5 Jobs With a Degree in Epidemiology
- Pharmaceutical Epidemiologist
- Infection Control Epidemiologist
- Field Epidemiologist
- State Epidemiologist
- Molecular Epidemiologist
Epidemiology is the study of disease and health problems in communities, and within this field, there are a variety of different positions for epidemiologists. These professionals investigate specific populations where major health problems have been identified. This can be something acute like an infectious disease or problems like obesity that have gotten more severe over time. Epidemiologists then implement treatments or programs to address the specific problem and can change the fate of an entire community. Some specialists in this field include the following.
1. Pharmaceutical Epidemiologist
Substance abuse and addiction are the major subjects that these professionals investigate. They do look into social and psychological factors, but pharmaceutical epidemiologists primarily focus on the chemical and biological ways certain addictive substances affect the body. For instance, there are biochemical differences between how an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic process alcohol, and different populations are prone to develop certain drug addictions more often than others. Professionals in this specialty try to find out what causes these differences.
2. Infection Control Epidemiologist
Usually found in hospitals or clinics, this is one of the many epidemiology jobs related to preventing the spread of contagious disease. These professionals investigate potential outbreaks. For instance, if a hospital has more than a couple patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly called MRSA, an infectious control epidemiologist might be called because this bacteria can be easily spread in a hospital setting. A consult might also be requested for symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis or other serious unusual or infectious diseases.
3. Field Epidemiologist
Field epidemiologists also study infection, but their job relates to working within infected communities. These researchers go into specific environments, take samples, and propose long-term, easily accessible solutions. Forbes described field epidemiologists at work when discussing the Dengue virus which causes a potentially fatal illness in millions of people annually. Epidemiologists at Singularity University actually collected and analyzed enough data to build a program to predict, with over 85% likelihood, the time and place of the next outbreak and then put prevention measures in place.
4. State Epidemiologist
This is one of the governmental careers for epidemiologists. Most states have a department of these professionals, each usually specializing in certain geographical areas. These epidemiologists determine the most significant health problems and patterns in the state and then design programs to address these problems. Usually, these issues are less scientific and more focused on improving community resources. One area many states emphasize is decreasing their sexually-transmitted disease rates.
5. Molecular Epidemiologist
In one of the most science-based areas of epidemiology, most molecular epidemiologists spend their time working in a laboratory and running tests on tissue samples and analyzing genomes. They work on determining how genetics and environmental products affect disease. Once these connections are discovered, the scientists suggest prevention measures or work to find a molecular solution for the disease.
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Epidemiology is an interdisciplinary field combining medicine with public health and requiring excellent communication skills regardless of a professional’s specialty. It is no surprise that, according to Forbes, careers in epidemiology are among the 25 most rewarding careers with high salaries.