Do you remember during the coronavirus pandemic, we were all glued to the TV or our phones waiting for the latest information? One of the words you heard most often during that time was "Virologist." We often heard things like "A virologist says this," "This is the latest opinion of virologists." So who is a virologist? What do they do? Let's talk about this in a simple way.
Who is this virologist?
Simply put, a virologist is someone who studies viruses in depth and has expertise in them. Viruses are very small microorganisms that we cannot see with our eyes. They can infect not only humans, animals, and plants, but even bacteria.
A virologist studies many things about these viruses. For example:
- How does a virus enter a cell in our body and reproduce?
- How do they spread to people nearby?
- How are vaccines made to prevent viral infections?
- How do you find antiviral medications to treat a viral infection?
Their main task is to find answers to very complex questions like these.
What does a virologist do?
Even though the word "virologist" is used, there are many different jobs and responsibilities under that name. Think of it this way: some do research in a lab, while others treat patients in a hospital. It's like when you say "engineer," there are different fields like civil engineering and mechanical engineering.
You can get a good idea about this from the table below.
| Nature of work | A simple description of what is being done |
|---|---|
| Working in hospitals | Samples taken from patients (e.g. blood, sputum) are tested to determine which virus is present. Accordingly, doctors are given recommendations for treatment. |
| Working as a doctor | As an infectious disease specialist, you directly treat patients with viral infections. For example, you manage chronic viral infections like HIV or hepatitis. |
| Basic Research | At a university or research institute, we conduct research on the most basic things, such as how a virus works and how it enters a cell. This research forms the foundation for creating new medicines. |
| Applied Research | They use the findings from basic research to develop practical products like vaccines or antiviral drugs. These people often work for pharmaceutical companies. |
| Service in public health institutions | A country's Ministry of Health, working with organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), identifies newly emerging viruses and provides advice on controlling the spread of epidemics. |
In addition to this, there are various jobs such as a journalist who writes about the medical field and a grant writer who writes proposals to obtain funding for research.
Do you have to go to medical school to become a virologist?
This is a question that many people ask. The answer is, definitely not. But most virologists have a medical degree (MD) or a doctorate (PhD). Some may have both.
Simply put, the difference between the two is this:
- Medical Doctorate (MD): This is obtained after studying in medical school and training to examine, diagnose, and treat patients. These people focus on patient care.
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): This is awarded after in-depth research in a specific field and adding new knowledge to the world. These people focus on research and problem-solving.
If you want to treat patients directly and work with them, it's important to get a medical degree (MD). But if your passion is to work in a lab, find new things, and do research, a PhD is more suitable.
The journey to becoming a virologist
This is a long journey. It requires good educational qualifications and a lot of dedication.
Step by step...
1. Advanced Level: First, you must pass the Advanced Level Science section well, especially Biology and Chemistry.
2. First degree: After that, you need to get a Bachelor's degree in a field such as Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, or Medical Laboratory Science.
3. Postgraduate degree: The next step depends on your goals.
- To do research: You will need to study up to a Master of Science (MS) or Doctoral degree (PhD) in Virology or a related field.
- To treat patients: You must attend medical school, earn a medical degree (MD), and then undergo specialist training in a field such as infectious disease or immunology.
- To do both research and patient care: Some people do both a medical degree and a doctorate. There are `MD-PhD` programs for that.
Typically, this journey can take about 10 years after high school. While that's a long time, the service that can be rendered to the world in this field is unimaginably great.
Important topics for this journey
- Biology - especially Microbiology, Cell Biology, and Molecular Biology
- Chemistry - especially Biochemistry
- Genetics
- Immunology
- The study of cancer (Oncology)
Difference between Virologist and Epidemiologist
We heard both of these names a lot during the Corona period. These two people do different things. Let's understand with a simple example.
Imagine that a group of people who drank water from a well in a village suddenly became ill.
- Virologist: What he does is take a well water sample and go to the lab and find out what virus is in it. He researches the behavior of that virus and how to destroy it. He looks deeply into the pathogen .
- Epidemiologist: What he does is to find out how the disease spread. Who got the disease? What age groups? Did they all drink water from the same well? What can be done to stop the disease from spreading further? He gives advice at the public health level. He looks at the pattern of the disease's spread .
Simply put, while virologists study viruses, epidemiologists study how that virus spreads in society.
Take-Home Message
- A virologist is a specialist who studies viruses in depth.
- They can work in hospitals, research laboratories, universities, pharmaceutical companies, and public health institutions.
- To work in this field, it is very important to obtain a medical degree (MD) or a doctorate (PhD). It depends on the type of job you want to pursue.
- This is a very important profession that requires a lot of dedication and time, and can provide a great service to humanity.
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