Careers in Epidemiology

 

The field of Epidemiology offers a wide range of careers for those at the MPH, MS or PhD level of scholarship. Epidemiology graduates from the University of Washington have secured employment locally, nationally and internationally, as physicians, research associates, study coordinators, epidemiologists, public health practitioners, and scientists. Many are also University faculty members or postdoctoral researchers; they work at medical institutions, for private businesses and for non-profit organizations. Employing agencies include the World Health Organization, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, American Cancer Society, Washington State Department of Health, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute, Mayo Clinic, Harvard University, University of North Carolina, Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, University of Michigan, the University of Washington, and many other similar universities and organizations.

Students pursuing an MPH generally seek employment in the more practice-oriented arena, such as a local or state public health department. Typical jobs in these organizations range from Epidemiologist (example: infectious disease surveillance) to Disease Intervention Specialist. Frequently, public health practitioners perform duties that would fall under other public health disciplines, such as health education, program design and evaluation and policy development. Duties vary widely, and may include outbreak and other field investigations, interviews, literature reviews, database searching, and those listed under the MS below, especially for graduates completing the MS core courses.

Students earning an MS usually pursue careers in research with responsibilities including study design, data analysis, grant and report writing, publication preparation and study coordination.

Federal agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health, offer a wide range of positions (such as those listed under the MPH and MS), especially research and outbreak investigation (CDC). Both organizations offer many fellowships, education and training opportunities, including opportunities to work for the Epidemiologic Intelligence Service.

A sample of some of the career paths that have been chosen by epidemiologists include:

• Education - faculty positions at major research universities
• Research - including positions in government, private industry, or non-profit organizations.
• Public Health Practice - at local and state health departments throughout the U.S.

See also :

Current Job/Internship/Fellowship Listing: These are posted by the UW School of Public Health and Community Medicine.