Education is long and costly in the field of biomedical research. Students who wish to work in this field should have a bachelor's degree in biological sciences; also have an extensive knowledge in related fields such as computer sciences, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Those who deal with patients one-on-one must be licensed and have graduated from an accredited medical school.
There are many professions that are under the biomedical research umbrella such as clinical epidemiologist and research epidemiologist. What are these exactly? A clinical epidemiologist is in charge in maintaining outbreaks that can occur in a large or small region. They work in hospitals informing employees how to control an outbreak, develop new solutions in treatment, and the studying of new possible diseases that are able to spread quickly. If epidemiologist's treat those in the hospital they must also be licensed physicians. A research epidemiologist is someone who develops new solutions in treatment but at the university level and research facilities.
In addition to the master's degree many epidemiologists continue their education through ''The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology''. By doing so, those who enter the program will become certified as an infection control professional and will be able to advance in their career. The APIC has over 12,000 members which include physicians of all types, nurses, laboratory technicians, microbiologists, and many other healthcare professionals. With certification this will show the level of your work ethic in committing to the prevention of infectious diseases. By staying current on technologies and treatments will enhance the level of healthcare for the patients you treat. Certification will last up to 5 years with renewal options there after that. A postdoctoral position is also another path students can take before taking a more permanent job.
A ''genomicist'' is someone who studies genomics which focuses on DNA structure of organisms. A pathologist is another profession similar to an epidemiologist but unlike an epidemiologist they study the effects of disease in animal and plant organisms. Pathologist may work in hospitals, universities, and research facilities also but do not treat patients of their own. A cytologist is similar to a pathologist but strictly deals with animal and plant life by focusing on their cell structure. A ''bioinformaticist'' is someone who studies the field of bioinformatics which is a technical database to maintain biological information which is under the biotechnology or BioTech scope. Biotechnology has produced advancements in treating Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by analyzing DNA in more detail and more thoroughly. This is very important because through the advancements of biotechnology can determine which diseases are related with certain genes.
Employment in the biomedical research field is expected to grow over the next decade. As we move forward in the progress of treating serious diseases such as cancer, AIDS, and other viruses, the need for larger medical staffs and facilities will grow as well. The population growth will cause existing diseases to spread unfortunately, thus, creating the need for more biomedical research and prevention.
The National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health need financial support to continue researching in the field of engineering and sciences. These boards determine which research is worthy and most cost efficient to finance. The National Science Foundation promotes current research programs which try to discover new technologies in the field of engineering and sciences. The National Institutes of Health look to prevent diseases and extend the health and quality of peoples lives. There are currently 27 institutions which help a specific aspect of medical health. . For example, there is the National Eye Institute, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute Nursing Research among others.
The average earnings of someone in the biomedical research field range from $44,000-$83,000. Those who teach at the universities and colleges earn the lowest while those who manufacture medicine and pharmaceuticals earn the highest. With education in such fields being very expensive and difficult to complete jobs should be available to those who have obtained Ph. D's and medical degrees. Many biomedical researchers face competition to receive grants and funding. Researching in the medical profession takes time and a significant amount of patience. If you do hold both a Ph.D. and a medical degree this will give you more opportunities for advancement. Hours for those in biomedical research typically work a 40 hour week but working overtime is not uncommon.
Advancement in the biomedical research field can mean tenure in hospitals and universities, higher budgets, and better facilities. Those in the biomedical field are always looking to increase their knowledge to help prevent diseases from spreading and helping patients who have illnesses. This can be a very demanding career.
