Embrace the twists and turns of your learning journey: Becoming a medical virologist 

  

This week we give a platform to the medical virologist career.

Tshegofatso Mahlangu has been in the virology field for the past three years after obtaining her master’s in medical virology. She is also a researcher while pursuing her PhD in medical virology.

“I wanted to work in virology when I found out that South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV in the world. I wanted to be part of the people who changed that. Of course, I later opted to not be so laser-focused on HIV but that’s how my love for the work began.

“I love the fact that all the hard work and long hours we spend in the laboratory have the potential to benefit people on a global scale. I’m also a problem solver at heart and I get to do that every day,” she said.

What is virology?

Virology is a subsection of microbiology but focuses specifically on viruses and the diseases that these viruses cause.

What is a medical virologist and what do they do?

A medical virologist is someone who works with viruses that affect or could potentially affect humans as well as animals. They also may be involved in diagnosing these viruses in order to ensure that infections are treated.

The field of virology is broad and has many different stakeholders who work together to ensure the health of patients, animals and the environment. Many scientists, like myself, are focused on the research side of virology.

This entails trying to find cures for certain viruses, vaccine development, development of tests for viruses as well as continued improvement. However, some scientists are more focused on the accredited diagnostic side of virology and you find them in the national laboratories.

They are responsible for doing all the viral tests for all patients in the public health system. There are also clinical virologists who are medical doctors who later decide to specialise in pathology or virology. Therefore, one would need to decide what kind of virologist they would like to be to ultimately make the decision on what to study.

Where can I study to become a virologist?

To become a virologist, a possible route is to start with a Bachelor of Science in biomedical science or a related field, followed by an honours, a masters and preferably a PhD. After obtaining an honours (or a four-year bachelor’s degree) you may begin an internship at an accredited national laboratory, this route allows you to do diagnostic virology as a registered health professional. Another route would be to become a medical doctor and then later specialising.

Some universities that offer virology are:

• Stellenbosch University.

• University of Pretoria.

• University of the Witwatersrand.

Which high school subjects do I need?

The required high school subjects are:

• Mathematics

• Physical science

• Life sciences.

What are the roles and responsibilities of a researcher specializing in medical virology?

Different scientists have different roles. I specifically am working on a sensitive method that allows us to test for any virus that may be circulating.

This method helps the health system prevent or prepare for a pandemic caused by a virus.

What is the difference between a medical virologist and an epidemiologist?

An epidemiologist- focuses on the trends of diseases- not only of a viral kind. They analyse the data that is shared by health professionals to identify any groups of people who could be at a higher risk of succumbing to certain diseases.

Epidemiologists and virologists- work collaboratively quite frequently and not only in the face of pandemics.

What skills do I need to become a good medical virologist?

Since the field of virology starts to become quite niche the more research one does, skills may differ. Generally having Good Laboratory Practice, paying attention to detail and having problem-solving skills is quite important.

One also has to be quite resilient as things often go very wrong in the laboratory and troubleshooting becomes your middle name.

Where do medical virologists work?

One can work at research labs, a diagnostic lab or a hospital

What are the advantages and disadvantages that come with the job?

There are advantages and disadvantages in all fields of work. Generally in science, if you are not in industry, it can take quite a long time to become established as a scientist.

You are required to publish research papers frequently and be visible to others which can eventually take away from the actual research. Lots of the work is funded by grants so sometimes job security is a concern in research if you have not studied further.

In diagnostics and industry, however, this is a bit different. We are nevertheless at the forefront in terms of everything in the sphere of viruses and we get to make a difference when it matters most.

What advice would you give to someone who aspires to become a medical virologist?

Do as much research as possible before committing to the journey because it can be difficult and long.

Shadow a virologist if you can and make sure that you have passion for the field because that’s what makes the work fulfilling.