| Scientific jobs usually involve some research. The | | | | requires the application of professional knowledge and |
| jobholder would have specialized training and | | | | experience in the relevant scientific field. |
| experience in a field, and the ability to draw on it to | | | | Environmental health practitioners might have to be |
| conduct field or laboratory research. For example, a | | | | community workers and change agents in addition to |
| clinical research assistant working for a clinical | | | | their roles of identifying and preventing environmental |
| research organization can be required to go out into | | | | health problems. Possessing knowledge alone might |
| the field and record the findings of clinical trials for | | | | not help them provide valuable services in their field. |
| medical devices or medication. | | | | They will have to work with an environmental health |
| In such cases, in addition to knowledge in the field of | | | | team to create awareness about environmental health |
| science, the job holder will also have to be familiar with | | | | issues among the community, and show how the |
| research methodology to ensure adherence to quality | | | | locality can be made a better place to live and work. |
| research practices, so that the research findings will be | | | | Scientific jobs can also involve working in areas other |
| acceptable to practitioners in the relevant field. | | | | than the primary scientific field of the jobholder. For |
| Furthermore, the jobholder might also be required to | | | | example, a healthcare specialist with Information |
| keep track of the costs of the research, which require | | | | Technology experience might be employed to develop |
| some administrative experience. Scientific jobs could | | | | clinical information models. They might have to do |
| thus involve much more than doing theoretical | | | | requirements studies to develop the kind of clinical |
| research in a laboratory. | | | | information models that clinicians need. The |
| Roles of Career Scientists | | | | requirements study in this case is more IT work than |
| We saw in the previous section that even when | | | | clinical work. |
| research is involved, scientific jobs could involve | | | | Another example is a specialist who works in the |
| administrative and quality control roles. Many scientific | | | | sales and marketing department helping the |
| jobs might not involve research as such. Instead, it | | | | department explain product benefits and other |
| might involve applying the jobholder's knowledge to do | | | | technical aspects to prospective clients, or for creating |
| practical work. For example, physicians apply their | | | | product literature. Many specialists might be attracted |
| knowledge of healing science primarily to cure sick | | | | by commercial work, and can use their specialist |
| patients rather do research with medication. | | | | know-how, say in wound care, in marketing wound |
| Another example is the clinical psychologist engaged in | | | | care products effectively. |
| providing clinical and forensic psychology service to | | | | Then there is the science teacher who is engaged in |
| patients, and advice and consultation to | | | | developing the scientists of tomorrow. The teacher |
| non-psychologist colleagues in the medical profession. | | | | must be able to create an enthusiasm for the field |
| A forensic toxicology expert might be primarily | | | | among students in addition to teaching them science. |
| involved in providing testimony in courts about the | | | | Scientific jobs thus involve being more than just |
| effect of alcohol on human body and driving skills, and | | | | scientists. In fact few scientific jobs require you to be a |
| explaining the significance of the results of a | | | | scientist these days. |
| defendant's breath and blood tests. Such a function | | | | |