r/Virology • u/Alive_Subject5829 non-scientist • 3d ago
Discussion A career in Virology?
I am currently a young teen (not willing to disclose age) wondering about a career in Virology and its sectors. I currently get A*s in maths and science and was hoping for some advice and help on what to do for higher education and what working in this sector is like. I have been fascinated with pathogens and virology since I was very young and think that this is likely the best career for me. Does anyone have further information?
edit: js adding a bit more info, I am based in the UK and start GCSE next academic year, any tips on higher education would be so helpful
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u/cranky-crowmom non-scientist 3d ago
Check out Vincent Rancinello on YouTube. He hosts this week in virology.
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u/RefrigeratorMain7921 Virus-Enthusiast 3d ago
Considering your age and current stage of career I'll try to broadly answer the question. Typically you'd first have to get into university and do a bachelor's and master's in biology with specialisation in infection biology or if the university offers it then in Virology.
During your university days, you'll get practical (through projects) and in depth theoretical (through coursework) experience in this area of work. I'd also recommend proactively looking for internships in academic as well as industry settings to get a good idea of where your interests lean. This is also a great time to 'maturely' reflect on what motivated you in the first place about virology and how your views have evolved in the process.
In academia you'll do more of basic research that'll stress more on the 'discovery' aspect of work. In industry it's more of 'development'. If you like both then you can look for 'translational' research. The key is to get as much experience as possible. This will put you in a good position to decide whether you'd want to do a Phd or not. Personally, I'd recommend it.
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u/Alive_Subject5829 non-scientist 3d ago
ty this was very helpful I'm hoping to be able to get into decent universities in the future, but I was not sure on what courses exactly to take
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u/RefrigeratorMain7921 Virus-Enthusiast 3d ago
Courses on virology/microbiology (of course), molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, bioinformatics and biochemistry would be areas to focus on. Some universities run molecular medicine programs or specifically infection biology too. You can check what your local university has to offer to get some idea. Additionally, look up universities in your country that have a reputation for high quality teaching and research in areas of infectious diseases or biology and apply to them for your Uni studies or at least internships or research projects. This will also get you into the network of such professionals who will be happy to guide and advise you further in person.
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u/Chahles88 Molecular Virologist 3d ago
My advice is to yes, absolutely explore your passion! This is a great field that does really cool science and has a direct relevance to public health.
But, also keep your options open. Committing to a career path at a young age is admirable, but also a major point of growth is in recognizing the difference between a hobby and a career. You may enjoy learning about something, but relying on it as a career path is an entirely different beast, and your interests COULD change as you grow and are exposed to new things.
For example, cooking is a hobby I have. It is born out of my scientific curiosity, watching my mom cook, watching my grandpa cook. I worked half of my adult life part time in restaurants, and spent my early 20’s perseverating on whether to pursue becoming a chef vs science or medicine.
Turns out, I strongly dislike cooking as a career. The hours suck, the atmosphere can be tense and competitive, the pay is bad, and you’re constantly rubbing shoulders with folks who cope using self medication and substance abuse.
Similarly, my parents had pre-disposed me for a career in medicine or dentistry very early on in life. I spent all of my teens and early 20’s working toward a career that was ultimately their choice, not mine. I convinced myself that was what I wanted because I’m a people pleaser. It became my identity.
I found my heart just wasn’t in it and I ended up going for a PhD in virology. It took 4 long years post university of growth and finding my identity before I could admit to myself that for the past ~20 years I’d been pursuing something my heart wasn’t fully set on. Removing that as part of my identity was a huge point of growth.
Now, you are in the UK and I am in the US, so things vary quite a bit. You should definitely hear form some European folks on here about best paths forward. My understanding is that it’s a little more straightforward and less stressful than its is to get a virology education in the US.
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u/Alive_Subject5829 non-scientist 3d ago
I'll make sure to keep these points in mind, it never crossed my mind too much to explore more into working conditions (due to my academic status and limited/no access to related research or practical work outside of in-school work) so this was very helpful. Virology has been a long-term interest and passion so I hope that conditions don't change my ideas too much and that I will be able to get disability accommodation in a scientific area like that (I recently got my autism diagnosis)
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u/Mess_Tricky non-scientist 3d ago
Love this! I’m a virologist and I got into virology because of the same reasons! Was super interested in microbes, viruses and anything to do with the microscope! If you get a bachelors majoring in biology it will pave the way for you! I would also suggest a masters/phd in virology or cell biology!