Clinical Epidemiology Course Details - Fees, Subjects, Syllabus, Duration, Eligibility, Career Scope

What is Clinical Epidemiology

The study of public health is known as Clinical Epidemiology. It focuses on a group of individuals instead of a single person. It aims at studying the patterns of several diseases in populations, finding the causes behind those diseases and providing valuable insights to the management authorities to take the necessary steps and precautions ahead. The insights provided by the epidemiologists are extremely valuable as they help the higher authorities to plan services for prevention, control and treatment of the diseases. A doctor or a clinician is more focused towards the treatment of a disease and are not concerned for any other factors.

Clinical Epidemiology attempts to research the trends and causes of diseases with a view to reducing, monitoring and treating them. Epidemiologists gather and evaluate disease data. Important developments in public health have only ever been made possible by extensive epidemiological analysis methods of outbreaks and diseases. An epidemiologist, in contrast, also pays attention to the cause and nature of the disease, its place of origin, its effects, patterns, the people who got affected etc. With these details, an epidemiologist comes up with a solution to stop the spread of such diseases to other communities and contribute in developing vaccines for the same through their findings for a greater good for the people. All the relevant information required to make decisions regarding a career by choosing a Clinical Epidemiology course are mentioned here in this article.

Eligibility Criteria (UG & PG) of Clinical Epidemiology

For the master’s in science in Epidemiology

• Students who have a degree and have passed their undergraduate qualification in Medicine, AYUSH, Engineering, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dentistry, and Arts & Science can apply for the Master level courses in Clinical Epidemiology.

• Candidates with a pass in MBBS /BDS / B.A.M.S. / B.U.M.S. / B.H.M.S. / B.S.M.S. / B.V.Sc. / M.P.T. / M.O.T. /M. Pharmacy / M.Sc. (Nursing)/M.Sc. Biostatistics/Statistics/M.Sc. Nutrition/ Biochemistry / Physiology / Anatomy / Pharmacology / Microbiology or other equivalent Medical related M.Sc. Degrees can also apply for this course.  

• In some universities mathematics is also required as a subject at secondary or higher secondary level.

• Students can apply for admission through online or offline mediums, depending on the availability as per the college/university.

For Ph.D. in Epidemiology

• The students applying for this course must have completed a master’s degree in a relevant discipline from an accredited institution.
• The students who have demonstrated significant interest in public health related areas will have preference at the time of admission.
• The institutes may also ask for work experience in some relevant fields as an eligibility criterion.

Clinical Epidemiology Entrance Exams

For admission to Clinical Epidemiology courses, entrance exams which can be given by the student include:

• Indian Veterinary Research Institute Joint Entrance Examination: It is conducted by Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) for securing admission into their M.V. Sc and Ph.D. programmes. The candidates are shortlisted for the Master of Veterinary Science (Epidemiology) course on the basis of their performance this all India entrance examination.

• The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University entrance test: This test is taken in a written format by The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University as a prerequisite for admission into its two-year M.Sc. in Clinical  Epidemiology program.

Several educational institutions offering a postgraduate course in Clinical Epidemiology do not conduct any entrance exam but instead shortlist the candidates based on their merit and performance in the personal interview.

A few steps are involved in the admission for Clinical Epidemiology courses. The specific procedure of admission varies from one college or university to the other. Here mentioned below is the general procedure for Epidemiology course admission: -

• For Admission into Master’s Program: The admission to Clinical Epidemiology courses is through entrance exam/personal interview performance along with the merit of the candidate. Many reputed institutions carry out examinations to test the student’s knowledge required for this field. The entrance exams can vary as per the states and the exam scores accepted will depend on the college itself. Also, there can be personal interview rounds scheduled additionally or in place of the entrance tests which may vary from college to college for Clinical Epidemiology courses.

• For Admission into Ph.D. courses: If the eligibility criteria is met, candidates would be required to appear for rounds of personal interviews and submission of research proposals post screening of their profiles.

Required Skillset for Clinical Epidemiology

In order to excel as a Clinical  Epidemiology professional, there are certain skills that candidates must possess. These skills not only help during the course of the program but also in practical situations. Here are some of the skills that are extremely desirable for Clinical  Epidemiology courses.

Patience, logical and analytical mind, problem-solving ability, leadership quality, high power of concentration, emotional stability, and ability to make timely decisions are some important skills. Some more are listed below:

• Strong critical thinking ability and self-motivation
• Ability to analyze their findings
• Proficiency in mathematics, statistical analysis and data presentation software programs.
• Proficient writing and speaking skills
• Ability to work with teams and co-ordinate with the team members
• Good listening skills and research oriented