2 answers
Tenzin
Student
Eugene, Oregon
1
Question
Updated
153 views
"What are my career options as a medical researcher"?
I want to help find a cure for autoimmune diseases when I finish college. I am a senior in high school and will be attending college as a freshman in Fall 2026. I plan to major in biology for my undergrad studies. Ultimately, my goal is to get a medical degree and find a job that will support my career goals of helping people who suffer from diseases.
2 answers
James Hanson
Pediatric Intensive Care Physician; Consultant
257
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
James’s Answer
I am delighted that you have such a wonderful plan for yourself. Helping people manage rheumatologic illnesses is a worthy endeavor. Since you also mention wishing to be a physician, I would recommend you focus on the basics of getting into medical school (MD or DO) by getting excellent grades and assuring you take all necessary prerequisite classes during college.
All physicians study general anatomy, physiology, pathology... and spend time studying all of the major specialties of medicine (internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery...). You will have some elective time, during which you, based on your interests, will spend time on the Rheumatology service. If you continue to be motivated in that direction, you can plan to do your residency in either internal medicine or pediatrics (3 years), and then do a rheumatology fellowship (usually 3 years). It may be possible, depending on your college, to find a research lab that works in your areas of interest that will be happy to have you work with them, or at least spend some time there learning about their work. Most medical schools have Rheumatology departments that include professors who do either bench or clinical research (or both). Do the work of learning about such opportunities and ask humbly for the opportunity to work with them.
You can gain excellent research skills even if you work in other areas of immunology, dermatology, or organ-specific research (kidneys, livers, lungs, etc. are targeted by many auto-immune diseases). You will be well-served if you study statistics and experimental design in addition to biology.
Do consider becoming an MD/PhD. The dual degree is highly respected when it comes to securing top jobs in medical schools around the world. You may, however, find success doing either the MD or the PhD alone.
All physicians study general anatomy, physiology, pathology... and spend time studying all of the major specialties of medicine (internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery...). You will have some elective time, during which you, based on your interests, will spend time on the Rheumatology service. If you continue to be motivated in that direction, you can plan to do your residency in either internal medicine or pediatrics (3 years), and then do a rheumatology fellowship (usually 3 years). It may be possible, depending on your college, to find a research lab that works in your areas of interest that will be happy to have you work with them, or at least spend some time there learning about their work. Most medical schools have Rheumatology departments that include professors who do either bench or clinical research (or both). Do the work of learning about such opportunities and ask humbly for the opportunity to work with them.
You can gain excellent research skills even if you work in other areas of immunology, dermatology, or organ-specific research (kidneys, livers, lungs, etc. are targeted by many auto-immune diseases). You will be well-served if you study statistics and experimental design in addition to biology.
Do consider becoming an MD/PhD. The dual degree is highly respected when it comes to securing top jobs in medical schools around the world. You may, however, find success doing either the MD or the PhD alone.
Elyse Crotty
Certified Surgical Technologist
80
Answers
Jacksonville, Florida
Updated
Elyse’s Answer
Top Career Options
- Academic Physician-Scientist (MD-PhD or MD): Run your own university lab investigating autoimmune triggers (like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis) while treating patients in clinical trials.
- Clinical Trial Principal Investigator: Lead human clinical trials for breakthrough immunotherapy drugs at major medical centers or research hospitals.
- Biotech/Pharma Medical Director: Oversee the development, safety, and testing of new biologic drugs and monoclonal antibodies at private pharmaceutical companies.
- Translational Research Scientist: Work directly at the intersection of the lab bench and patient bedside, turning basic cellular discoveries into practical therapies.
Undergrad Strategy (Fall 2026)
- Target Immunology Labs: Skip general biology labs. Email university professors researching T-cells, B-cells, or chronic inflammation during your first semester.
- Dual-Degree Paths: Look into NIH-funded Medical Scientist Training Programs (MSTP). These competitive programs fully fund your MD and PhD tuition and provide a stipend.
- Learn Bioinformatics: Autoimmune research relies heavily on genomic sequencing and big data. Take a course in Python or R statistical analysis.
Resume-Building Actions
- Clinical Exposure: Volunteer in rheumatology, allergy, or immunology clinics to understand patient struggles firsthand.
- Present Your Data: Aim to co-author a paper or present a research poster at a university undergraduate symposium before you graduate.
- Academic Physician-Scientist (MD-PhD or MD): Run your own university lab investigating autoimmune triggers (like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis) while treating patients in clinical trials.
- Clinical Trial Principal Investigator: Lead human clinical trials for breakthrough immunotherapy drugs at major medical centers or research hospitals.
- Biotech/Pharma Medical Director: Oversee the development, safety, and testing of new biologic drugs and monoclonal antibodies at private pharmaceutical companies.
- Translational Research Scientist: Work directly at the intersection of the lab bench and patient bedside, turning basic cellular discoveries into practical therapies.
Undergrad Strategy (Fall 2026)
- Target Immunology Labs: Skip general biology labs. Email university professors researching T-cells, B-cells, or chronic inflammation during your first semester.
- Dual-Degree Paths: Look into NIH-funded Medical Scientist Training Programs (MSTP). These competitive programs fully fund your MD and PhD tuition and provide a stipend.
- Learn Bioinformatics: Autoimmune research relies heavily on genomic sequencing and big data. Take a course in Python or R statistical analysis.
Resume-Building Actions
- Clinical Exposure: Volunteer in rheumatology, allergy, or immunology clinics to understand patient struggles firsthand.
- Present Your Data: Aim to co-author a paper or present a research poster at a university undergraduate symposium before you graduate.
Delete Comment
Flag Comment