processes and techniques, such as gene splicing, which are transferable to other research projects. In some institutions, the postdoctoral position can lead to a permanent position. Students planning careers as medical scientists should have a bachelor’s degree in a biological science. In addition to required courses in chemistry and biology, undergraduates should study allied disciplines, such as mathematics, engineering, physics, and computer science, or courses in their field of interest. Once they have completed undergraduate studies, they can then select a specialty for their advanced degree, such as cytology, bioinformatics, genomics, or pathology.
Recommended High School Courses		Computers and Electronics, Biology, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		Administration and Management, Education and Training, Mathematics, Physics, Engineering and Technology, Chemistry, Biology, Computers and Electronics, Medicine and Dentistry, Education and Training
Certification and Licensing		None

Interest Area		Investigative Involves working with ideas and requires an extensive amount of thinking.
Work Values		Social Status Looked up to by others in their company and their community. Achievement Get a feeling of accomplishment. Variety Do something different every day. Creativity Try out your own ideas. Security Have steady employment. Ability Utilization Make use of individual abilities. Working Conditions Good working conditions. Activity Busy all the time. Autonomy Plan work with little supervision. Recognition Receive recognition for the work you do. Compensation Get paid well in comparison with other workers. Responsibility Make decisions on your own.
Skills		Critical Thinking Use logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Instructing Teach others how to do something. Writing Communicate effectively with others in writing as indicated by the needs of the audience. Active Listening Listen to what other people are saying and ask questions as appropriate. Time Management Manage one's own time and the time of others. Complex Problem Solving Solving novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings. Active Learning Work with new material or information to grasp its implications. Judgment and Decision Making Be able to weigh the relative costs and benefits of a potential action. Reading Comprehension Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. Speaking Talk to others to effectively convey information. Science Use scientific methods to solve problems.
Abilities		Oral Expression Able to convey information and ideas through speech in ways that others will understand. Deductive Reasoning Able to apply general rules to specific problems to come up with logical answers, including deciding whether an answer makes sense. Problem Sensitivity Able to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong. This doesn't involve solving the problem, just recognizing that there is a problem. Written Comprehension Able to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Near Vision Able to see details of objects at a close range (within a few feet of the observer). Speech Clarity Able to speak clearly so listeners understand. Inductive Reasoning Able to combine separate pieces of information, or specific answers to problems, to form general rules or conclusions. This includes coming up with a logical explanation for why seemingly unrelated events occur together. Oral Comprehension Able to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. Written Expression Able to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Related Jobs		Veterinarian, Physician, Anesthesiologist, Technologist, Medical and Clinical Laboratory, Dentist, Podiatrist, Dietitian and Nutritionist
Job Outlook		Despite prospects of faster-than-average job growth for biological and medical scientists over the 2008-18 period, doctoral degree holders can expect to face considerable competition for basic research positions. The federal government funds much basic research and development, including many areas of medical research. Recent budget increases at the National Institutes of Health have led to large increases in Federal basic research and development expenditures, with the number of grants awarded to researchers growing in number and dollar amount. At the same time, the number of newly trained medical scientists has continued to increase at least as fast as employment opportunities, so both new and established scientists have experienced greater difficulty winning and renewing research grants. If the number of advanced degrees awarded continues to grow unabated, as expected, this competitive situation is likely to persist. Biological and medical scientists enjoyed very rapid gains in employment between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s, in part reflecting increased staffing requirements in new biotechnology companies. Employment growth is expected to increase 20 percent over the 2008-18 decade, faster than the average for all occupations. Much of the basic biological research done in recent years has resulted in new knowledge, including the isolation and identification of new genes. Biological and medical scientists will be needed to take this knowledge to the next stage, which is the understanding of how certain genes function within an entire organism, so that gene therapies can be developed to treat diseases. Expected expansion in research related to health issues such as AIDS, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease also should result in employment growth. Biological and medical scientists held about 109,400 jobs in 2008. Medical scientists accounted for 31 percent of the total. In addition, many medical scientists held faculty positions in colleges and universities, but they are classified as college or university faculty. Almost 27 percent of medical scientists were employed in scientific research and development services firms, another 28 percent worked in educational services, 13 percent in pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing, 10 percent in private hospitals, and most of the remainder worked in private educational services and ambulatory health care services.
More Information		American Society for Microbiology, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, American Institute of Biological Sciences
References		Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Medical Scientists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos309.htm O*NET OnLine, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/19-1042.00