Epidemiologist Career Guide and Counseling

Question: What is the best path in college to become a Epidemiologist? I think it would be a very cool job to do research in public health. An Epidemiologist researches the relationship between violence and video games, smokeing health, etc. Anyone know a good path to become one, what school offeres a undergraduate degree, or whats the best major to set up for a Masters in Public Health? I would prefer to not do pre-med. Thanks!

Answer: UNC offers a program in Public Health for undergraduates. For Epi, you will also need a lot of work in statistics, bio, chemistry and psychology. No need to go pre-med to get an MPH, but coursework may be close. It might be worth it especially if you are at a tier two college with high career aspirations.

Question: Why do I want to become an epidemiologist? I'm in the process of applying for graduate school and scholarships. I plan to go for a MPH (hopefully at a UK university). I love biology, infectious diseases, public health, and research, so I have no doubt that public health/epidemiology is what I was meant to do. My problem is expressing my passion on paper. I can't write, "I want to be an epidemiologist because I love Ebola and Africa." Basically, why do I want to be an epidemiologist? Thanks for the help.

Answer: You find the biological processes fascinating & want to help people.

Question: What do you think an epidemiologist is/does? I'm an epidemiologist and giving a presentation to non-epidemiologists. I'm looking for a funny first slide about what people mistakenly think an epidemiologist is/does. The funnier the better! Thanks for your thoughts!

Answer: an epidemiologist is someone who studies epidemics.. oh sorry, that wasn't funny. How about, ....... uuuum dang....oh wait i just asked my hubby and he said its someone who gives epidurals... LOL.. theres one idea!!!

Question: How do I become an Epidemiologist? Is it possible to become an Epidemiologist if I have a bachelor's degree in Journalism? I wanted to get my Master's in Public Health, and I read that with Master's in Public Health, you can start a career as an Epidemiologist. Also, how hard is it to start a career in Epidemiology?

Answer: Your going to need a bit more education. There is medical school, followed by specialization

Question: Whats the yearly salary for an Epidemiologist? How much school does it take to become one? Its a career option and i can't find it on the web.

Answer: You can make the most with a doctorate degree. The site I looked at said that salaries range anywhere from $25,000.00 to $115,000.00 depending on what type of degree you have, where you live and who you work for. I took a principles of epidemiology class last year and it was very fascinating but it requires a lot of hardwork and understanding of disease.

Question: What major should one choose if they want to be an epidemiologist? I am about to start my junior year in college and realized that I do not want to be a nurse. I find epidemiology to be quite fascinating and was wondering what major(s) can one choose for their undergrad?

Answer: Probably biology, then specialize in grad school.

Question: What character traits and habits of mind would make a great epidemiologist? I don't want you to do my homework for me i just need some ideas.

Answer: An abnormally developed immune system

Question: How long does it take to become an epidemiologist? how many years in university would it take all together? what courses would you need to take in high school?

Answer: It would take between 11 and 13 years - 4 years of university, 4 years of medical school, and 3-5 years of residencies (different teaching hospitals offer programs of different lengths). While your high school courses don't actually count, what you really want to do is to get into the best university possible, so that you can get into the best medical school possible. For that, you want to take a rigorous program, involving as much math and science as you can get.

Question: How to become an epidemiologist? I'm thinking about becoming an epidemiologist. Is there a unique degree in epidemiology, or can I get my degree in microbiology and still work as an epidemiologist? If not, what universities offer a degree in epidemiology? Are there any in Arizona?

Answer: Typically at least a Master in Public Health or higher specializing in Epidemiology. Having a degree in micro is a bonus, however epidemiology encompasses areas other than infectious diseases such as cancer, child health, just about any topic. Besides you'll need many classes in epidemiology and bioststistics, which you won't get in a micro degree. Try: University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

Question: What is the average annual salary for an epidemiologist? I'm thinking about getting a MPH in Epidemiology.

Answer: Try this: http://www.salary.com/

Question: What courses do I have to take to become an epidemiologist? Im going to be a high school junior and im really interested in infectious epidemiology. what classes should i take after high school

Answer: there are several university programs in epidemiology, some at the undergrad and most at the grad level...most grad epidemiology programs offer an MPH or a MSPH as the degree-University's with a school of public health are the most likely to have the best programs...good luck

Question: How can epidemiologist determine the source of a disease? pls help? How can epidemiologist determine the source of a disease? thanks ahead of time :)

Answer: Let's take an example.... an outbreak of a disease on a cruise ship. The epidemiologist arrives. He/she asks everyone on board the ship to account for every minute of their time aboard ship. What did they do? What did they eat? Who did they contact? How did they spend their time on shore? From that, the epidemiologist tries to find common threads of experiences for people who came down with the disease, and those that didn't. If the epidemiologist can find a common experience, they may look at it more thoroughly to find the cause. Another example.... goiter used to be a problem in the US, especially in the inland areas. Goiter is a swelling of the thyroid gland. An epidemiologist thought it might have something to do with diet, and analyzed the diets of people on the coast and those inland. Those on the coast ate more seafood, as you might expect, and that seafood contained iodine in low amounts. The epidemiologist thought that a deficiency of iodine in the diets of those inland was the cause of the goiter..... and that study eventually led to having iodized salt in our diets.

Question: How do you become an Epidemiologist?

Answer: Epidemiology is one of the occupations one may pursue after getting a Masters Degree in Public Health. First you should graduate from College with a science or mathematics degree. Epidemiologists use statistics to track trends in medical conditions, some of which may be infectious diseases but others may be trends or clusters of diseases associated with other environmental hazards. An Epidemiologist is a scientist who may study the transmission and control of epidemic diseases in populations. Many of these are Medical doctors with public health training along with their MD degree. A solid educational background would include Mathematics with Calculus level Statistics , an average of 15 hours of course work in the field of Epidemiology, Demography, and Research design. Epidemiologists work for Medical institutions, Universities, the Military, and other government agencies. For additional information, you may call the Society for Epidemiologic Research at 801-525-0231 Below are some URLs with additional information about how to become an epidemiologist.

Question: What does an epidemiologist do? What does an epidemiologist do? What tools/equipments do they use?

Answer: An epidemiologist is a bit like a detective. Epidemiology began as the study of epidemics. The doctor/epidemiologist would collect data about every detail that victims of a disease had, and try to figure out what they had in common. A famous example is the British physician Dr. Doll, who evaluated hundreds of patients with lung cancer and compared them with control patients who did not have lung cancer. Guess what? All the lung cancer patients smoked, while only a small percentage of those without cancer smoked. This type of gumshoe detective work, combined with mathematical statistical models, enables us to determine lots of things, such as the relationship between cholesterol levels and heart attacks, and even the source of a lead poisoning epidemic. Sometimes the work can be dangerous, when you are looking at a toxin or virus, you do have to be careful not to expose yourself. Tools include computers mostly, with SAS or SPSS type statistical programs to run, and lots of spreadsheets full of data. Tools also include people, who you must interview very carefully, and possibly examine or draw blood. Many epidemiologists are also doctors. However, most are those who primarily look for patterns in data and interview people. Jobs could be with NIH, the CDC, or major medical centers.

Question: To work as an epidemiologist, is it better to have a master's or a PhD? I am almost done my masters... I'm just trying to figure out the next step.

Answer: You could start off working in the field of epidemiology with your basic degree and then take study leave to do the MA and much later depending on the position and your lifestyle you may want to do the PhD. PhD's take years so you need to be working alongside the PhD research and study. It would be a total waste to be unemployed loosing the hands on experience till you have a PhD in your pocket.

Question: Would you prefer to be a therapist or epidemiologist? Why?

Answer: For me, therapy is more challenging. Everyone has a unique set of mental functions which continually vacillate on a wellness spectrum and occasionally jump over into dysfunction. Both disciplines are challenging and have no easy answers. I just prefer the intricacies of consciousness over the physical markers of biology.