Medical Scientists

High School

Recommended high school classes include anatomy and physiology, health, biology, mathematics, physics, chemistry, English, and speech classes. Be sure to take writing and communications classes, if offered at your school. Developing strong communication and writing skills is important in this field, particularly because medical scientists must be able to write effective grants and publish their research findings.

Postsecondary Education

Medical scientists must have a Ph.D. in a biological science; some scientists also have medical degrees. An increasing number of new graduates also complete postdoctoral work in the laboratory of a senior researcher.

Most students prepare for graduate study by earning a bachelor’s degree in a biological science. Those interested in specializing in biotechnology earn degrees or minors in biotechnology.

Once students have earned their bachelor’s degrees, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that there are two main paths for prospective medical scientists. They can enroll in a university Ph.D. program in the biological sciences that involves about six years of study, with specialties in a specific area such as genetics or pathology. They can also enroll in a joint M.D.-Ph.D. program at a medical college which involves about seven to eight years of study.

Other Education or Training

Some medical scientists enroll in postdoctoral training at universities or with government agencies, like the National Institutes of Health. They are frequently involved in laboratory work in areas such as gene splicing as well as other research projects.