Warning: include(/includes1/header.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in E:\HostingSpaces\skillga1\skillgapfinder.com\wwwroot\course-stream.php on line 40
Warning: include(): Failed opening '/includes1/header.php' for inclusion (include_path='.;C:\Program Files (x86)\PHP\v7.1\pear') in E:\HostingSpaces\skillga1\skillgapfinder.com\wwwroot\course-stream.php on line 40
Course: Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
For much of human history, we didn’t understand what caused and spread sickness. Perfectly healthy people would suddenly take ill and plagues would destroy whole cities. But people had no concept of why such terrible things happened. They blamed disease on unseen forces, angry spirits, and vengeful gods.
It’s not surprising that we once blamed invisible powers for causing disease, because the actual sources for many illnesses are practically invisible. However, they are organic, living organisms -- microbes, including bacteria and viruses. Medical microbiologists and bacteriologists study these microorganisms.
Students of this program study microbes that cause human disease and sickness. Subjects of study include bacterial genetics, anatomy, and reproduction.
Are You Ready To...?
- Write a senior thesis (major research paper)
- Try for a summer research internship
- Spend time on computers, interpreting data
- Use microscopes to study microscopic organisms
- Attend labs as well as lectures
It Helps To Be...
Into science with a desire to understand illnesses, why they occur, and how they can be prevented. If you’d like to fight for better health, this could be the major for you.
College Checklist
- Are labs equipped with the latest?
- What kind of access will you have to lab equipment?
- How big are classes? Make sure you'll get the attention you need.
- What kind of opportunities will you have for independent research or internships?
- How often will you be able to sign up for courses in this major? Are they offered every semester?
Did You Know?
Medical microbiologists not only study bacteria and viruses that cause diseases, but also fungi and parasites (such as tapeworms).
Course Spotlight
Epidemiology is the study of disease and the way it moves through groups of people. Epidemiologists try to figure out what causes a particular disease (such as a virus), where it began, and how it spreads from person to person.
In an introductory epidemiology class, you’ll look at demographics (the study of populations), the physical nature of illness, and the methods that scientists use to find out who is most at risk for developing certain diseases.