Most statistician jobs available in public health require candidates to have strong undergraduate backgrounds in math, science, medicine or technology. These jobs typically require a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a field like public health or biostatistics. The latter is designed around the collection, processing and interpretation of health and medical data. A biostatistics degree may include classes in math, biology, genetics, probability, health informatics and common statistical applications, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Top Public Health Statistician Jobs Available
Clinical Analyst
Clinical analysts are tasked with the extraction, modeling, maintenance and management of medical and public health data. The bulk of their work focuses on the analysis and administration of clinical research, datasets and quality control activities. Clinical analysts develop software queries and analytical algorithms to capture data patterns defined by specific features, keywords and categories. They typically work within interdisciplinary teams of statisticians, programmers, data scientists and database administrators to facilitate research programs and projects. For example, they may focus on data extraction, transformation and analysis from multiple electronic health record systems. Part of this work would require them to develop specialized statistical software queries and algorithms to access, mine and process data. Those with a strong programming background may participate in the development and maintenance of clinical applications. This kind of position requires a computer science, life science or information technology degree.
Public Health Analyst
Public health analysts work on projects alongside data and research professionals to support public health surveillance activities. They may be responsible for the planning, managing and evaluating state-wide or regional public health study activities. This position requires excellent communication skills to collaborate with statisticians, epidemiologists and public health professionals. Public health analysts administer resources, manage projects and direct activities to meet program goals and official objectives. They maintain and execute program plans and policies as well as standards and strategies in conjunction with other staff. Some public health analysts will work with field teams to collect data from various public and private sources. Other public health analysts use analyzed data to create educational materials. They may even develop and deliver presentations to business, community, government and health care leaders. Public health analysts will need three to five years of relevant experience in the areas of community health promotion and prevention through public and private partnerships.
Public Health Research Administrator
A public health research administrator will support outcomes for state or national programs. This could involve anything from health economics to medical products to disease trends. Some public health research administrators work for medical corporations. They develop strategies and execute tactics for medical products in different stages of development. They may design, implement and manage research projects that benchmark product outcomes and customer satisfaction. This usually involves chart reviews, economic models, database analyses and controlled experiments. They sometimes conduct literature searches and systematic research reviews in order to develop analysis proposal plans for statisticians. They may conduct economic analyses for clinical development teams who must identify appropriate trial endpoints and milestones. Public health research administrators manage relationships with vendors and suppliers to ensure timely completion of projects. Most job candidates have at least five years of experience in the medical product or pharmaceutical industries.
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The statistician jobs available in public health for recent graduates include research assistant, quality coordinator, data analyst and research specialist. Most statisticians will work for a university, research firm or public health agency dealing with epidemiology, health economics and community health.