Source: Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition.
From discovering the causes of polio and smallpox to
controlling epidemics all around the world, epidemiologists
have been behind many of our current advancements
in public health. While the field of epidemiology now
encompasses a wide range of skills and methods, its origin
is commonly traced back 1 to a single story; the tale of
John Snow and the Broad Street pump.
Snow was born in England in 1813—a time when
the prevailing notion behind disease transmission was the
“miasma theory.” 2 According to this theory, diseases
were spread through particles from decomposed matter that
would then become part of the air. Snow, who had survived
a number of cholera epidemics in his childhood before
pursuing a career in medicine, was 3 cynical about this
elegant but incorrect theory. However, it was not until
the cholera epidemic of 1854 that he was able to acquire
insurmountable evidence showing that cholera was caused
by something other than “bad air.”
Within the first two weeks of September, 1854, over
500 people had mysteriously died 4 of cholera. Those
who had died were all within 250 yards of the Cambridge
Street and Broad Street intersection in the Soho district of
London. Snow began analyzing the addresses of those who
had contracted the disease. He found that, of the hundreds
of cases of cholera near Soho, 5 and all but ten involving
people who lived near the contaminated pump on Broad
Street. Of the remaining ten cases, five involved people
who preferred the water from the Broad Street pump and
three involved children who went to school near the Broad
Street pump. Snow’s research was too compelling for the
local council to ignore: they eventually removed the Broad
Street pump from service, 6 affectively ending the cholera
outbreak in Soho.
7 Today, epidemiology is considered a basic science
of public health. It is a quantitative discipline built on
probability, statistics, and research 8 methods, a method
of causal reasoning based on developing and testing
hypotheses, and a tool to promote and protect the health of
the public. Examples of applied epidemiology include
monitoring reports of communicable diseases in the
9 community; and tracking down the cause of a food-borne outbreak. While many epidemiologists work for
health departments at the local and state levels, a number
are also employed by colleges and universities. 10 In 2012,
the median wage for epidemiologists in the United States
was around $60,000, though this number was substantially
larger for those working in the state government. For those
interested in pursuing a career in this field, the prospects
also look bright, 11 but employment is projected to grow
10 percent between 2012 and 2022.
From discovering the causes of polio and smallpox to
controlling epidemics all around the world, epidemiologists
have been behind many of our current advancements
in public health. While the field of epidemiology now
encompasses a wide range of skills and methods, its origin
is commonly traced back 1 to a single story; the tale of
John Snow and the Broad Street pump.
Snow was born in England in 1813—a time when
the prevailing notion behind disease transmission was the
“miasma theory.” 2 According to this theory, diseases
were spread through particles from decomposed matter that
would then become part of the air. Snow, who had survived
a number of cholera epidemics in his childhood before
pursuing a career in medicine, was 3 cynical about this
elegant but incorrect theory. However, it was not until
the cholera epidemic of 1854 that he was able to acquire
insurmountable evidence showing that cholera was caused
by something other than “bad air.”
Within the first two weeks of September, 1854, over
500 people had mysteriously died 4 of cholera. Those
who had died were all within 250 yards of the Cambridge
Street and Broad Street intersection in the Soho district of
London. Snow began analyzing the addresses of those who
had contracted the disease. He found that, of the hundreds
of cases of cholera near Soho, 5 and all but ten involving
people who lived near the contaminated pump on Broad
Street. Of the remaining ten cases, five involved people
who preferred the water from the Broad Street pump and
three involved children who went to school near the Broad
Street pump. Snow’s research was too compelling for the
local council to ignore: they eventually removed the Broad
Street pump from service, 6 affectively ending the cholera
outbreak in Soho.
7 Today, epidemiology is considered a basic science
of public health. It is a quantitative discipline built on
probability, statistics, and research 8 methods, a method
of causal reasoning based on developing and testing
hypotheses, and a tool to promote and protect the health of
the public. Examples of applied epidemiology include
monitoring reports of communicable diseases in the
9 community; and tracking down the cause of a food-borne outbreak. While many epidemiologists work for
health departments at the local and state levels, a number
are also employed by colleges and universities. 10 In 2012,
the median wage for epidemiologists in the United States
was around $60,000, though this number was substantially
larger for those working in the state government. For those
interested in pursuing a career in this field, the prospects
also look bright, 11 but employment is projected to grow
10 percent between 2012 and 2022.