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Online Education Programs Put Students At The Forefront Of Health And Medical Research
In the world of biological, health and medical research, there are two primary types of people whom the field can’t exist without. The first is the researcher, who tries to further our knowledge of the living world. The other is the biostatistician, who is responsible for verifying the research is true.
Biostatistics (also called biometrics) is the mathematical analyzing of the latest findings of any biological discovery. Those in the profession develop samples and then test to see if a theory fits within predetermined boundaries. These theories can be on anything from the latest in biogenetics to measuring the safety of a drug.
In other words, if some form of research requires sampling the population for a result, a biostatistician will decide how data is collected and how large a sample they need. They then actually design the test procedure, analyze what they collected and report the results. This procedure can be applied to testing a new drug for dangerous side effects to determining how far a disease has spread over the world.
This is a career path that involves a lot of educational investment. Those coming out of high school must have good grades not only in mathematics, but basic biology and chemistry. Strong written and oral skills are a plus. From there, undergraduate work should be with either a brick-and-mortar or online school that has a strong mathematical department with more chemistry, biology and communications courses as minors. The goal is a BS in either Statistics, Applied Mathematics or something similar.
Interestingly, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that of all the STEM fields, mathematicians of all stripes are the least common. So finding employment after one’s four year degree is not as difficult as other career choices. What many do is find employment in a university, research hospital, government agency and/or drug/medical manufacturers, particularly one that offers post-grad educational reimbursement.
This is when one can finally take their biometric courses. Most of these candidates do so by working during the day and then taking their courses online at night. When one finally gets a Masters in the field, they’ve made the grade. It should be noted that many do go on for their PhD.
Entry level positions start in the $30,000 range. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there are somewhere slightly over 20,000 biostatisticians in the working U.S. Because of their rarity and the importance of their work, average salary is estimated to the $70,000 range. The top 10% earns well into the $120,000 range. Those with PhD are who work on highly critical research are known to earn considerably more.
No matter how you look at it, all the current advances coming in biology, medicine and even agriculture have the stamp of a biostatistician on it. Whether it’s measuring the health risk of high fructose corn syrup or whether there’s a hidden risk with a new artificial leg, the biometrician is the one who crunches the numbers to see if something new moves from theory to fact.
Good online degree programs offer the preparatory work needed to actively compete in this field. One thing these professionals can count on is the need for classes to earn their health care degree and ongoing education to keep them up to date with the latest technology and results of their peers in the field.
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