Corona Daily 388: How does one become an Epidemiologist?

Grubhub, an American online food delivery company, recently hired an epidemiologist to advise them on how to safely deliver meals. Several companies worldwide are hiring qualified epidemiologists as consultants. The concepts of social distancing, masks and soap hand-wash were introduced by epidemiologists, not by politicians. What is this profession about? If a child wants to become an epidemiologist, how does he go about it?

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The Greek words epi(upon), demos (people), logos (study) combine to make epidemiology. Essentially it is the study of how often diseases occur in different groups of people and why. Epidemiologists investigate outbreaks, identify the viruses, identify ways of their transmission, and engage in constant surveillance of an epidemic.  

Epidemiology falls under the umbrella subject Public Health. Public health focuses on preventing disease, medicine focuses on treating disease. (That is one reason why it is easier for governments to cut budgets on public health. Like cutting budgets on firefighting by saying there was no fire recently).

Any child wanting to pursue the career of an epidemiologist must love Science and Math. He/she will be required to handle messy, complex data. Design, conduct and assess studies and surveys. Must be detail oriented and willing to work in a lab. Also determined, persistent, adaptable and resilient. When working in an international setting, diplomacy is essential. Communication, particularly written, is important. Job survival may depend on how well they write reports asking for grants. Epidemiologists who love their profession describe it as part detective, part prophet.  

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A typical day begins by reading ProMed to see the latest disease outbreaks around the world. Then work on a grant or a research proposal. This is followed by analyzing data and preparing presentations for the next international conference. The nine-to-five job is filled with meetings and discussions. Field work and emergencies can happen at irregular hours.

With a bachelor (4 years), masters (2), and PhD (3-5), and work experience, one can become a Doctor in Epidemiology by the age of 32-35. Oxford now offers MSc in global health science and epidemiology. In the USA, centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) run a two year specialized program in applied epidemiology.

Qualified candidates get jobs with governments, federal agencies, laboratories, hospitals or pharma companies. In the USA, an average annual salary is $71,000, with the salary range $50,000 - $120,000 per annum.

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Until now, young epidemiologists had read about pandemics only in history books. An epidemic curve and testing form two major chapters in textbooks. Now epidemiologists are excited they can apply their learning in real life. They can finally be useful to the world as they are expected to be. People are turning to them with hope to learn about the future.

The New York Times interviewed 511 epidemiologists asking their views on when we can fly, hug, shake hands, dine out, attend a wedding etc. It is an interesting read.

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In the past, epidemiologists were advised to have a back-up profession. When you are at the mercy of politicians like Trump, your employment is not secure. In 2018, it was projected this profession would grow by 5.3% between 2018-2028. Depending on the length and severity of the current pandemic, the projections may change. The demand for epidemiologists may skyrocket.

They may even get upgraded to Pandemiologists.

Ravi