Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

Description

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. Includes physicians, dentists, public health specialists, pharmacologists, and medical pathologists who primarily conduct research.

Tasks

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

Knowledge

Biology: Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
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.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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.
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.
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.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.

Abilities

Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Work Activities

Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Work Context

Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate: How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Freedom to Make Decisions: How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results: How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?

Interests

Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Work Style

Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Analytical Thinking: Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Achievement/Effort: Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Leadership: Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Persistence: Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Work Values

Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Related Occupations

Soil and Water Conservationists

Foresters

Dietitians and Nutritionists

Anesthesiologists

Podiatrists

Veterinarians

Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists

Lay Titles

Anatomist

Cancer Researcher

Chemotherapist

Clinical Analyst

Clinical Data Coordinator

Clinical Laboratory Scientist

Clinical Pharmacologist

Clinical Research Associate

Clinical Research Director

Clinical Research Scientist

Clinical Researcher

Cytologist

Endocrinologist

Genetic Scientist

Gerontologist

Good Laboratory Practice In Vitro Study Director (GLP In Vitro Study Director)

Histologist

Histopathologist

Immunochemist

Investigator

Laboratory Director

Medical Affairs Director

Medical Health Researcher

Medical Physicist

Medical Research Scientist

Medical Scientist

Mental Health Researcher

Nanotechnologist

Neurophysiologist

Neuroscientist

Neurosurgery Research Director

Parasitologist

Pesticide Use Medical Coordinator

Pharmaceutical Botanist

Pharmacognosist

Pharmacologist

Physical Scientist

Physician

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Professor

Research Assistant

Research Associate

Research Grant Specialist

Research Scientist

Researcher

Scientist

Serologist

Toxicologist

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $37.01 hourly, $76,980 annual.

Employment (2008):: 95,420 employees