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Career development is a long-term goal and often becomes an involving task. Achieving your career dream of being a successful scientific researcher demands more academic commitments. This article intends to guide you through the ways to become the best scientific researcher.
1. Obtain a Bachelor’s Degree
The primary step toward becoming a more knowledgeable and skilled research scientist is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in your area of interest. Through a degree program, you learn problem-solving and analysis skills, communication and writing skills and the need for teamwork. Several disciplines will grant you platforms for being a certified research scientist.
Depending on your area of interest, you may opt for the following fields; for research in medicine or chemistry, or biology, a degree in biochemistry, biology, or pharmacology can be the right option. Alternatively, if you are an aspiring researcher scientist in software, you should pursue a bachelor’s degree in information and technology.
2. Complete a Master’s Degree
Once you’ve completed your bachelor’s degree, the immediate step is to commence your master’s degree course. If you are lucky to be in an institution that merges a bachelor’s and master’s program, the transition into your master’s program should be seamless without any breaks between the two programs.
However, if your university doesn’t provide for this program, you must enroll and attend the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). GRE tests are primarily to measure and determine your academic qualifications in preparation for graduate school programs. And as an aspiring research scientist, the test assesses your skills in technical knowledge in your area of study.
Additionally, it would be best if you took advantage of more detailed services offered by GRE Subject Tests. These tests are content specific; they help you to determine the depth of understanding and mastery of the discipline you’ve been studying. For instance, you may choose to pick a math subject and test your quantitative skills before joining grad school. This way, depending on the outcome of the test, you can still sharpen your skills to meet the required standards in grad school.
3. Gain Experience
Acquiring the necessary field experience is a route to becoming a skillful and knowledgeable research scientist. After your master’s degree, consider joining the workforce for at least one year. The workforce will help you acquire the right hands-on experience critical in practicing your paperwork knowledge.
The field is also necessary for expanding your scope of scientific knowledge through running projects that may require lab-based trials and experiments. More so, you increase the network web since you interact with scientific experts from all walks of life. The workforce may also provide a chance to learn new ideas and skills from senior and more experienced scientists.
In workstations, work is normally portioned between pure research, which advances your understanding of fundamental processes, and applied research. In such areas, you may also learn more advanced data representation tools, such as using a graphical abstract to concisely deliver your research in the simplest way possible for straightforward interpretation and consumption.
Even though you may not require a license as a research scientist, getting certification is essential for the future of your career. Certificates by authorized bodies, like the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), will authenticate you as a qualified Certified Clinical Research Associate. Such certification separates you from other candidates; it reaffirms your qualifications as a scientific researcher.
Ideally, certification validates the theoretical and practical foundation knowledge and skills you gained throughout your studies. With certification, participating in more advanced projects, such as extensive data analysis, makes you more acceptable.
5. Consider a Doctorate
Pursuing a doctorate in your field of interest helps you become a lead research scientist. This step comes after completing your master’s degree program. You may spend another four to five years doing your doctorate studies.
During your doctorate program, you should be able to carry out original academic research, commonly referred to as a thesis or dissertation. Under the guidance of the school faculty professor, you can defend your thesis by demonstrating your scholarly achievements before you get awarded a doctorate in your career as a lead research scientist.
Becoming the best scientific researcher is a journey that requires patience, dedication, and persistence. You’ll have to go through the steps mentioned above before demonstrating your capacity as a certified and qualified research scientist in your area of interest.
