February 5, 2009 | In: Biostatistics, Personal Opinion
We need more biostatistician
I feel like Malaysia is lacking biostatistician. We do have a lot qualified biostatistician but not enough practicing biostatistician. In Malaysia, in most universities especially UKM, UM & USM, biostatistics is taught together with epidemiology. Eventhough there are similarities between epid & biostat but they are different. I am not practicing epid that much now so my knowledge on epid is disappearing. But talking about biostatistician, for medical & health research in Malaysia, we need to produce more and more biostatistician.
The issue now is whether we produce non-doctor biostatistician or doctor biostatistician? For some, they said it is a waste for medical doctor to do anything else other than medicine. Well….then Dr Mahathir is the example of major waste in the country. So do few of other leaders, oppositions alike.
I feel that medical doctor should take up biostatistic with epidemiology as elective (rather than core subjects) if they want to be a biostatistician or medical statistics. We know the lingo. We can easily understand what clients want. For non-doctors, they need to practice longer time to understand medical & health terms.
Secondly, being statistician, even though we need to learn mathematics & know the basics of everything but when talking to clients, we should speak their ‘language’ i.e. medical & health language and not statistical jargons. Just hide certain details like covariance, estimate, likelihood etc. Convert these terms to miningful meaningful terms for the clients.
Thirdly, educate the clients. Tell them when to use standard deviation and when to use standard error for example. But tell them slowly & must provide example.
Lastly, don’t print all the statistical output to them. Select relevant tables & graphs only. Guide them on how to report those findings.
23 Responses to We need more biostatistician
Noah
February 5th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Typo: meaningful
Jamal Rahman
February 5th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Thanks Nik
hasmanizam
February 6th, 2009 at 8:55 am
I like this template…….yg kerawang tu jiwang sgt ler….
Aimir
February 17th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Yup, I like this template too…
cik kmar
February 19th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
i am thinking to further my postgraduate study in biostatistic, but i am afraid if there is no/only a few prospects in biostatistic for me in the future. so do i have to continue my interest in biostatistic.
einiel
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:20 am
I have been graduate in statistics for about 5 years. Recently, i am learning biostatistic as it is very related to my work but it’s quit difficult. I have to learn and understand those medical terms and also involve in their research to. Sometimes it makes me ‘pusing kepala’. Can anybody give me some tips how to improve my learning and can be succesfull biostatistics in the future, hope so…
Jamal Rahman
March 23rd, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Hi Einiel….that’s why I said, it’s easier for a doctor to do biostatistics. Just gain more & more experience doing medical reseach. It will be slow but that’s how to do it.
PY
April 26th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
can i know that where u choose for continue study in biostatistic?
i want to continue it but i dont know where i can continue..
thanks
Jamal Rahman
April 26th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
In Malaysia, you can do Biostatistics in UKM, UM & USM. Its MPH tho’. If you have the opportunity….try asking for a place in US. Harvard for example has a good biostatistics programme. In biostatistics, self learning also extremely important.
David
May 14th, 2009 at 12:17 am
Thanks for sharing this tremendous information on Biostatistician.I was happy to see the content,well done.Please view the following link.
http://statistical-services.blogspot.com/2009/05/statistical-computing-environment.html
cik kmar
May 21st, 2009 at 12:40 am
i have decided already. i am furthering my study in biostatistics this july insyaAllah. in Malaysia u can apply for this course in USM, UKM, UM. the one that i will do is in USM.
Lim
October 3rd, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Hi,
I plan to further biostatistic in phd in UM.
But from the program list that i saw in UM, it not have any biostatistic course.
So is that UM provide this course?
Jamal Rahman
October 17th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Sorry Lim. I do not know about UM programme.
anora
October 17th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Hi,
I am quantitative students,now in my 3rd year..doing decision science.i learn a lot about statistical method in my course.i love biology anf stats very much..im thinking about being a biostatistician.can..i?or this biostatistics are only medical students.
Jamal Rahman
November 7th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Nope. Biostatistician is for all. But those with medical background & experience will have huge advantage.
stat_lover
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:36 am
I agreed with you that in we are lacking of experiences statistician/biostatistician especially in healthcare/medical area. Just my suggestion for the freshies, if you interested in biostat, I feel that it is doesn’t matter your qualification is stat/biostaT. I am a biostatistian with zero medical backgrd. At the beginning stage, it is a bit suffer, but as long as you interested and willing to learn,nothing is impossible…
Jamal Rahman
December 30th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Very true. Keep on learning & understand the situations or scenarios.
Lianwee
January 28th, 2010 at 11:12 am
My company (Malaysian company at Serdang, has a laboratory at Universiti Malaya) needs a biostatistician badly. If you know anyone, introduce the person to me through my email: lianwee@hotmail.com
munawwarah
March 10th, 2010 at 5:50 am
My Biostatistics professor once commented, “We need more physicians to be in public health division” simply because he’s not enjoying working with people without medical background on his team. “We need smart people to study epidemiology and biostatistics”. that inspired me to join him one day. but im still not sure how things are going on in Malaysia.
Jamal Rahman
March 10th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
The demand for biostatistician is a lot in Malaysia but so far only few doctors are interested.
Hor
May 30th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
I was graduated in University of Malaya year 2009 with Statistics degree.
As you said, biostatistician demand is high in Malaysia but the demand is it mainly in CRC MOH? I am interested to be biostatistician but not sure where can i start for it. Any guide for it?
Jamal Rahman
June 1st, 2010 at 11:37 pm
Most request are at universities or MOH for researches. CRC is one of the place. Just check their website.
Hor
June 2nd, 2010 at 8:36 pm
I see.. Last year saw that CRC biostatistician position entry requirement is at least master degree in statistics/mathematics/biostatistics.
Maybe try to take a master degree in statistics soon then only consider for it.