7 answers
Zion
Student
Carrollton, Texas
1
Question
Updated
1793 views
How do I become a medical researcher/scientist?
Hello, I’m currently a sophmore in high school who’s mentally suffering from searching about medical researcher’s career path . I’m really considering becoming one, but since the internet’s so diverse, I can’t really know which one’s right or wrong. I didn’t have much time to talk with my school counselor either. Everything’s such a blur and I have no idea where to start. Could someone at least briefly explain the path of becoming a medical researcher, please? Thank you!
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7 answers
Nadine Maayah
Student (aspiring geneticist)
14
Answers
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Updated
Nadine’s Answer
At this stage in your high school career its important to focus less on the big picture and focus more on harnessing your knowledge and love for learning in this field! For now, just focus on taking biology and chemistry coursework seriously as they are the foundation of medical research. If available to you, take advanced courses like AP Biology, AP Chemistry, or dual enrollment science classes. I would also recommend getting involved in science clubs, research programs, or summer internships at universities or hospitals! There are lots of opportunities you can find online that assist high school students in publishing scientific research to reputable STEM journals, which can help you tremendously - definitely worth looking into!
Rafael Diaz Montelongo
Consultant
395
Answers
Raleigh, North Carolina
Updated
Rafael’s Answer
Hi Zion,
Start by excelling in your high school science courses and participating in activities such as science fairs or clubs to enhance your skills. Then, you will need to obtain a bachelor's degree in a scientific field such as Biology or Chemistry, and gain practical experience through laboratory work or summer research programs. Then, advance your education with a master's or PhD in biomedical sciences, or a dual MD/PhD if you are particularly ambitious. I recommend to always engage in research projects and publish your findings. It is very important, to network effectively at conferences and workshops to discover valuable opportunities. Whether your career leads you to academia, a hospital, or a pharmaceutical company, your dedication will guide you!
Start by excelling in your high school science courses and participating in activities such as science fairs or clubs to enhance your skills. Then, you will need to obtain a bachelor's degree in a scientific field such as Biology or Chemistry, and gain practical experience through laboratory work or summer research programs. Then, advance your education with a master's or PhD in biomedical sciences, or a dual MD/PhD if you are particularly ambitious. I recommend to always engage in research projects and publish your findings. It is very important, to network effectively at conferences and workshops to discover valuable opportunities. Whether your career leads you to academia, a hospital, or a pharmaceutical company, your dedication will guide you!
Hava Liberman
Pathologist
9
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
Hava’s Answer
The questions about pathways to medical research have been answered well, but here's something you can do while still in high school: try to learn what it's like to be a scientist or researcher. If you live near universities or hospitals, this can be easier. In college, it might be even simpler to find these chances. Volunteering or working in the field you're interested in is a smart move to see if you actually enjoy it. It might take some calls or emails, but someone will probably be glad to show you around, explain their work, or let you volunteer in the lab.
Kathleen Rezek
Laboratory and compliance
78
Answers
Stanwood, Michigan
Updated
Kathleen’s Answer
I feel your confusion! You have an admirable goal. There are so many different aspects to medical research, but one clear path to beginning that journey is laboratory medicine. Most all research will require performing and analyzing lab data. The laboratory field is much like research in itself and can definitely open the door to more detailed and defined research opportunities. Many hospitals and clinics, especially in oncology, participate in clinical trials so the staff are contributing to the research in a very meaningful way. It's a good pathway to learning the skills, participating in the process, and leading to a potentially larger role. A degree in clinical laboratory science can get you to research and if that is your dream career, you'll enjoy it! Check it out!
Best to you.
Best to you.
Albert Giannone, M.D
Retired physician/former pharmacist
22
Answers
Center Moriches, New York
Updated
Albert’s Answer
I think you're getting a little ahead of your skis at this point. You should focus on doing well in school as you'll need a college degree (and maybe advanced degrees) for whatever career path you take. Relax, enjoy your time in High School for it will soon be over. Instead of agonizing over this ask yourself why you want to become a medical researcher. Is it a life experience? For example, is it because of a chronic condition that you or a family member suffers from? What is your motivation? The road to becoming a medical researcher (B.S., M.S.,PhD., MD., or DO,) is along one so be prepared. One of the things you might consider doing while in High School is to volunteer in a health care setting. This will give you exposure to possible mentors and will help in your college applications.
Final word of advice: Eat healthy, exercise, and do a good deed for a stranger when the opportunity arises.
Final word of advice: Eat healthy, exercise, and do a good deed for a stranger when the opportunity arises.
James Hanson
Pediatric Intensive Care Physician; Consultant
47
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
James’s Answer
I agree with others - don't worry too much. Enjoy your journey. You do need to get good grades, but you should explore as many learning experiences and extra-curricular activities as you can while assuring you take care of your mind and body.
Many people find that as they go through college and graduate school they find they do not follow their initial plan/path. Spending time with people doing their jobs helps you learn what feels right for you, and where your passions lie.
Science is amazing and very broad. You should consider biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, engineering, medicine, pharmacology, public health...
Ultimately, you should expect to graduate from college with a major in some branch of science. Then you can consider PhD, MD, DO, DDS, PharmD, CLS, or similar degrees. But that's years away, so for now just have fun learning.
Many people find that as they go through college and graduate school they find they do not follow their initial plan/path. Spending time with people doing their jobs helps you learn what feels right for you, and where your passions lie.
Science is amazing and very broad. You should consider biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, engineering, medicine, pharmacology, public health...
Ultimately, you should expect to graduate from college with a major in some branch of science. Then you can consider PhD, MD, DO, DDS, PharmD, CLS, or similar degrees. But that's years away, so for now just have fun learning.
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach
549
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Zion,
There are actually many different paths you could take to become a medical researcher/scientist. The obvious one would be to go to med school, become a doctor and go into research. You could also go to pharmacy school and go into research. Or you could become a chemist who specializes in pharmaceutical chemistry or a biomedical engineer or a microbiologist or a geneticist or even an electrical or mechanical engineer if you want to develop medical devices. It depends what kind of medical research you are interested in and what you are good at. You will probably find a mix of people with different backgrounds in your team wherever you work.
If you want to be the Principle Investigator (PI) of the research, you'll need to get a PhD or an MD/DO. If you just want to do research in a lab, a masters might be sufficient.
If you want to become a medical doctor, you first need to get a bachelors degree (4 years). Biology, biochemistry, chemistry or neurology would be good choices. You could already get involved in research as an undergraduate. For your application to medical school you need an excellent GPA, good scores on the MCAT and a bunch of volunteer hours in a medical setting. Getting into research as an undergrad would also be a plus. Medical school would be another 4 years to get your MD/DO. There are also programs where you can get an MD/DO and a PhD which is more of a research-oriented degree. If you want to practice as a doctor, you need to do a residency (between 3 and 7 years) in a specialty. If you want to go into industry, that might not always be necessary. If you want to go into academic research, a postdoc might be necessary.
For the other options (chemistry, engineering), you need a bachelors, masters and PhD degree. Most people would then do one or more postdoctoral positions before getting into an academic position. For an industry position, hands-on experience in an industry lab would be valued highly. So, doing internships is important to get into these positions.
All of that is still far away and you don't need to make those decisions just yet. Right now you need to focus on science and math classes and on keeping a high GPA. AP classes and dual enrollment are good to stand out and show your readiness for college-level work. Start doing some extracurriculars in a medical environment like volunteering in a hospital. Check out programs that would let you do research, e.g. the Summer High-School Research Academy at University of Texas or the BioMed Academy. Check out local Science Fairs and compete with a project.
I hope this helps for now! All the best to you!
KP
https://fri.cns.utexas.edu/community-outreach/summer-high-school-research-academy
https://www.cfbisd.edu/departments/teaching-and-learning/curriculum-instruction/career-and-technical-education/academies/biomed-academy
There are actually many different paths you could take to become a medical researcher/scientist. The obvious one would be to go to med school, become a doctor and go into research. You could also go to pharmacy school and go into research. Or you could become a chemist who specializes in pharmaceutical chemistry or a biomedical engineer or a microbiologist or a geneticist or even an electrical or mechanical engineer if you want to develop medical devices. It depends what kind of medical research you are interested in and what you are good at. You will probably find a mix of people with different backgrounds in your team wherever you work.
If you want to be the Principle Investigator (PI) of the research, you'll need to get a PhD or an MD/DO. If you just want to do research in a lab, a masters might be sufficient.
If you want to become a medical doctor, you first need to get a bachelors degree (4 years). Biology, biochemistry, chemistry or neurology would be good choices. You could already get involved in research as an undergraduate. For your application to medical school you need an excellent GPA, good scores on the MCAT and a bunch of volunteer hours in a medical setting. Getting into research as an undergrad would also be a plus. Medical school would be another 4 years to get your MD/DO. There are also programs where you can get an MD/DO and a PhD which is more of a research-oriented degree. If you want to practice as a doctor, you need to do a residency (between 3 and 7 years) in a specialty. If you want to go into industry, that might not always be necessary. If you want to go into academic research, a postdoc might be necessary.
For the other options (chemistry, engineering), you need a bachelors, masters and PhD degree. Most people would then do one or more postdoctoral positions before getting into an academic position. For an industry position, hands-on experience in an industry lab would be valued highly. So, doing internships is important to get into these positions.
All of that is still far away and you don't need to make those decisions just yet. Right now you need to focus on science and math classes and on keeping a high GPA. AP classes and dual enrollment are good to stand out and show your readiness for college-level work. Start doing some extracurriculars in a medical environment like volunteering in a hospital. Check out programs that would let you do research, e.g. the Summer High-School Research Academy at University of Texas or the BioMed Academy. Check out local Science Fairs and compete with a project.
I hope this helps for now! All the best to you!
KP
Karin recommends the following next steps: