Medical Scientists
On the Job
Medical Scientists conduct research on disease. This career includes all types of medical professionals who primarily do research, like doctors, dentists, public health specialists, and others. It does not include researchers who study the causes of disease in entire populations (see Epidemiologists).
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Research diseases or parasites.
- Analyze biological samples.
- Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
- Monitor operational procedures in technical environments to ensure conformance to standards.
- Plan biological research.
- Establish standards for medical care.
- Establish standards for products, processes, or procedures.
- Instruct college students in physical or life sciences.
- Advise others on healthcare matters.
- Direct medical science or healthcare programs.
Typical Working Conditions
- Using e-mail.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Working with a group or team.
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
- Sitting.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- High levels of competition.
- Responsibility for outcomes and results.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
