Dream jobs: Epidemiology

Chris Brighton on 7 July 2020
Female scientist creating samples to be tested

This week in our Dream Jobs series, we focus on epidemiology. If you like interpreting data and are interested in public health, this could be the career for you.

Skills required: Analysing/ interpreting data, written and oral communication, numeracy, problem-solving

£££: Starting salary c.£24K, specialist/senior roles £70k+

Emma Jolley, head of health and disability research at Sightsavers

Tell us about a typical day in your job 

It really varies. If we’re doing fieldwork then I could be waking up early in a hotel somewhere in Africa to get on the road by daybreak. The days can be long and tiring, and we have to get back before dark as the potholed roads can be dangerous, but it’s the best part of my job. Once we’ve collected the data and I’m back in the UK, I spend most days doing analysis or write-up, or sharing results and deciding how we’re going to change our programmes accordingly. I also go to international conferences to speak and share our results and write publications for journals. 

What made you want to get into epidemiology?

After my degree in Maths I didn’t have much of a plan about what I was going to do with my life. I fell into international development through temping at Frontline AIDS, and quickly became fascinated with public health approaches. My strong Maths background made epidemiology the obvious choice to specialise in further.

How did you get into epidemiology?

I realised I needed a master’s degree at least, plus experience working in a developing country, if I was going to get anywhere with international public health. I had enough years of relevant experience to successfully apply to volunteer overseas with VSO. For a year I was paid a (very) basic local wage and provided with local accommodation to live and work in Mombasa, Kenya, supporting small local NGOs to develop their fundraising capacity and financial systems. After that I did a master’s in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about being an epidemiologist?

That it’s to do with skin!

What was your dream job when you were 16?

I think I imagined being a lawyer would be fun. No idea why!

What courses or training did you do? 

I have a BSc in Maths, and MSc in Epidemiology and now I need to start thinking about that PhD. I routinely update my statistical analysis skills through short courses.

What was your university life like? 

I always seemed to be on the course with the most contact hours! I remember my roommates in the first year having a couple of hours of lectures and seminars a week, but I had more than 30 – I felt very hard done by at the time. My master’s degree was also 9-5, five days a week and I suspect a lot of science courses are similar.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be an epidemiologist?

That the travel and publications are the attractive, ‘shiny’ parts of the job. The hours spent poring line by line over data checking for errors, and the huge amount of administrative work required to stay on the right side of ethical regulations and standards are the less glamorous but necessary aspects.

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Chris Brighton
Chris Brighton on 7 July 2020