What do you think of a career as a Medical Scientist, someone who researches diseases and tries to find cures?

I'm a college-bound student, and I want to go into medical research. I've always had a passion for wanting to help people, especially those with terminal illnesses, like AIDS, or people in unfortunate situations, like those who've suffered brain injuries. I don't want to work one-on-one with these people, but rather try to find cures or at least treatments to improve their lives. However, I hear this is not a good career to take up, because medical scientists don't make much money unless they have a breakthrough. I'm really passionate and determined to help and discover cures, but I also don't want have to struggle with money =/ So what would you advise me to do? Any medical researchers out there or anyone who knows one that could tell me a little bit about their life as a researcher? Thanks =)


ALSO any schools I should be looking into?

What do you think of a career as a Medical Scientist, someone who researches diseases and tries to find cures?
You seem to very concerned about making money. Well how much money do you consider "not much money"? I'm a medical researcher. I'm not rich, but I fit solidly into the middle class (I make more money than the median income). I don't do this for the money, I do it because I can't think of anything that would be as much fun. If you talk to scientists (medical or otherwise), one commonality between us is that we do science because it's fun. For this to be fun, you need to have a passion for the field. If money is why you work, this isn't the career for you.





One thing you need to do as a college student is to get involved in research. Do this research as as class, not a job (although I got started as an undergrad working in a lab). The reason I say to perform your research as a class (called Directed Study or Independent Study at many colleges) is because you'll be guaranteed of performing actual experiments, not washing dishes. This will tell you if you actually like research. If you like research, the thing that will keep you in the field is the intellectual side, not the lab work. The part of reseach I like the most (aside from working with students) is using my mind to solve the puzzle of the scientific problem. How am I going to design an experiment that will give me a clean answer to the problem at hand. Even if you don't like doing research, the experience of performing undergraduate research is good experience for many other areas in the biomedical area.





Schools - this depends a lot on you. The nice thing about small schools is that you will get a lot of personal attention. A lot of big name scientists went to small liberal arts schools as undergraduates. The advantage of a large university is that you'll have the opportunity to be exposed to specialized courses and research opportunities that are not available at a small school. For a large school to work for you, you need to be proactive. You have to make your opportunities. Seek out those professors and labs where you can make a contribution - and will contribute to your development.
Reply:It's not the road to riches, but it could make an interesting and fulfilling career. You have to prepare for disappointment when your hypotheses don't pan out.





You won't starve. You won't be leasing a new Mercedes every three years, either.
Reply:Why don't you forget the medical research and get into Nuclear Medicine. A friend of mine is in that business and he makes big bucks. Finding cures, I'm sure their are a lot of them out their, that if introduced and proven successful, there won't be any schools or labs left. Just like the Pharmaceutical Company's. They are more interested in treating illnesses, and making big money from their drugs, than they are in finding a cure.