Do you have to go to med school to be a clinical scientist?

No, you do not have to go to med school to be a clinical scientist. While med school is not a requirement to enter this career path, there are significant educational requirements. A clinical scientist needs to earn at least a master's degree in biology, biochemistry, medical technology, or a similar field. Many clinical scientists earn a Ph.D. in their field of study.

How long does it take to become a clinical scientist?

It typically takes six to ten years of education to become a clinical scientist. This usually covers the time it takes to earn a bachelor's and, at minimum, a master's degree. A clinical scientist needs to earn at least a master's degree in biology, biochemistry, medical technology, or a similar field. Many clinical scientists earn a Ph.D. in their field of study.

Is a clinical scientist a doctor?

No, a clinical scientist is not a doctor. The difference between a doctor and a clinical scientist is in their level of education. Simply put, clinical scientists aid the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of illness. The job title applies to an extensive range of roles usually grouped into four domains - clinical bioinformatics, life sciences, physical sciences and clinical engineering, and physiological sciences - and subdivided into specialisms.

What is a clinical scientist in pharma?

A clinical scientist in pharmaceuticals performs a critical function in the clinical development of pharmaceutical products. This function is involved with every step of clinical trials, from the conception to the read-out, market approval filing, to publication.

How To Become A Clinical Scientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a clinical scientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Kristy Matulevich,

Sharolyn Kawakami-Schulz Ph.D.

A clinical scientist conducts experiments, gathers data, and operates high-tech equipment while screening medical conditions in an individual. They may work in hospitals, small clinics, or even pharmaceutical companies. Clinical scientists test for a variety of medical conditions throughout their careers.

A day in the life of a clinical scientist may involve performing tests on cells, blood, and other tissue samples. They may also look for pathogens using chemical markers and other signs of infections.

Sometimes, clinical scientists may check blood samples before they are transfused to another individual. They document the results of their tests and pass them on to clinicians who use them for diagnosis. A clinical scientist's job is critical because doctors can't diagnose most conditions without lab tests.

To become a clinical scientist, you need a bachelor's degree in medical lab science or related fields. You'll also need to obtain a practicing license from the occupational board in your state.

What general advice would you give to a clinical scientist?

Kristy Matulevich

Medical Laboratory Technology: Clinical Coordinator, Instructor, Harcum College

The general advice I would give would be; first, to become a certified technologist or technician. Once students graduate from a NAACLS (National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science) accredited program, their next step should be to sit for their national certification exam. The exam which my program recommends taking is administered by the ASCP (American Society of Clinical Pathologists), which we feel is the "gold standard" in certification. Many employers either require potential employees to have this credential or give them six months, after they are hired, to pass the exam. Another organization offers a certification exam, AMT (American Medical Technologists); however, my program and the clinical sites in my local area, usually prefer the ASCP certification. Since becoming ASCP certified requires the technician/technologist to maintain their certification by completing continuing education requirements, new graduates who are approved will continue to learn more theory and techniques related to clinical/medical laboratory science, which is helpful at any stage in one's career, to promote lifelong learning. Some states across the nation also require licensure, so I recommend that a new graduate be aware of that when pursuing a job opportunity.

ScoreClinical ScientistUS Average

Salary

8.2

Avg. Salary $122,388

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.3

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 26.32%

Black or African American 6.44%

Hispanic or Latino 9.70%

Unknown 4.13%

White 53.27%

Gender

female 63.01%

male 36.99%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a clinical scientist

Explore clinical scientist education requirements

Most common clinical scientist degrees

Bachelor's

64.3 %

Master's

18.1 %

Doctorate

12.8 %

Start to develop specific clinical scientist skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	8.96%
Informed Consent	5.80%
Clinical Operations	5.03%
Oncology	4.77%
Clinical Development	4.65%

Complete relevant clinical scientist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New clinical scientists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a clinical scientist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real clinical scientist resumes.

Research clinical scientist duties and responsibilities

Manage clinical monitors in successful completion of large international hypertension study.
Manage and work collaboratively with CRO management to initiate and update contract/consultancy agreements/amendments on an ongoing basis.
Function as member of the FDA audit preparation team in support of the filed NDA.
Conduct multiple HIPAA training sessions.

Prepare your clinical scientist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your clinical scientist resume.

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