A Career In Cancer Research Essay

Cancer is one of the most devastating diseases around the world. It doesn’t discriminate against age, gender, or race, but it’s impact is all the same. One in three people will get cancer in their lifetime. Luckily, survival has doubled since the 1970s. This is all thanks to cancer researchers who work everyday to find innovative ways to cure cancer. Cancer researchers must invest their diligence to their education and career. Post secondary education is required to become a cancer researcher. One must have a bachelor's degree and “a doctorate of medicine degree (Ph.D.S) in fields related to...chemistry” (Cancer Researcher). Many schools across the nation offer this course of study, including the University of Texas at Austin. Admission criteria to get accepted into the University of Texas Undergrad School includes having a high GPA and

Independent research isn’t uncommon, but many cancer scientist work for establishments. Most employers are research universities, non-profit organizations, and private companies. One such employer is the New York University Langone Medical Center. The university looks for researchers who are “highly motivated...to join our...research laboratory to further develop and innovate research strategies to address major challenges in...cancer” (Senior Research Scientist). A few job responsibilities are executing research assignments, researching the underlying cause of cancer, and finding new, creative ways to undermine the disease. The median salary for a medical scientist is $82,240 a year, and they can make as much as $120,000 annually. The projected job growth from 2012 to 2024 is estimated to be about 8%. Cancer researchers are needed all over the world. Some of the best research centers are located in the United States including the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center located right here in