Epidemioliology Physiology

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What exactly does it mean to work in the field of epidemiology and biostatistics? To put it simply, it is the basic science of public health. Epidemiology is about the understanding of disease development and the methods used to uncover the etiology, progression, and treatment of the disease. Information (data) is collected to investigate a question and the methods and tools of biostatistics are used to analyze the data to aid decision making (Johns Hopkins 2008). Biostatistics is the application of statistics to problems in the biological sciences, health, and medicine. The steps of methods used in this profession are as follows: address a public health question (this includes generating a hypothesis), conduct a study (there are many different kinds of studies that could be useful depending on the question being asked), collect data, describe the observations and data, assess the strength of evidence for/against a hypothesis; evaluate the data, and …show more content…

Epidemiological education extends to a young professional’s postgraduate work-life in the form of multi-year fellowships. These fellowships act as the preliminary work experience (under the guidance of seasoned mentors), and as the final bridge from a world that is largely academic to one that is practical. Unlike other careers in health, epidemiology does not require certification. However, for those who wish to further their education and better their chances of employment, there are two boards that offer certification exams: The Certification Board for Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC), and the Association for Professional in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Some epidemiologists, such as those in clinical and academic roles, may also receive certification and licensing by organizations like the American Medical Association (AMA) (publichealth.org

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