It is the discipline that is responsible for studying viral infections in order to be able to develop different methods, to combat them, as in the case of vaccines. It should be noted that virology is not the same as epidemiology, since the latter is in charge of investigating and studying all causes of diseases, including viruses. Therefore, the radius of action of an epidemiologist is much wider than that of a virologist.
The virologist is the person responsible for the study of these viral infections. In terms of functions, the following must be stated:
Analyze to study thoroughly the characteristics of different viruses.
Follow different viral diseases, in order to recognize the clinical picture of the virus itself.
Develop analytical methodologies to properly diagnose viral infections.
Work together with other physicians and thus find the best possible solutions in situations such as a pandemic.
Train continuously and attend conferences to keep up to date when it comes to viruses and viral type diseases.
If you are interested in virology, the first thing you need to do is to get a degree in medicine or biology. This degree has a duration of 6 years of study. From there, you must specialize in either undergraduate or graduate school and thus earn the title of virologist. Before you can specialize, you must pass the annual MIR exam. As you can see, the path to practicing as a virologist is not easy and challenging and requires a lot of perseverance to pass the various exams.
There are a number of skills and abilities that would be ideal in the figure of a good virologist:
A predilection for everything related to biological research.
A certain ability in solving different problemsc, arguing possible solutions.
Analytical ability in relation to the data to be processed.
Be able to manage time and have a certain moderation before various studies.
Show a taste for everything related to innovation.
Possess the necessary knowledge to be able to act appropriately regarding your work.
I like to learn in a constant way and thus are shaped in an optimal and adequate way.