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| "Be patient with your career development. Remember, the slow and steady win the race." | Arthur Liang, MD, MPH |
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Career Title: Director, CDC Food Safety Initiative Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, Georgia
Fields of Expertise:
Academic Studies:
University of Maryland
University of Hawaii
Employment History:
Math Tutor
Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer
Director, Communicable Disease Division
Assistant Director for Science "If I hadn't become an epidemiologist, I would have become . . . a clinician (a doctor who sees patients).
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Q: What led you to your career?
A: My brother Matthew, a rheumatologist (a person who diagnoses and treats patients with arthritis) at Harvard Medical
School, inspired me to pursue my studies in public health. He told me that there's so much research sitting on shelves
that needs to be put into action. He urged me to apply what I learn from my own research and the wealth of research that
others have done over the years.
Q: What's the most inspiring project you have ever worked on?
A: When I worked and lived in Hawaii, I worked with state legislators to obtain funds to start a Hepatitis B screening
program for pregnant women. As a result of routine screening, it was estimated that we were able to prevent about 400
newborn babies from becoming chronically infected with this virus. This was also the first state screening program of its
kind in the nation. Impacting the health of the public is one of the best parts of my job.
Q: What other subjects, besides science, are important for this field of study and why?
A: Political science is important because, in this field, you have to understand how the government system works and how
society, scientists, and government develop health policies. Public health administration, management, and leadership
skills are essential because you have to understand how organizations work in order to translate public health policies
into public health services.
Last, but not least, you need to know something about social and behavioral science because you have to understand how people and communities work in order for public health services to lead to public health action by individuals and communities.
Q: What advice would you give to students who are interested in pursuing a career in science?
A: Write a list of things that interest you and from that list, select five things you enjoy most or have experience in.
There are many ways to make a contribution to society, and you're most likely to do well in a field that you enjoy.
Be flexible, and be patient with your career development. Remember, the slow and steady win the race. Also, expect that
your interests will change as you change and the world changes. The sky is the limit, but the path does not have to be a
straight line.
Hypertext updated by dav 2001-FEB-13