PHEC 002: What is an Epidemiologist?

How do you explain your role as an epidemiologist to the non-scientific community? As an epidemiologist, I often struggle with how to explain epidemiology to people who are not familiar with the field or my profession. I'm not sure when I've diluted the definition too much or when I've provided a little too much complex information. When I'm in a social setting and people are talking about themselves and describing what they do for a living, my mind is often racing for which versions of the definition of epidemiology will be the best to use in the conversation when it becomes my turn to respond. How do you respond in similar situations? What do you say? How do you explain your role as in epidemiologist in a way that is easily understood? I explore some of the responses I've received to these questions in this episode. Thank you for listening!