How did the medical scientist profession come to be and why isn't that kind of work done by medical doctors themselves?

[theepodiatrist]

I don't get it.

And another (related) question: To make an analogy, are medical scientists to doctors what politicians are to the civil service?

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[kepler16b]

What do you mean? Medical doctors do a lot of biomedical research. Most translational and clinical research is done by MDs. Medical doctors are the "gatekeepers" for translating biomedical knowledge into clinical practice.

 

[theepodiatrist]

What do you mean? Medical doctors do a lot of biomedical research. Most translational and clinical research is done by MDs. Medical doctors are the "gatekeepers" for translating biomedical knowledge into clinical practice.

By biomedical scientists do you mean these people (those are the ones I was referring to):

Medical Scientists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health.

www.bls.gov

 

[kepler16b]

By biomedical scientists do you mean these people (those are the ones I was referring to):

Medical Scientists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health.

www.bls.gov

Sure?

 

[theepodiatrist]

Sure?

Sure what?

 

[CheGuevaraMD]

MD PhDs were popularized as a way to dodge the draft during the Vietnam War: The Vietnam War and medical research: untold legacy of the U.S. Doctor Draft and the NIH "Yellow Berets" - PubMed

 

[dl2dp2]

Historically, most "medical scientists" were doctors. Think Cajal, Virchow, etc. A parallel line of scientific history was various basic scientists crossing over to applied medical research, like Pasteur, Rontgen, etc.

Does this answer your question?

 

[theepodiatrist]

Historically, most "medical scientists" were doctors. Think Cajal, Virchow, etc. A parallel line of scientific history was various basic scientists crossing over to applied medical research, like Pasteur, Rontgen, etc.

Does this answer your question?

Well no, not really.
How did the profession that I provided a link to came to be? Why isn't that work done by MDs themselves?

 

[tr]

Well no, not really.
How did the profession that I provided a link to came to be? Why isn't that work done by MDs themselves?

Your link says that medical scientists may have either a PhD, MD (or DO, DMD/DDS, DVM), or both. That's correct.

Most MDs are more interested in direct patient care than in research, and also there is more demand for direct patient care roles than research roles. Also research careers require extensive additional training not covered in the MD/clinical residency pathway.

Thus, only a minority of MDs engage in research.

 

[theepodiatrist]

Your link says that medical scientists may have either a PhD, MD (or DO, DMD/DDS, DVM), or both. That's correct.

Most MDs are more interested in direct patient care than in research, and also there is more demand for direct patient care roles than research roles. Also research careers require extensive additional training not covered in the MD/clinical residency pathway.

Thus, only a minority of MDs engage in research.

Are those people basically biomedical scientists/researchers?

 

[soundnin]

Are those people basically biomedical scientists/research.

I feel like you're just getting hung up on arbitrary titles.

 

[theepodiatrist]

I feel like you're just getting hung up on arbitrary titles.

is there no significant difference between medical, biomedical, and clinical (here in the UK they're called clinical scientists) then?

 

[kepler16b]

is there no significant difference between medical, biomedical, and clinical (here in the UK they're called clinical scientists) then?

Medical and biomedical science don't really have specific meanings in the US. Clinical researcher in the US usually means you are doing research on clinical interventions, such as surgery outcomes or drug trials.

 

[soundnin]

is there no significant difference between medical, biomedical, and clinical (here in the UK they're called clinical scientists) then?

there could be a difference in the context of something specific you're looking at, but there is no standardized difference in the meaning.