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Asked by hays17key to Mercy, Jacob, Ian, Collins, Beatrice, Audrey on 9 Feb 2021.
Question: hello, my name is polycarp, BSCN III at UON, i got a lot of questions about research, but for a start i would love an explanation about the pathway to being a scientist, the steps and the hurdles on the way
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Beatrice Amboko answered on 9 Feb 2021:
Hi Polycarp, thank you for this question. There are different scientist pathways that you can take. For health research you can either start as an intern or a research assistant in an area of interest and thereafter pursue a master degree and subsequently a PhD. What I can say is that the journey isn’t easy as you face rejections along the way as one needs funding and publications. Additionally, you need to work extra hard to excel meaning you will have to put lots of effort and time.
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David Collins answered on 9 Feb 2021: last edited 9 Feb 2021 12:19 pm
Thank you for the question Polycarp! You are already on your path to becoming a researcher. A researcher basically answers public health questions and provides solutions to issues public health importance, for example, diseases. The path is straight forward for medical scientists. For example, following your Bachelor’s degree, you will enrol for a Master’s degree followed by a PhD degree and a postdoctoral degree. At the level of the PhD you have three pathways you can follow: (i) to go into academia to be a lecturer; (ii) to work in research, for example, Kenya Medical Research Institute, and (iii) to join the industry, for example, companies making vaccines and research equipment. I would recommend that you apply for internships or work after every degree to get research experience and chose the right career path to pursue.
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