Nanotechnology's Prescription for Health Care

Someday, hospitals will count nanotechnology experts among the specialists on their staff. Doctors, nurses, technicians, and other medical workers with nanotechnology expertise will be in high demand.

But the nanotechnology revolution in health care will occur slowly. Even for conventional drugs, it usually takes more than a decade for pharmaceutical companies to bring a product to market. After a drug is patented, the company must gain approval for clinical trials from the FDA. Only after multiple trials have confirmed its safety and effectiveness can it be approved for use. For nanotechnology products, which take a radically new approach to treating disease, the process will last even longer.

Still, there are exciting opportunities in the medical field for biologists, chemists, bioengineers, pharmacologists, research doctors, and other nanotechnology experts. Private companies, educational institutions, and various government departments are investing considerable funds and resources toward medical applications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology experts will be needed to help shepherd medical products toward federal approval. Even though medical nanotechnology is still largely in its experimental stage, it is a realm of great potential for doctors and scientists who want to be among the pioneers in the field.