Public Health Epidemiologist
Epidemiology is the scientific method used to investigate, analyze and prevent or control a health problem in a population. That population could be the entire world, as may be the case with an influenza epidemic. Or it can be a relatively small group of people—a single high school, for example, with an unusually high number of kids with asthma.

Public Health Epidemiologists are medical scientists who investigate and describe factors that influence the development of disease, disability, and other health outcomes. They formulate means for prevention and control. Epidemiologists focus either on research or on clinical situations.

Epidemiologists measure and review disease patterns within societies and attempt to explain these patterns by studying the characteristics of that particular culture. This research can help scientists learn more about how disease spreads, which, in turn, can help researchers discover new methods of disease control and prevention.

Epidemiologists are crucial for the formation of public health care policy. They oversee public health programs, including statistical analysis, health care planning, surveillance systems, and public health improvement. Epidemiologists play an important role in the health of human populations, and epidemiology is a science that's necessary for governments to intervene in the interest of public health. It is a field that's fundamental to the decision-making process when it comes to public health policy.

Job Description
Most epidemiologists focus on a particular field of study. Examples include epidemiologists who study cancer, disease pandemics, genetics or the effects of nutrition on disease. Epidemiologists may help develop medications or recommend practices that stop the spread of disease, help to form public health policy or work towards teaching the public how to stay healthy and disease-free.

There are two main types of epidemiologist: research epidemiologists and clinical epidemiologists.

Research epidemiologists conduct studies to determine how to wipe out or control infectious diseases. They often focus on basic research as well, determining the incidence of a particular disease in a particular part of the world, for example. They often work within communities to study the spread and effects of the disease in question. They may study many different diseases, such as tuberculosis, influenza, or cholera, often focusing on epidemics. Research epidemiologists work at colleges and universities, schools of public health, medical schools, and research and development services firms.

Clinical epidemiologists work mainly as consultants in hospitals or health care agencies, informing medical staff of infectious outbreaks and providing ways to to implement and enforce disease control initiatives. In addition, clinical epidemiologists are usually the ones who develop a hospital's standards and guidelines for the treatment and control of infectious diseases.

Job tasks for an Epidemiologist include:

• Investigate diseases or parasites to determine cause and risk factors, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission.
• Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
• Plan, administer and evaluate health safety standards and programs to improve public health, conferring with health department, industry personnel, physicians and others.
• Provide expertise in the design, management and evaluation of study protocols and health status questionnaires, sample selection and analysis.
• Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings.
• Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, government health officials and others regarding medical applications of sciences, such as physics, biology, and chemistry.
• Supervise professional, technical and clerical personnel.
• Identify and analyze public health issues related to food borne parasitic diseases and their impact on public policies or scientific studies or surveys.
• Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
• Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.
• Prepare and analyze samples to study effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, or microorganisms on cell structure and tissue.

Qualifications
To be an epidemiologist, you must have at least a bachelor's degree, and preferably master's degree from a school of public health. In some cases you might need a Ph.D. or medical degree depending on the work you will do. Clinical epidemiologists or research epidemiologists who work in hospitals and health care centers often must have a medical degree with specific training in infectious diseases. You will need to be a licensed physician (that is, you must have passed licensing examinations) if you are going to administer drugs in clinical trials. Epidemiologists who are not licensed physicians frequently work closely with those who are.

Most epidemiologists' education focuses on studying the spread of chronic and infectious diseases. A course of study may include classes in biology, psychology, biochemistry, toxicology, statistics, genetics and public policy.

Successful epidemiologists have knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications and are able to easily interpret complex data and statistics. The ability to accurately interpret statistics is crucial, as many epidemiologists are often called upon to review large quantities of data in this form. Aspiring epidemiologists should also have excellent grades in the sciences with knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment. They should have a background in medicine and dentistry, computers and electronics, and sociology and anthropology.

Earnings and Benefits
Earnings vary depending on the type of employer and the experience and qualifications of the epidemiologist. In May 2008, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 4,370 professional epidemiologists working in the United States – not including self-employed workers – with a median annual salary of $64,500. Some epidemiologists surveyed made more than $92,770 annually. The highest-paid epidemiologists worked in the private sector, as consultants – they earned an average of $78,680 annually. Epidemiologists are usually provided with medical insurance, paid vacations and holidays, and retirement plans.

Additional Information
International Society for Environmental Epidemiology
c/o JSI Research and Training Institute
44 Farnsworth St.
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 482-9485

http://www.iseepi.org
American College of Epidemiology
1500 Sunday Dr., Ste. 102
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 861-5573

http://www.acepidemiology2.org
International Epidemiological Association