Epidemiologist
Healthcare
Investigate and describe the determinants and distribution of disease, disability, or health outcomes. May develop the means for prevention and control.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
- 1Communicate research findings on various types of diseases to health practitioners, policy makers, and the public.
- 2Oversee public health programs, including statistical analysis, health care planning, surveillance systems, and public health improvement.
- 3Investigate diseases or parasites to determine cause and risk factors, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission.
- 4Monitor and report incidents of infectious diseases to local and state health agencies.
- 5Educate healthcare workers, patients, and the public about infectious and communicable diseases, including disease transmission and prevention.
- 6Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- 7Provide expertise in the design, management and evaluation of study protocols and health status questionnaires, sample selection, and analysis.
- 8Write articles for publication in professional journals.
- 9Identify and analyze public health issues related to foodborne parasitic diseases and their impact on public policies, scientific studies, or surveys.
- 10Write grant applications to fund epidemiologic research.
- 11Plan, administer and evaluate health safety standards and programs to improve public health, conferring with health department, industry personnel, physicians, and others.
- 12Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings.
- 13Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, government health officials and others regarding medical applications of sciences, such as physics, biology, and chemistry.
- 14Supervise professional, technical, and clerical personnel.
- 15Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
- 16Prepare and analyze samples to study effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, or microorganisms on cell structure and tissue.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
- IP
- ICN
- ICP
- Malariologist
- Epidemiologist
- Epidemiologists
- Histopathologist
- Clinical Researcher
- Epidemiology Analyst
- Nurse Epidemiologist
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
2
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
3
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
4
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
Typical entry
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Mathematics90%
Additional MathematicsMathematics
- Biology85%
BiologyAdditional Science
- Medicine and Dentistry80%
BiologyChemistry
- English Language80%
English
- Computers and Electronics71%
Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies
- Communications and Media69%
EnglishBahasa Melayu
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Dealing with customers or the publicHigh
- Leading or coordinating othersHigh
- Handling conflict situationsRarely
- Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
- Outdoors, in all weatherRarely
- Noisy environmentAlmost never
Where this job is heading
Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.
- Teach epidemiology to students in public health programs.
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Related careers
If this interests you, these are worth a look too.
About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Epidemiologists
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org