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Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they 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.

Related: Biochemists & Biophysicists Geneticists Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technologists Microbiologists Physicians, Pathologists

Industries: Professional, Science, & Technical Health & Counseling Education

Summary
Details

Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, and others regarding medical applications of physics, biology, and chemistry.
Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
Use equipment such as atomic absorption spectrometers, electron microscopes, flow cytometers, or chromatography systems.
Study animal and human health and physiological processes.
Investigate cause, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission of diseases or parasites.
Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.
Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.
Write and publish articles in scientific journals.
Write applications for research grants.
Confer with health departments, industry personnel, physicians, and others to develop health safety standards and public health improvement programs.
Study animal and human health and physiological processes.
Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.
Write applications for research grants.
Study animal and human health and physiological processes.
Study animal and human health and physiological processes.

Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.

Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.

Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Education

Doctoral or professional degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

101140/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

48.63/hr

Currently Employed

8,520

Yearly Projected Openings

760

Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out. They do well at jobs that need:

Innovation
Perseverance
Achievement Orientation
Intellectual Curiosity
Cautiousness
Integrity

Atomic absorption AA spectrometers
Benchtop centrifuges
Beta counters
Binocular light compound microscopes
Blood gas analyzers
Calorimeters
Chemistry analyzers
Chromatography tubing
Coagulation analyzers
Colorimeters
Complementary deoxyribonucleic acid cDNA synthesis kits
Conductivity meters
Cuvettes
Deoxyribonucleic sequence analyzers
Desktop computers
Dropping pipettes
Dry baths or heating blocks
Dry wall single chamber carbon dioxide incubators
Electrocardiography EKG units
Electron microscopes
Electrophoresis system power supplies
Extracting equipment for laboratories
Forced air or mechanical convection general purpose incubators
Fume hoods or cupboards
Gamma counters
Gas chromatographs
Gel boxes
Gel documentation systems
Gel dryers
Hematology analyzers
Hematology or chemistry mixers
High pressure liquid chromatograph chromatography
Homogenizers
Instrumentation for capillary electrophoresis
Ion chromatographs
Ion selective electrode ISE meters
Laboratory balances
Laboratory blenders or emulsifiers
Laboratory evaporators
Laboratory filtration hardware or accessories
Laboratory flasks
Laboratory funnels
Laboratory graduated cylinders
Laboratory heaters
Laboratory hotplates
Laboratory mechanical convection ovens
Laboratory sprayers
Laboratory washing machines
Laminar flow cabinets or stations
Laser printers
Liquid scintillation counters
Magnetic stirrers
Mainframe computers
Manual or electronic hematology differential cell counters
Mass spectrometers
Medical computed tomography CT or CAT scanners or tubes
Medical magnetic resonance imaging MRI scanners
Medical positron emission tomography PET units
Medical ultrasound bone densitometers
Medical ultrasound or doppler or pulse echocardiograph or echocardiograph units for general diagnostic use
Microbiology analyzers
Microcentrifuges
Microplate readers
Microplate washers
Microplates
Mobile or transportable medical linear accelerators
Notebook computers
Nuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectrometers
Pasteur or transfer pipettes
Personal computers
Petri plates or dishes
Photometer
Refrigerated benchtop centrifuges
Robotic or automated liquid handling systems
Scanning light or spinning disk or laser scanning microscopes
Shaking incubators
Spectrophotometers
Standard fermentation units
Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
Temperature cycling chambers or thermal cyclers
Thin layer chromatography tanks
Thinlayer chromatographs
Ultra cold or ultralow upright cabinets or freezers
Ultracentrifuges
Ultrasonic disintegrators
Ultraviolet crosslinkers
Vacuum or centrifugal concentrators
Vacuum or rotary evaporators
Videoscopes
Vortex mixers
pH meters