Daily Tasks/Routine activities

1. 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.

2. Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.

3. Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.

4. Study animal and human health and physiological processes.

5. Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.

6. Write and publish articles in scientific journals.

7. Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.

8.Use equipment such as atomic absorption spectrometers, electron microscopes, flow cytometers, and chromatography systems.

9.Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.

10.Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.

11.Investigate cause, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission of diseases or parasites.

12.Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, and others regarding medical applications of physics, biology, and chemistry.

13.Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.

14. Confer with health departments, industry personnel, physicians, and others to develop health safety standards and public health improvement programs.

Key knowledge areas

The following knowledge areas aid a  medical scientist to execute his/her duties better;

Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

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.

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.

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.

Skills

The following skills aid a Medical scientist carry out his/her duties with ease ;.

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Science — Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

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.

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities

Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

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.

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).