If you are a person who is confused between choosing a career in life sciences, but like mathematics as well, here’s good news – there are career paths like that too. A blend of statistics, medical sciences, clinical biology and experiments, biostatisticians apply their knowledge of statistics to analyze various clinical trials and related tests. For people who like to be involved in healthcare, medical and other related sectors, but do not want to work as a frontline worker or research, a Biostatistician is an ideal option. If you feel intrigued to know more about how to become a Biostatistician, read on to know exactly how.
What do biostatisticians do?
Biostatisticians main responsibilities include drawing conclusions or making predictions, examining data and statistics on living organisms acquired during medical research investigations. In collaboration with other statisticians and scientists, they may also help with the design and implementation of research investigations. Fieldwork and data collection are also important responsibilities of a biostatistician.
Right Skill = Bright Future
They may also be required to participate in the study planning stages, as well as data collecting and interpretation. Some may also observe how the clinical trial is carried out to verify that the results are not impacted by external factors, which may or may not be considered by scientists generally. Another part of their job includes writing research proposals, and also communicating their findings to the scientific community through publications. Along with performing analysis of research data, some biostatisticians may also take lectures at institutions.
What are the qualifications in required to become a Biostatistician?
A Bachelor of Science in either statistics or mathematics required at the under-graduation level. At post-graduation level, several universities and institutes offer Master of Science specialization in Biostatistics. These courses are usually 3 year long, and research based. Some institutes that offer an M.Sc. degree in Biostatistics include –
- Christian Medical College, Vellore
- Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai
- Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla
- IIT Bombay, Mumbai
- Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata
- Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), New Delhi
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal
- University of Madras, Chennai
- University of Pune, Pune
What are the skills required to become a biostatistician?
As in every job, biostatisticians also have their own set of skills required to be mastered. Listed below are the technical as well as soft skills every aspiring biostatistician should learn –
- Have a good grip on expert subjects like statistics, mathematics, and computer science to be able analyze large data volumes
- Be able to extract and store data, perform initial analysis of the same, and deliver to the users
- Be capable of developing complex databases along with any other data analysis programs, if required
- Should be able in developing analysis plans and relevant methodologies after experiments are conducted
- Have the knowledge of Constructing scientific manuscripts as well as grant applications
- Must be able to prioritise assigned tasks under a set of given constraints
- individually and collaboratively complete objectives and deadlines agreed-upon
What does a biostatistician do in a typical day?
In a typical day, biostatisticians work in an office setting for the most of their days, usually on a computer using statistical tools, algorithms and software. Some other particular tasks done by a biostatistician on a daily basis include –
- Participating in planning research, along with collecting data and interpreting the data generated from experiments
- Conducting analysis of datasets obtained
- Developing new algorithms and statistical techniques as well data visualizations for the benefit of understanding by the concerned stakeholders
- Providing statistical expertise
Senior Biostatisticians tend to have more responsibilities including-
- Assuring that the workgroup’s and stakeholders’ goals are reached through design, planning, data analysis, modelling, and predictions, as well as accompanying documentation and development.
- Assisting and guiding members of the team
- Participating in project-level decision-making
- Creating statistical methods that are both accurate as well as efficient
- Creating work scopes, statistical memoranda, and reports
- Reporting results and conclusions in conferences, as well as internal and external meetings
- Supporting team members’ statistical research by providing mentoring
A biostatistician is someone who contributes to the world by discovering out the solution to a medical question that has puzzled specialists for years. Being a biostatistician is a rewarding career, especially for the ones who love statistics.
By: Srinithya Ravinuthala
