Many popular movies and TV shows depict catastrophic outbreaks of deadly diseases. Whether they deal with zombie outbreaks or something more realistic, they are still created with the intent to entertain. The audience can choose to either watch or not. But, with the spread of COVID-19, we have all now seen and experienced the real-world impact of infectious disease. As the number of cases rises, it’s no surprise that infectious disease specialists are some of the most valued healthcare positions to date. But, before you can start battling a global pandemic, let’s take a look at how to become an infectious disease specialist.
How to Become an Infectious Disease Specialist
What is an Infectious Disease Specialist?
When you begin your search, you might want to know exactly what the job entails. An infectious disease specialist will focus on diseases that are rarer than your everyday cold or flu. For cases requiring expert knowledge, an infectious disease specialist may need to investigate the disease. The specialist conducts research, recognizes symptoms, and makes a diagnosis. Finally, the specialist makes treatment recommendations to help prevent the spread of the disease.
Besides working with patients, you also may need to embark on some research of your own. This will happen especially if an unfamiliar disease presents itself, such as the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The specialist may work alongside public health officials or the Center for Disease Control, depending on their role in the community.
Education Requirements
Many candidates interested in this career will often ask about education. Since you will find that it is such a niche career, you can expect to put in some extra time during your schooling. A bachelor’s degree is the first step in the educational path of an infectious disease specialist. Prepare yourself for the MCAT, and try to take classes that contain science labs. You may also want to choose a biology major to get a head start on some of the education that you’ll receive later.
Next, you’ll need to go to medical school. These programs can be extremely competitive, so you’ll need to dedicate yourself to your education. You’ll split time in medical school between traditional classroom learning and rotations. After that, you will complete a three-year internal medicine residency. Residents may experience inpatient and outpatient environments. They will likely work a variety of schedules and come in contact with a large range of patient types and needs.
Finally, your three-year fellowship will allow you to dedicate all of your time to becoming a board-certified infectious disease specialist. To reap the rewarding salary and experience, you must put in the work. Devote your time to it, and remember it’s a lot of education.
Work Environments
One of the biggest perks of this particular career is the variety of settings available to work in. When many wonder how to become an infectious disease specialist, they’re often wondering about the places they can work as well. Some will opt to work in a hospital setting. Here, they can treat patients with various diseases and ensure that they have an expert providing the best possible care. Others will opt to work in a lab setting where they can work on finding vaccines.
Salary
Although you’ve put a lot of time and effort into your schooling, we think that an infectious disease specialist career will pay off financially. As of August 2020, the average person in this role makes upwards of $224,000, so it’s certainly a lucrative gig.
We hope this provided some guidance on how to become an infectious disease specialist. As always, if you’re looking for a career assignment, check out our “jobs” page! If you have other tips on how to land a new position in this role, feel free to drop them below!
