Programs in biometrics and biostatistics prepare people to use math to study medical issues. Students learn to apply statistics to study disease, medicine, and genetics. They also learn how to create studies that help doctors and scientists treat patients and develop new medications.

We've all heard things like "people under the age of 30 are 50 percent more likely to get skin cancer than 50 years ago." Or, "each flight of stairs you climb adds a day to your life." Where do these numbers come from, anyway?

Statisticians who study medicine and disease are the people behind these numbers. They study rates of disease and how well certain medicines work. They also study the effect of healthy lifestyles on preventing diseases such as cancer and heart problems. They work with doctors and other scientists to identify ways people can live healthier, more productive lives.

In biometrics and biostatistics programs, you take many courses in statistics and math. You learn how to create scientific studies and use different kinds of statistical techniques. You study how to write surveys and how to interpret your results. You also study health issues, such as epidemiology and biology. This means that you learn how diseases develop and spread. In addition, you study health policy and ethics.

You can become a biostatistician or biometrician by going to graduate school after you finish your bachelor's degree. About 50 universities and colleges offer master's and doctoral programs in biometrics and biostatistics. Often these programs are offered through the school of public health. This is because the field of study concentrates on medicine and disease. In addition, some schools offer graduate-level certificate programs. These are usually for people who already have a graduate degree in a related field.

Most people with a degree in biometrics and biostatistics work as research scientists. You can work for government agencies such as CDC (Centers for Disease Control), FDA (Food and Drug Administration), or NIH (National Institutes of Health). You can also work for hospitals, drug companies, and private research institutes. You can study how different diseases begin or how effective new drug treatments are. In addition, because many employers value statistical knowledge, you can work for businesses and large companies outside of medicine and health. You can analyze data and issues specific to that company.