Tag: healthcare

How to Become a Medical Statistician

Accurate measurements and data analyses are invaluable throughout healthcare systems. That is, sound statistical methods in clinical trials, university research, and hospital operations are crucial to better patient outcomes. Medical statisticians – also known as biostatisticians – are key to setting the foundations of medical research and to clinical decision-making.

Medical statisticians regularly require both applied statistics expertise and healthcare industry knowledge. Merging these knowledge areas is possible with a graduate-level education. If this career intrigues you, read on about the responsibilities in this role.

A Medical Statistician’s Job Responsibilities

Medical statisticians design clinical studies and quality improvement projects. They also perform other data-gathering methods in healthcare settings. That is, they are involved in every step of a project’s development from study design through publication of research results.

Typical employers for medical statisticians include the following:

  • Integrated healthcare systems
  • Pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies
  • Public health departments
  • University research institutes and medical schools

Statisticians in healthcare settings may simultaneously oversee studies and projects in different stages. For instance, take the example of a medical statistician employed by a pharmaceutical company. This statistics professional might work on one of more of the following tasks in a day:

  • Optimizing sample sizes for upcoming clinical trials of new medications and products
  • Updating case report forms with data from ongoing trials
  • Modeling trial results for data on positive and negative impacts
  • Writing the methods section for an application to a regulatory body like the FDA

Because health statisticians are involved with many aspects of healthcare, their careers are highly collaborative. Medical statisticians might team up with physician-scientists, medical writers, clinical managers, and regulatory affairs specialists. They may also work with statisticians at other organizations as part of large-scale research projects.

Preparing For a Medical Statistician Career

An undergraduate degree with a mathematics focus is a good starting point for a career in medical statistics. Professionals pursuing nursing or other care-focused degrees may also leave statistics career options open by taking a few college courses. Truly, successful coursework in calculus, linear algebra, and statistics is helpful no matter your college degree.

However, the most common entry point into a medical statistician career is a master’s degree in applied statistics. Students in this graduate program learn how to use statistical methods to analyze and to solve real-world challenges. Medical statisticians typically build advanced skills in the following areas during their graduate education:

  • Designing and evaluating experiments
  • Communicating research results to stakeholders
  • Employing programming languages, such as R and Python to solve problems
  • Using SAS software for data mining and analysis

Success as a medical statistician, however, extends beyond fluency in statistics and data analytics. That is, medical statisticians also need project management skills to oversee junior staff members and balance research responsibilities. They also require a rich understanding of medical ethics and professional standards.

Looking Ahead: Career Prospects and Salary for Medical Statisticians

A graphic of a bar chart and a trend line.

Increasing complexity in clinical research and health services means there is a high demand for medical statisticians. Overall, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 30% growth in jobs for all statisticians from 2022 to 2032.

This projection far exceeds the estimated 3% growth in jobs for all occupations during the same period. What this growth comes down to is a need for about 10,600 statisticians.

And this long-term demand for statistics professionals in health fields translates into above-average salaries. The BLS found a median salary of $104,860 for mathematicians and statisticians in 2023. Experience and specialized knowledge may lead to higher salaries, with the top 10% of earners reporting salaries of at least $161,300.

Aspiring medical statisticians can boost their career prospects by studying at a leading university. A graduate education focused on the latest methods and tools prepares statisticians for future opportunities. Michigan Tech University offers a Master of Science in Applied Statistics that achieves these goals.

Acquiring Medical Statistician Skills at Michigan Tech

Michigan Tech’s innovative Online MS in Applied Statistics Degree provides entryways into in-demand fields such as medical statistics and others. This program is also flexible. It offers seven-week courses for accelerated learning opportunities as well as three possible start dates. And Michigan Tech does not require GRE or GMAT scores in its free graduate application process.

Applied statistics students work with experienced faculty members on several subjects including the following:

  • Computational Statistics
  • Design and Analysis of Experiments
  • Regression Analysis
  • Time Series Analysis and Forecasting

Prospective students with undergraduate calculus, linear algebra, and statistics coursework are well-positioned for admission into the program. Also, a ten-week bridge course is available for incoming students who need to brush up on their linear algebra skills.

Learn More About Applied Statistics.

But a medical statistician is just one example of a possible data-driven career made possible by advanced education in Applied Statistics. Want to learn more about the courses and the program structure in Michigan Tech’s online MSAS program? Explore other career trajectories?

Eight Cool Public Policy Careers

Make a Difference With These Alternative Public Policy Jobs.

Two public policy professionals chake hands in an office setting

Public policy shapes nearly every aspect of our daily lives: from the speed limits that keep roads safe to the environmental regulations that protect our air and water. At its core, public policy is a framework of laws, guidelines, and actions that governments OF ALL LEVELS adopt to address societal needs and solve problems.

Because these needs are so varied, ranging from public safety to technology to global issues, careers in public policy are equally diverse.

Whether working in government, nonprofits, consulting firms, or research organizations, professionals with public policy expertise help design solutions, evaluate programs, and guide decision-making. Some become policy analysts or legislative assistants whereas others pursue specialized paths in healthcare, urban planning, environmental sustainability, or even space exploration.

If you’re wondering what is public policy? Or exploring potential public policy careers, you’ll find there are many career options beyond typical government roles. Read on to learn about other public policy careers, from the more traditional to the unexpected.

1. Urban Planner

Professionals in these roles, who are often civil, environmental, and structural engineers, focus on shaping the development of cities and communities. They strive to create sustainable, greener, and functional urban spaces by considering factors such as zoning, transportation, housing, and environmental impact.

Because urban planners must often abide by local laws and ordinances (or even suggest improved ones), they regularly collaborate with government officials at all levels. Therefore, knowledge of public policy is an asset to urban planners and their decision-making processes.

An image of an urban green space in Vancouver, BC.
An urban green space in Vancouver BC, Canada

2. Environmental Policy Consultant

Environmental engineers with public policy experience can also transition into roles as environmental policy consultants. Or they could even start their own environmental consulting companies, collaborating with governmental entities at all levels.

As these consultants, they might advise on public policies related to pollution, sustainable development, water resource management, and climate change. They might also bring their technical expertise to developing and evaluating environmental policies, as well as helping to create effective, scientifically sound regulations.

3. Automotive Policy Specialist

As the automotive industry undergoes rapid transformation—from electrification to autonomous driving—professionals who understand both engineering and public policy are in demand. Automotive policy specialists help bridge the gap between technology innovation and government regulation.

These policy experts might work for manufacturers, government agencies, or advocacy groups to ensure vehicles comply with safety, emissions, and trade regulations. They could also influence policies that expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure, encourage sustainable supply chains, or even shape the rollout of autonomous vehicle laws.

Because the automotive sector is tightly regulated and deeply global, policy knowledge allows these professionals to anticipate regulatory changes, advise on compliance, and even contribute to designing future-forward transportation policies.

GM, for instance, maintains a public policy team. Its members work on everything from setting goals for electrification to advocating for regulations. Other examples include Borg Warner’s government affairs division and BMW’s advocacy group.

An image of the USSF-52 rocket-launch mission. A space policy advisor is a possible public policy career.
Exploring Space safely and ethical will involve those with public policy expertise.

6. Space Policy Advisor

Space exploration and commercial space activities, which have accelerated recently, will require experts with public policy experience. These advisors might focus on issues related to space governance, international cooperation, and regulations. That is, they may be involved in ensuring that their organizations follow policies governing space exploration, satellite deployment, and space resource utilization.

For instance there are national space policies, commercial space launch policies, international space cooperation agreements, licensing and regulatory frameworks, satellite remote sensing policies. There are even policies for mitigating and remediating space debris. And these are just a few public policies related to the space industry.

7. Regulatory Sandbox Manager

This public policy career, which sounds too cool to be real, is ideal for those with previous business experience. More of a legal classification than a physical location, a regulatory sandbox is a space where businesses can play without following (most of the) rules. The objective is seeing whether the removal of restrictions produces innovative ideas and products.

Still, during the experimental phase, these sandboxes must respect basic regulations for public health, safety, and privacy. First, managers with public policy expertise must ensure that these essential regulations are followed during this phase. And when businesses transition out of the sandbox, managers must then confirm that they respect all relevant public policies.

8. Behavioral Economist / Policy Behavioralist

Those taking on this role work in many fields. As behavioral economists, they combine insights from economics, psychology, and/or cognitive science to analyze how people make decisions.

For instance, a policy behavioralist might work in the public health sector, analyzing data to evaluate a group’s potential response (acceptance? rejection? neutrality?) to a new vaccine policy.

In so doing, these policy experts might apply their analyses to help design interventions that positively influence human behavior. They could work to improve policy outcomes around pressing social issues, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

Get Skills for Several Public Policy Careers.

Do these alternative public policy jobs sound fun? Fascinating? If they do, Michigan Tech’s Global Campus offers a versatile 9-credit Online Graduate Certificate in Public Policy that can add to/build on your current undergraduate degree.

This certificate consists of three, condensed, seven-week courses, which run several times a year.

  • The Policy Process (SS 5301)
  • Public Management (SS 5318)
  • Policy Analysis (SS 5350)

Because of this schedule, you can STILL start your certificate in Spring or Summer 2024 and complete it quickly.

Want to learn more about this certificate? Or how to get started on the application? Contact Dr. Adam Wellstead at awellste@mtu.edu.