If you want to become a second Friedrich Serturner or enjoy doing research and discovering new drugs and therapies, a pharmaceutical scientist job could be the right career for you. Many pharmaceutical scientists are honored for their impressive scientific research works. Learn more about this job with Carehealthjobs!
Pharmaceutical scientist job description
Pharmaceutical science is a branch of science concerned with the development and synthesis of new medications, as well as their testing in biological systems and disease models to determine their preclinical safety, efficacy, dynamics, and metabolism.
A pharmaceutical scientist is someone who conducts research on the development, testing, and discovery of drugs. Pharmaceutical scientists spend most of their working time in laboratories testing the interactions between different substances and disease-causing cells or organisms. They also carry out experiments to determine how these substances affect the human body and whether they are safe and helpful to take.
Take a closer look at what they do each working day:
- Collecting, evaluating, and interpreting data on the efficacy of drugs during the preclinical development stages
- Working with other medical laboratory scientists and other members of the team to develop and test effective medications and therapies that are safe for patients.
- Testing and improving the different pharmacological substances that assist patients and have few adverse effects
- Conducting and preparing pharmacological studies and trials to better understand the efficacy of recently developed pharmaceuticals
- Discovering novel ways to employ existing medications to treat various diseases or conditions
- Investigating how diseases affect the human body and the factors that contribute to the development of specific ailments, illnesses, or injuries.
- Choosing the appropriate dosage quantities for new medications to recommend
Pharmaceutical scientists are frequently employed by pharmaceutical or biotechnology firms that specialize in treatment development.
Job outlook and opportunities
Pharmaceutical scientist salaries in the United States range from $18,895 to $505,210, with a median of $91,238, according to research conducted by Comparably. Pharmaceutical scientists in the middle earn between $91,238 and $229,216, with the top-earning of $505,210. The pharmaceutical scientist is one of the high-paying jobs and you have a lot of opportunities to earn big money.
Though the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t have specific research on pharmaceutical scientist jobs, we can refer to the statistics of general medical scientists. Accordingly, the medical scientist job is expected to grow 17% in the 2020-2030 phase, much faster than average.
Pharmaceutical scientists in every sector can enjoy relatively stable jobs all throughout the world. The demand for well-trained professional pharmaceutical scientists will always be high as the medical business grows fast.
How to become an impressive pharmaceutical scientist?
To become an impressive pharmaceutical scientist, you must complete an education path and obtain the required skills.
Educational path
Step 1: Earn your bachelor’s degree
General chemistry, health education and planning, human anatomy and physiology, organic chemistry, and health policy should all be included in your bachelor’s degree curriculum. Some employers may require that candidates have a bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences or a related discipline.
Step 2: Decide which branch of pharmaceutical sciences you want to pursue
Pharmaceutical scientists usually focus their efforts on one area. Consider your skillset and interests to discover which field is right for you.
- Drug Discovery and Design
- Drug Delivery
- Drug Action
- Clinical Sciences
- Drug Analysis
- Cost-Effectiveness of Medicines
Step 3: Seek a job
After you’ve completed your studies, look for an entry-level position in a laboratory.
Before graduation, you can also work as an intern to gain on-the-job experience. Internships for college credit are available in some degree programs, so check with your professor to see what options are available.
Step 4: Continue your education
Although a bachelor’s degree is sufficient to obtain a pharmaceutical science job, a master’s degree in a related field such as pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, or biomedical science, is a great way to impress future employers and demonstrate advanced knowledge in key areas.
Required skills
To understand how to produce effective and safe treatments for patients, great pharmaceutical scientists should be able to collect, analyze, and comprehend complicated data numbers. It’s also crucial to pay close attention to detail while looking for any atypical reactions to certain substances or ingredients. A pharmaceutical scientist should be laboratory confident, communicative, organized, analytical, and collaborative.
Conclusion
Given the inquisitive nature of the work, analytically inclined people are naturally drawn to this rewarding profession. Working to develop potentially life-saving therapies and enhance people’s general health are also extremely respected. Moreover, pharmaceutical scientists have chances to earn big thanks to their findings and research. Find more pharmaceutical scientist jobs now.