Saturday, November 16, 2013

Description, Areas and Scope of Medical Microbiologist

Description, Areas and Scope of Medical Microbiologist

Medical microbiology course is branch within the field of medicine which focuses on micro organisms of medical interest which include the bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites which are of medical importance and are capable of causing infectious diseases in human beings. Microbiologists can rather be called as detectives who investigate in the microscopic world - a world that holds much wonder and mystery, the world which much people cannot see.

Medical Microbiology Course description includes the study of microbial pathogenesis and epidemiology and is related to the study of disease pathology and immunology. Microbiologists study micro organisms which can cause disease in people, looking into life cycles of such organisms, on how they cause infection, how they spread, and cause disease, the means to treat the diseases and irradiate the disease causing microbes.

This field of microbiology is constantly engaged with identifying new micro organisms, monitoring changes in rapidly mutating species and dealing with the ongoing challenges in medicine, ranging from the development of resistance to antibiotics in bacteria to contamination of water supplies with protozoans. They work in all ways to contribute to mankind and improve humans and environmental quality of life and living.

SCOPE AND CAREER PROSPECTS FOR A MICROBIOLOGIST:

TEACHING : If you are interested in teaching as a profession and if you are interested to pursue your masters degree, and you are basically a science student, then microbiology is the best suited to pursue a masters in. Teaching is a noble profession, and the returns after completing your study is tremendous. And again the scope is vast as it is the basic subject of study in all medical colleges as well as Para medical colleges like dental science, physiotherapy, pharmaceutical science, nursing science, radiography, lab technology etc. It is the most highly paid among the teaching profession in science, even at the initial stage as a beginner. As well you get an opportunity to work among the dignified doctors and amongst the highly esteemed medical professionals. Academic microbiologists are employed by universities, schools and teaching hospitals.
RESEARCH SCIENTIST : Research is a never ending field and thus one can take up research. As a research scientist a microbiologist can work in universities, institutions, industries, hospitals, government organizations and carry out research in laboratories. Many work as associate or assistant scientists or researchers doing the routine work of conducting experiments, others are senior scientists or project managers who lead experiments, supervise lab workers, interpret data and develop new theories and experiments.
CLINICAL ASSOCIATE : One can get into clinical research as clinical coordinator or clinical trials administrator and later on generally qualify to move on to a full clinical research associate position.CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGIST - Clinical microbiologist assist the treating team of doctors with the investigations, diagnosis and treatment of disease. That analyze and interpret data related to patient samples. They work for the betterment of the society by engaging in a wider range for complex work in laboratories specially against incurable, life threatening diseases like cancer, AIDS etc. They advise clinicians on the use of tests, diagnosis of disease and planning and progress of the treatment. They work to combat problems such as outbreaks of epidemics, food poisoning, pollution of air and water, for eg., they check blood samples sent in by physicians to check for any communicable diseases.
TOXICOLOGIST : Microbiologists are employed as toxicologists in investigatory laboratories. They plan and carry out laboratory and field studies to identify, monitor and evaluate the impact of toxic materials and radiations on human and animal health, and on the health and current status of the environment, as well as the impact of future technologies.
FORENSIC SCIENTISTS : Microbiologists with appropriate skills are also considered for posts in forensic science.
BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTS : Following basic training, most biomedical scientists specialize in one aspect of medical laboratory science. The main areas are microbiology, clinical chemistry,transfusion science, hematology, histopathology, cytology, immunology and virology.
BIOSTATISTICIAN : Biostatisticians are statisticians who work in th health related fields. They design research studies and collect and analyze data on problems such as how disease progress, how safe is the treatment, or the impact of certain risk factors associated with medical conditions.
Microbiologists have enough and more jobs as quality assurance specialists in the pharmaceutical companies, food processing industry, diary and milk products, beverages, hotels, biotechnology companies, agriculture, forestry etc.
Phd. : for those interested in further study, they can take up doctorate and go for further specialization and research. Foreign fellowships for doctorate degree are also available.They can also work for medical and scientific publishing firms.
LIST OF VARIOUS POST GRADUATE COURSES OFFERED IN MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY:

B.Sc - Bachelor of science in medical microbiology
M.Sc - Masters of science in medical microbiology
M.D - Doctor of medicine in medical microbiology
Phd - Doctorate in medical microbiology

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