How can I become an epidemiologist?

Pervin Malhotra

Q. Can you please tell me something about the field of epidemiology? How does one become an epidemiologist? I’m a student of BSc (microbiology). —Tarini Upreti

A. Just as a crime remains a mystery until it’s solved (with the help of forensic and criminology intelligence), the outbreak of a disease also remains a mystery until it’s solved by Epidemiology Intelligence (EI). Several outbreaks in India like SARS, Ebola etc remain unsolved precisely due to lack of EI. Outbreaks of diseases such as Japanese Encephalitis, dengue, haemorrhagic fever and Leptospirosis occur frequently but often public authorities fail to predict or prevent them.

Epidemiology seeks to study the patterns and causes of diseases in order to prevent, control and treat them. Epidemiologists collect and interpret data on diseases Major discoveries in public health have only been possible due to detailed epidemiological analyses of outbreaks and diseases. 

It’s thanks to the work of epidemiologists that small pox and polio have been eradicated from many countries altogether, and the link between smoking and lung cancer established. As opposed to the curative emphasis of mainstream medicine, epidemiology focuses on preventive medicine. You need an inquisitive and analytical mind with a deep focus on minute details to succeed as an epidemiologist. The trick lies in quickly identifying the mode of transmission and applying preventive measures. For instance, the transmission route of a deadly strain of encephalitis virus was traced from fruit bats (flying foxes) to pigs to humans and then to other humans. 

In India, epidemiologists have traditionally been MBBS graduates specialising in preventive medicine. Now postgraduate courses e.g. MPH in Epidemiology & Health Systems are being offered by several government and private institutions to train epidemiologists. 

Besides serving as health officers and project coordinators in the government, epidemiologists are also employed by NGOs, research institutions, universities and international institutions such as WHO and UNICEF.

Major institutions in this field are: ICMR School of Public Health (ICMR National Institute of Epidemiology; Sri Chitra Tirumal Instt for Medical Sciences & Tech, Thiruvananthapuram www.nie.gov.in); Public Health Foundation of India (All-India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health, Kolkata); National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi; National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai; and the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

Sanskrit — A hit or a miss?

Q. While pursuing Sanskrit as part of my school curriculum I’ve developed a genuine interest in the language and Indian culture. Most of the people around me say that it’s a ‘fossil’ language that will get me nowhere. They don’t believe me when I say that I love the language (I never miss the Sanskrit News on DD). Am I making a mistake? From where can I pursue this subject? —Vivek Kumar

A. Contrary to the misconception that it’s an outdated language, if there’s one Indian language that has managed to survive the onslaught of changes over centuries, it’s Sanskrit. The 4000-year-old grandmother of all languages continues to flourish in pockets despite the fact that most of us can’t even string a single sentence in it; leave aside read Kalidasa, Valmiki, Ved Vyasa or Shankara in the original.

We need to understand the scriptures, validate and extend the classical theories by applying them to contemporary Indian as well as western languages and literature. Apart from Delhi University and the 16-odd Sanskrit Universities (three of which are in this part of the country; Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Deemed University) New Delhi, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, New Delhi, Uttarakhand Sanskrit University, Haridwar ,you could also check out JNU's School of Sanskrit & Indic Studies which has recently introduced BSc & MSc Ayurvigyan (Ayurbiology), BA Sanskrit (offline & online)& MA Yoga. The multi-disciplinary curriculum is designed to help students pursue jobs in vastu shastra, digital manuscriptology and heritage tourism.

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