Medical Scientist onboarding at a glance

Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.

Before day one

Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
Verify required credentials: Ph.D. or M.D., GCP training (as applicable)
Prepare equipment and access: lab equipment; statistical software; REDCap; imaging systems
Assign a buddy or preceptor
Enroll the new hire in Medical Scientist training so foundations are covered before or during week one

Week one: orient and protect

Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
Follow IRB rules
Follow biosafety
Protect patient data
Report adverse events
Shadow an experienced medical scientist through a full shift
Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)

Days 1–30: learn

Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.

Supervised practice: write a specific aims page
Supervised practice: design a phase I trial
Supervised practice: get informed consent properly
Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins

Days 31–60: contribute

Goal: handle a regular workload independently.

Design studies: independently
Run lab experiments: independently
Design clinical trials: independently
Analyze data: independently
Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
60-day check-in

Days 61–90: own

Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.

Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
Begin cross-training on a secondary task
Agree on a credential goal (for example, Ph.D. or M.D.)
Discuss the career path: Postdoctoral Fellow → Research Scientist → Principal Investigator
90-day review

Competency checklist

Skill or task	Trained	Observed	Signed off
Write a Specific Aims Page
Design a Phase I Trial
Get Informed Consent Properly
Research design
Lab techniques
Clinical trial design
Biostatistics

How to measure onboarding success

Time to independent work on instruments or projects
Documentation or data corrections required
Rework, out-of-spec results or failed audits
90-day retention

How Medical Scientist training maps to this plan

Introduction to the Medical Scientist Role
A Day on the Job
Essential Medical Scientist Vocabulary
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Common Tasks, Step by Step
Tools, Equipment and Technology
Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
Skills Employers Look For
Launching Your Medical Scientist Career
Final Knowledge Check

Get team pricing

Medical Scientist Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)