What is epidemiology in pathology?
Epidemiology is the study of how often diseases occur in different groups of people and why. Epidemiological information is used to plan and evaluate strategies to prevent illness and as a guide to the management of patients in whom disease has already developed.
Can an epidemiologist become a doctor?
According to Springer Publishing, medical epidemiologists usually have doctoral degrees, such as a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.). Within this specialty, these types of epidemiologists can become a medical generalist or specialize even further within an area of medicine.
What do epidemiologists study?
Epidemiology is the study of diseases in given populations. Epidemiologists examine how and where disease outbreaks start, how diseases are transmitted among individuals in a population and how to effectively treat those diseases.
Should I go into epidemiology?
Epidemiologists research why some groups of people are more likely than others to become sick, be injured, or die young. That requires thinking about how biological pathways, social processes, and behavioral patterns culminate to put people at risk of illness and injury.
What questions do Epidemiologists ask?
When a disease outbreak is identified, an epidemiologist may ask some of the following questions:
- Why are infection rates of this disease higher than normal?
- Why are infection rates of this disease higher than normal in this location?
- What is the potential for the disease to spread?
What are the first questions an epidemiologist would ask?
So the first step involves lots of listening and then asking some basic questions:
- What are the signs and/or symptoms?
- Is this an increased number for this area, time of year, or age group? Are the cases linked to a common source or agent?
- How many cases are there?
- The 5 “W’s” of any investigation apply here as well.
What do epidemiologists do?
Epidemiologists are public health workers who investigate patterns and causes of disease and injury. They seek to reduce the risk and occurrence of negative health outcomes through research, community education and health policy.
Do Epidemiologists have to go to med school?
An epidemiologist is not required to have a doctor of medicine degree. Some epidemiologists are licensed physicians; however, this isn’t required for most positions.
What kind of science is epidemiology?
By definition, epidemiology is the study (scientific, systematic, and data-driven) of the distribution (frequency, pattern) and determinants (causes, risk factors) of health-related states and events (not just diseases) in specified populations (neighborhood, school, city, state, country, global).
Why Epidemiology is not a science?
Epidemiology identifies the distribution of diseases, factors underlying their source and cause, and methods for their control; this requires an understanding of how political, social and scientific factors intersect to exacerbate disease risk, which makes epidemiology a unique science.