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A 'biomedical scientist' (or 'biomedical doctor', 'biomedician', 'medical scientist'), is a scientist educated in the field of
biological science, especially in the context of
medicine. Biomedicians are typically active in
biomedical research and tend to have more limited and research oriented contact with patients than
physicians.
The general motivation may be stated as: "to increase the body of scientific knowledge on topics related to medicine."
Biomedical scientists study
disease,
drugs, and other topics related to
human health. Their role is to develop or improve treatments,
vaccines,
equipment, and techniques involving
health care.
[1][2]
Biomedical scientists tend to focus more on basic science and research over treatment techniques and day-to-day medicine as their more patient-oriented physician counterparts.
Professionals educated in fields other than medicine might also contribute to medical overall knowledge. Examples include biological scientists such as
molecular biologists.
Description
Medical scientist assessing the health status of
transgenic mice in a British laboratory, 2000
Biomedical scientists study aspects of living
organisms, such as
reproduction,
growth, and
development to develop treatments prevent
disease, and promote
health.
Their
research can investigate health (basic) or investigate how to prevent
disorders (applied). Scientists may use
human volunteers or
models. Workplaces include
institutes,
hospitals or
industries,
laboratory-based.
People in this field may:
★
experiment and interpret medical results
★ keep records of
data and use
computers to analyze them
★
teach and
supervise students
★ apply for
grants
★
collaborate with others in the same field
★ consider
potential of research products
★ share results with
colleagues
★ give
presentations at
conferences
★ write papers for
publication
★ keep up to date via the
Internet and
scientific meetings
★ implement
medical diagnosis
★ advise in medical treatment
Education
Biomedical education programs (sometimes known as ''Medical Scientist Training Programmes'') are given at most
medical faculties around the world, usually with the aim to create professionals with future leading positions in medical research and development.
The education has a clear focus on
human biology and basic science and how this knowledge can be transferred into a medical and clinical setting.
United Kingdom
The programs usually encompass an initial
bachelors degree, which is presupposed for two years of further studies eventually earning the students a ''medicine master's examina'' (that might however differ in extent and depth between different countries and/or faculties). Nevertheless many students choose to study on (for as much as) another 4 years to earn the higher Ph.D/Doctor's degree, at this time the students specialize in a certain medical area such as, for example,
nephrology,
neurology,
oncology or
virology (by now the student has passed a maximum 9 years of higher learning).
A
PhD in Biomedicine is however required for most higher
research and
teaching positions, which most
colleges and
universities offer.
These
graduate degree programs may include
classroom and
fieldwork, research at a
laboratory, and a
dissertation.
Although a degree in a
medicine or
life science is common, recent research
projects also need graduates in
statistics,
bioinformatics,
physics and
chemistry.
Abilities preferred for entry in this field include: technical, scientific, numerical, written, and oral
skills.
s who complete a
bachelor's degree can work in non-research positions such as performing, less advanced, medical tests at hospitals or assisting Biomedical doctors in their work. When in
high school, students should prepare themselves for this field by taking
science and
health-related courses such as
biology,
chemistry, and
mathematics.
Areas of specialization
John Carew Eccles was an Australian neurophysiologist who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the synapse
Medical scientists can
specialize, for example, in the following areas, which are explained:
★
Anatomist: studies
animals'
organ structures and relates them to medicine
★
Bacteriologist: studies
bacteria[4]
★
Biochemist: studies how
substances affect
organisms and how organisms use substances
★
Biophysicist: studies
mechanical and
electrical energy in living
cells and
tissues
★
Cell biologist: studies cell-level organization and processes
★
Embryologist: investigates
infertility[5]
★
Epidemiologist: studies causes and spread of and how to prevent
diseases
★
Geneticist: studies traits of
humans and animals
★
Histopathologist: studies how disease affects
tissues
★
Immunologist: studies the
immune system
★
Microbiologist: studies characteristics of
microorganisms
★
Neuroscientist: studies on function and structure the
nervous system, including
brain
★
Parasitologist: studies
parasites
★
Pharmacologist: studies effects of drugs on biological systems
★
Virologist: studies
viruses and viral diseases
[6]
★
Nephrologist: studies and treats decease of the
kidney
★
Oncologist: studies and treats the complications of
cancer.
★
Pathologist: studies and diagnoses disease through examination of organs, tissues, cells and bodily fluids.
★
Rheumatologist: the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases.
Salaries and work conditions
Biomedical scientists are employed by
federal and
state governments, are
consultants for
chemical and
pharmaceutical business firms, or work in
laboratories where they perform tests and experiment.
In the
United States, the
average salary for research scientists is $66,393.
In the
United Kingdom, they are paid anywhere from £20,000 to £40,000, depending on experience, education, and position.
Radioactivity warning symbol
Laboratory experiments often include
toxic or
radioactive materials and dangerous
organisms.
procedures must be followed to avoid
contamination.
issues are brought up when research scientists work with animals and animal products, like
stem cells.
Job growth
'Job growth' |
| 10-year job growth | 17.05% |
| Total jobs (2004) | 29,442 |
| Forecast (2014) | 34,461 |
| Average annual growth | 1,424 |
Status worldwide
The United Kingdom
'Biomedical scientist' is the protected title used by professionals working within the
pathology department of a
hospital.
[7] The
biomedical sciences are made up of the following disciplines;
biochemistry,
haematology,
immunology,
microbiology,
histology,
cytology,
bacteriology and
transfusion services. These professions are regulated within the
United Kingdom by the
Health professions council. Anyone who falsely claims to be a biomedical scientist commits an offence and could be
fined up to
£5000.
Each department specialises in aiding the
diagnosis and treatment of disease. Entry to the profession requires an
Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) accredited
BSc honours degree followed by a minimum of 12 months
laboratory training in one of the pathology disciplines, however the actual time spent training can be considerably longer. Trainees are also required to complete a certificate of competence training portfolio, this requires gathering extensive amounts of evidence to demonstrate professional competence. At the end of this period the trainees portfolio and overall competence are assessed; if successful state registration is achieved. State registration indicates that the applicant has reached a required standard of education and will follow the guidelines and codes of practice created by the health professions council.
Biomedical scientists are the second largest profession registered by the
Health Professions Council and make up a vital component of the health care team. Many of the decisions doctors make are based on the test results generated by biomedical scientists. Despite this, much of the general public are unaware of biomedical scientists and the important role they play. This lack of awareness extends to many doctors and nurses; often biomedical scientists are incorrectly referred to as laboratory technicians.
Biomedical scientists are not exclusively confined to
NHS laboratories. Biomedical scientists along with scientists in other inter-related medical disciplines seek out to understand human anatomy, physiology and behaviour at all levels. This is sometimes achieved through the use of model systems that are homologous to various aspects of human biology. The research that is carried out either in Universities or Pharmaceutical companies by biomedical scientists has led to the development of new treatments for a wide range of degenerative and genetic disorders.
Stem cell biology,
cloning,
genetic screening/therapies and other areas of biomedical science have all been generated by the work of biomedical scientists from around the world.
See also
★
Biomedicine
★
Animal testing: the use of
animals in
experiments
★
Biology: the study of
life
★
Health profession: profession in which a person exercises
skill or provides a
health-related service
★
Human experimentation:
medical experiments performed on human beings
★
Medical research:
basic research or
applied research conducted to aid the body of knowledge in the field of
medicine
★
Medicine: a branch of the
health sciences concerned with maintaining or restoring
human health
★
Research: a process of inquiry aimed at
discovering,
interpreting, and
revising facts
★
Scientist: an
expert in at least one area of
science who uses the
scientific method to do
research
★
Medical technologist: similar career in the USA
References
1. Research scientist (medical) at Prospects
2. Hot Jobs
3. Health Careers
4. Bacteriology at The Free Online Dictionary
5. NHS Careers
6. Virology at The Free Online Dictionary
7. The Biomedical Scientist as Expert Witness, Paul D. Ellner, , , ASM Press, 2006, ISBN 1555813453
External links
★
American Institute of Biological Sciences
★
American Physiological Society
★
American Society for Microbiology
★
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
★
Institute of Biology
★
Medical Research Council
★
National Academy of Sciences
★
National Research Council
★
Resources at Prospects
★
Resources at Health Careers
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