Essay On Becoming An Epidemiologist

Ever since I watched the movies Outbreak and Contagion, I have wanted to be an epidemiologist. An epidemiologist’s job is to study and prevent the spread of disease; I find the study of pathogens to be exciting and fascinating. The danger that comes with being an epidemiologist is also what peaked my interest in the career. To begin one’s journey to becoming an epidemiologist, people usually start by getting a bachelor’s degree in a biological science. This is usually preceded by a program in epidemiology that would include classes in biostatistics, behavioral studies, health services research, immunology, et cetera. A master’s degree is usually the minimum level of education required for most positions in epidemiology. The Association of …show more content…
Someone with a master’s degree can enter the field and, through fieldwork and additional education, they can advance because they are more experienced. Because it’s such a fast growing field, job security in epidemiology is very high. Any change in the field of epidemiology usually deals with changes in diseases or the way a disease is transmitted. There is not much change in the duties or job status of an epidemiologist. There are many areas in epidemiology that one can go into. The two main areas of epidemiology that interest me and that I want to focus on are lab work and field work. A day in the lab for an epidemiologist usually consists of analyzing pathogens or organisms that were collected in the field. If there has been an outbreak, the epidemiologists in the lab also try to create a vaccine or antibiotic to help stop the spread of the pathogen. A day in the field can differ depending on what your field of epidemiology is. A day in the field can can include going out and investigating outbreaks and collecting samples to send back to the lab for analysis. Field agents also help contain outbreaks. They usually alert the public if an outbreak and, depending on the agency level, they report it to the level above