Epidemiologist Career Goals

Neuropsychologists- Work with people with diseases and and find out how the brain’s activity affects your behavior

To begin, Kolbert appeals to experts of neurology and psychology to reinforce the main idea of her essay. Utilizing specialists' theories create a sense of authenticity, and in turn, assures the reader what they are reading is reliable. She calls upon Frances Jensen, a neurologist,

Compas, Bruce, & Gotlib, Ian. (2002). Introduction to Clinical Psychology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

We as a class were given a variety of health subjects to choose from to undertake a research project that counted as a huge part of our grades. I picked the study of epidemiology to be the area I would focus on extensively for the next three months of that semester. This obviously meant that I had to read and learn a couple of books to get a clear idea of how I was going to present my idea and findings. As I read through some of these books, I really became intrigued. The aspects of global health issues, biostatistics and health policies to name a few really jolted me into considering this area of study as a potential future career choice, as oppose as to just a research project. I was really fascinated as I read and came across the range of issues that public health officials such as epidemiologists had to solve or were in the process of solving in inventive ways. I obtained a crucial but very methodical understanding of the very issues that is being faced in the world of health care today. Ever since this class came and went, I have been highly focused on public health issues through other classes and

The trend of neurobiology and physiology predicting and causing behavioris not a new fact. So many illnesses and diseases are now attributed to biological mechanisms. A recent article in Newsweek comments on how those in the field of psychology and neuroscience are beginning to stress the fact that certain brain mechanisms account for mental illnesses and particular behaviors. Doctors seem to blame their patients peculiarities on a biologically based mental illness, rather then seeing them as individual responses to lifes circumstances (Begley 1998). It then becomes more common to prescribe drugs to alleviate the symptoms rather than understanding the behavior. Two recent developments have

My Junior year AP Psychology course didn’t just teach me about the human brain, social patterns and mental disorders -- it taught me about myself. By the end of the first semester of that class, I knew that I had found my calling: to study the human mind and give professional aid to those who suffer from mental disorders. I am confident that the University of Wisconsin-Madison will help me fulfill this goal with its world-renowned Psychology program. UW-Madison is the home of numerous breakthroughs in Psychological science and students who have changed the course of the history of Psychology, such as Abraham Maslow (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) and Harry Harlow (Harlow’s Monkey Experiments). The idea of studying at such an esteemed university is thrilling to me and I’m eager to pursue my education there.

Butcher, J. N., Hooley, J. M., & Mineka, S. (2014). Abnormal Psychology (16th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

iii. Undergraduate and/or Master’s level course work consistent with a major in psychology, including experimental psychology, abnormal psychology, statistics, and research design

Science degree in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Batastini has recently authored or co-

While owning his own Brain Center, Dr. Fotuhi also works along the side of notable universities, “... completing my Ph.D in neuroscience at John Hopkins University before I started medical school. I was actually in the M.D program at Harvard by way of a teaching scholarship offered through Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology…” (11-12). Attending two of the top ten universities in the United States justifies his credibility in the neurology field. Dr. Fotuhi obtained a high level of knowledge of the human brain and is proven by his Ph.D and his accomplishments that were rewarded by a scholarship. Using what Dr. Fotuhi has learned during schooling, he educates us about the topics of neurology while demonstrating expertise by his vocabulary, “... a limbic lobe, a collection of cortical areas in the frontal and temporal lobes, plus some deeper brain structures. One is the amygdala… which is tied to emotions. Another component of the limbic lobe is the hypothalamus, which regulates hormones…” (15). Professionalism is presented as he defines and elaborates about each component of a brain while using scientific terms. Dr. Fotuhi’s tone is serious and indicates his proficiency about neurology which carry on to his novel’s main message and title, Boost Your Brain. Fotuhi’s titles and achievements are never shunned and maintains his professional speech from start to

PSYC100-Introduction to Psychology provided me with a very broad comprehensive introduction to the basic principles and research concepts in the field of psychology. Some of the highlights of this class included information about the brain and nervous system structure and function, learning and memory, language, intelligence, psychological disorders and therapies, personality, and social behavior. This class also introduced some of the various career fields that a degree in psychology allows people to go into such teaching, conducting research, providing therapy, and working as a consultant in business and industry. This class helped me to determine whether or

Neuropsychology is the study of brain-behavior relationships (Barkley, 1983). It is the scientific study of the association between the different structures and physiological processes of the nervous system and the behavior of organisms (Barkley, 1983). The focus of this particular field in psychology is not just pertaining to humans as research on infrahumans consistently provides simple scientific information and data from which research ideas on humans will be drawn/ concluded from (Barkley, 1983). For example, research that was conducted on rats involved giving amphetamines to the rats with given closed head injuries yielded the option of exploring the use of stimulant drugs in helping the recovery of adults and children that have experienced accidental closed head trauma (Barkley, 1983). The field includes the study of developmental changes of the nervous system and it’s behavioral parallels as well as the effects of experimental and also accidental changes of the nervous system on the behavior of an individual (Barkley, 1983).

A famous epidemiologist once said “Epidemiologist is like a bikini: what is revealed is interesting; what is concealed is crucial” (Duesberg). Epidemiology is the study of diseases and informs the public about health epidemics and new health standards put in place. A typical day for an epidemiologist is as follows: they usually work in laboratories, businesses, and offices where they discover many diseases and conduct research while also finding cures for new malignant diseases. Epidemiologist also focuses on medicine for example, they create new antibiotics for vicious diseases or create vaccines to help combat diseases. In order to become an epidemiologist, it would take 4 years as an undergraduate and obtain a Masters in Biology or Public Health. During high school, it is required to take 1 year of Biology and Chemistry or to obtain some kind of science background in order to help me get better prepared. In this paper, I will argue why I selected to pursue a career as an Epidemiologist based on prior knowledge and interest in public health & Biology, health epidemics and experiments/case studies.

After finishing my Undergraduate, I have seen it wise to purse masters in public health, an area that I have much interest in. Having pursed a Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, minor in psychology, expanding my knowledge in the field of public health has been my next option. The vast knowledge that I have gained learning and working can help me while pursuing this program. Given the chance I would be able to fulfill my career goals.

One of the most appealing aspects of becoming a public health professional is the wide range of careers available to choose from. My career goals coincide with the range of opportunities; however, ultimately I want to work with an organization similar to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. I want to focus on the social and medical aspects of disease, and examine the disproportionate rates of disease and disability among minorities. I also want to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS that is rapidly destroying so many countries. My passion to help others around me has sparked a desire to work with clinics around the world in order to promote change in the treatment and prevention of devastating diseases like HIV/AIDS.