How to Be Surveillance Epidemiologist - Job Description, Skills, and Interview Questions

Exposure to poor air quality has been increasingly linked to numerous health issues, such as respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular diseases. This has caused an increased demand for surveillance epidemiologists, who are medical professionals dedicated to investigating and monitoring health-related issues in a population. They use data from sources such as medical records, public health surveys, and environmental reports to identify trends and patterns in health, and to assess any potential risk factors. This helps them to create policies and procedures to prevent and reduce the occurrence of these health issues, as well as to suggest strategies to improve the overall public health of the population.

Steps How to Become

1. Earn a Bachelor's Degree. The first step to becoming a surveillance epidemiologist is to earn a bachelor's degree in epidemiology or a related field such as public health, biostatistics, or biology. You should look for a program that offers courses in epidemiological research methods, biostatistical analysis, and data management.
2. Gain Experience. You may need to gain some experience in the field of epidemiology to qualify for a surveillance epidemiologist position. This can be done through volunteer work, internships, or entry-level positions with public health organizations.
3. Obtain Certification. You may be able to increase your chances of getting hired as a surveillance epidemiologist by obtaining professional certification from the American Board of Preventive Medicine. This certification is voluntary, but it demonstrates your knowledge and skills in the field of epidemiology.
4. Pursue a Master's Degree. Many employers prefer to hire individuals who have a master's degree in public health, epidemiology, or a related field. A master's degree program can help you learn more advanced concepts in epidemiology and gain the skills and knowledge necessary for success as a surveillance epidemiologist.
5. Apply for Jobs. After you have completed your education and gained experience in the field, you can apply for jobs as a surveillance epidemiologist. Many of these positions are with government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO).

Surveillance epidemiologists are skilled and capable public health professionals who play a vital role in protecting the health of communities by collecting, analyzing, and interpreting health data. They use their expertise to identify health trends, detect emerging health threats, and evaluate the effectiveness of public health interventions. By monitoring health and disease trends over time, they can identify potential risk factors and preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the incidence and spread of disease.

Their work also helps guide policy decisions to ensure that public health programs are effective and efficient. The skills and capabilities of surveillance epidemiologists are essential for mitigating and preventing the spread of disease in our communities.

You may want to check Clinical Epidemiologist, Environmental Health Epidemiologist, and Program Epidemiologist for alternative.

Job Description

1. Develop and implement epidemiological surveillance systems and protocols.
2. Analyze data collected through surveillance systems and identify trends in public health.
3. Design and conduct research studies to investigate disease outbreaks and develop prevention strategies.
4. Monitor health outcomes related to public health threats.
5. Identify risk factors associated with diseases and health problems.
6. Interpret and present epidemiological data in a variety of formats.
7. Collaborate with public health professionals to develop and implement interventions in response to health threats.
8. Educate the public about health risks and preventive measures.
9. Assess the effectiveness of public health interventions.
10. Develop policies and procedures for public health programs.

Skills and Competencies to Have

1. Knowledge of epidemiology and public health principles
2. Expertise in infectious disease surveillance
3. Ability to analyze and interpret complex data
4. Ability to develop surveys, questionnaires, and other data collection methods
5. Knowledge of statistical software programs such as SPSS and SAS
6. Knowledge of computer programming languages such as Python and R
7. Excellent communication skills
8. Ability to work with diverse populations
9. Knowledge of ethical standards in research
10. Strong interpersonal skills

Surveillance Epidemiologists play an important role in the health and safety of a community by helping to identify and track outbreaks of disease. A key skill for any Surveillance Epidemiologist is the ability to think critically and analyze data. The ability to interpret and evaluate data collected from different sources, such as laboratory results, surveys and health records, is essential for a Surveillance Epidemiologist to identify trends, patterns, and clusters of illness.

With this data, they can investigate the causes of an outbreak, assess the risk of spread, and determine the best ways to contain or control it. Surveillance Epidemiologists are also responsible for communicating their findings to public health officials and other stakeholders, offering support and advice for containment efforts. By having a thorough understanding of the data, Surveillance Epidemiologists are able to provide the necessary information to help prevent and protect against potential outbreaks, making them a vital part of any public health team.

Data Analyst Epidemiologist, Field Epidemiologist, and Molecular Epidemiologist are related jobs you may like.

Frequent Interview Questions

• What experience do you have in conducting epidemiological studies?
• What methods are you familiar with for data collection and analysis?
• How would you go about identifying risk factors for a certain disease?
• Describe your experience in using public health databases.
• How would you go about conducting an epidemiological investigation?
• What strategies do you use to ensure accuracy and precision when analyzing data?
• How comfortable are you working with statistical software packages?
• Describe your experience in writing reports based on epidemiological research.
• How would you go about determining the best methods to track the spread of an infectious disease?
• What challenges have you faced in conducting surveillance epidemiology studies?

Common Tools in Industry

1. Epi Info. Epi Info is a public health software program used for the analysis and presentation of epidemiological data. (eg: Used to generate maps, graphs, and descriptive statistics. )
2. ArcGIS. ArcGIS is a comprehensive mapping and geographic analytics software that can be used to visualize, analyze, and interpret data. (eg: Used to create interactive maps for geospatial analysis. )
3. R. R is a programming language and software environment for statistical computing and graphics. (eg: Used to create data visualizations and analyze large datasets. )
4. SAS. SAS is a statistical analysis software program that can be used to run complex analyses and generate reports. (eg: Used to generate reports on trends in disease prevalence over time. )
5. Tableau. Tableau is a data visualization software program used for creating interactive charts, graphs, and dashboards. (eg: Used to construct visual representations of epidemiological data. )

Professional Organizations to Know

1. American College of Epidemiology (ACE)
2. Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER)
3. International Society for Disease Surveillance (ISDS)
4. Association of Public Health Epidemiologists in Ontario (APHEO)
5. Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE)
6. European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO)
7. International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID)
8. International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE)
9. American Public Health Association (APHA)
10. International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE)

We also have Infection Control Epidemiologist, Occupational Epidemiologist, and Community Health Epidemiologist jobs reports.

Common Important Terms

1. Outbreak Investigation. A process of identifying and controlling the source and spread of a disease outbreak.
2. Epidemiology. The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in a population, and the application of this study to control health problems.
3. Surveillance. The ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data in order to inform public health action.
4. Surveillance Systems. A set of interconnected components that work together to collect, analyze, and use data to inform public health action.
5. Disease Surveillance. The continuous, systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data regarding a health-related event for use in public health action.
6. Public Health Surveillance. The collection, analysis, interpretation, and communication of data regarding a health-related event in order to inform public health action.
7. Epidemiologic Studies. Studies that use scientific methods to quantify the relationship between risk factors and health outcomes in a population.
8. Risk Factors. Characteristics or behaviors that increase the likelihood of a particular health outcome occurring.
9. Surveillance Epidemiologist. A professional responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating surveillance systems and epidemiologic studies in order to inform public health action.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Surveillance Epidemiologist?

A Surveillance Epidemiologist is a public health professional who collects and analyzes data to identify health trends and potential health risks.

What skills are required of a Surveillance Epidemiologist?

A Surveillance Epidemiologist must have strong analytical, research, and communication skills, as well as a deep understanding of epidemiology, biostatistics, and public health.

What type of data do Surveillance Epidemiologists analyze?

Surveillance Epidemiologists analyze various types of data, including disease-based surveillance data, mortality data, survey data, clinical data, and population-based epidemiologic studies.

What type of organizations employ Surveillance Epidemiologists?

Surveillance Epidemiologists are employed by public health organizations, hospitals, universities, and research institutions.

What degree is necessary to become a Surveillance Epidemiologist?

Most employers require that Surveillance Epidemiologists have a master's degree in epidemiology or a related field.

What are jobs related with Surveillance Epidemiologist?

• Clinical Research Epidemiologist
• Biostatistician Epidemiologist
• Medical Epidemiologist
• Health Care Epidemiologist
• Lead Epidemiologist
• Infectious Disease Epidemiologist
• Research Epidemiologist

Web Resources

• Surveillance Epidemiologist | School of Public Health & Health … www.umass.edu
• Overdose Surveillance Epidemiologist – Imagine | Johns Hopkins … imagine.jhu.edu
• Epidemiological Surveillance | Global Health Sciences globalhealthsciences.ucsf.edu