Medical science provides the opportunity to work on cutting-edge research that directly benefits patients all over the world. Medical scientists discover innovative therapies, medical tools, and procedures that could save or lengthen lives in universities, government agencies, and private industry. Medical scientists have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge initiatives that can advance medical knowledge and lead to the development of new technologies, in addition to making a difference.

It's a burgeoning sector with plenty of job security and income. Medical scientist jobs are predicted to expand by 36% by 2022, resulting in an additional 38,000 career possibilities in this profession. Increased reliance on medications, as well as the current pandemic scenario, is contributing to the increase in need for medical experts. Medical scientists are well compensated for their work, despite the fact that their prospects are promising but competitive.

Education and Training

A medical scientist's career typically begins with a bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, or engineering. Students should take chemistry, physics, and mathematics classes in college, but they should also look into the humanities to improve their communication and writing skills.

However, in this field, undergraduate education is only the beginning; students must get an M.D. or Ph.D. to work in the field. The most important thing is to have completed a difficult, rigorous programme of study and succeeded. Another factor to consider is that the majority of graduate students will specialise. Genetics, pathology, and bioinformatics are common specialties, although there are certainly many other fields of research to pursue.

Skills to Develop

These are some of the most crucial talents to develop during your training to become a medical researcher.

Observation skills and detail oriented: Many medical experiments necessitate meticulous monitoring and attention to detail. Inconsistent results and wasted time and money could occur from mistakes or a failure to pay attention to the details of the experiment.

Data Analysis: Research generates a large amount of data and information. Medical scientists must be able to organize, evaluate, and comprehend what they're looking at.

Critical thinking: Medical scientists must be able to effectively determine the best approach for solving the research question they're working on, whether that means creating a study or arranging for testing, because they spend the majority of their time investigating.

Communication Skills: While medical scientists may do independent research, grants provide a significant portion of the money for that research. Writing effective applications for this type of funding is a very valuable skill to have.

Career Advice from the Experts

When students want to start a career as a medical scientist, they can apply for the Medical Scientist Training Program through the country's recognised Institute of Medical Sciences. Students can acquire both an MD and a Ph.D. through this programme, with the university providing full or partial support for tuition and other expenditures (not all institutes participate, but there are few institutions who participate in this programme). This programme is an excellent approach for students to improve their research abilities as well as their knowledge of the environment in which their findings will most likely be used.

While the programme is extremely competitive, undergrads do not have to apply purely on the basis of their GPA or grades. Students that receive the renowned award are frequently at the top of their classes, but their research experience is significantly more important to their success. Students will be better off if they have more research experience since they will have a greater knowledge of what research is like. Students with prior experience and a strong interest in the field have the highest chance of being accepted.

Students should create strong ties with academic mentors and remain highly active as graduate researchers in order to pursue a profession following post-graduate work. Peer-reviewed publications published in reputable journals are arguably more important than anything else in terms of standing out in the employment market. Though fitting a specific skill set that a company is seeking for may be the key to getting many employments. Developing "soft skills" can also help medical researchers engage and communicate more effectively with colleagues in a collaborative setting.