Infectious Disease Doctor (ID)
Infectious disease specialists research infections to identify the cause and cure. They may also work to prevent disease or contain an outbreak. A doctoral degree and completion of medical school, followed by a residency and an infectious disease fellowship, are required to become a doctor of infectious diseases.
Infectious disease doctors also play a role in pandemics that are caused by viruses or bacteria, such as the 2019-2020 COVID-19 outbreak. During this pandemic, infectious disease specialists studied the virus that causes COVID-19, treated patients with the disease, and promoted public health measures like mask wearing and social distancing to combat the spread of the virus.
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| Required Education | Medical school (4 years), Internal medicine residency (3 years), Infectious disease fellowship (2 years) |
| Other Requirements | Board certification available, State medical license required |
| Median Annual Salary (May 2019)* | $208,000 (for all physicians and surgeons) |
| Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)* | 4% (for all physicians and surgeons) |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
How to Become an Infectious Disease Specialist
Doctors of infectious diseases need nine to ten years of training in order to practice, not including any undergraduate education. This includes four years of medical school, three years of training as a doctor of internal medicine and two years of infectious disease specialist training.
They also must pass a certification exam given by the American Board of Internal Medicine in order to be board-certified. Infectious disease specialists can become certified after two years of post-internal medicine training.
Some courses you may take on your path to becoming an infectious disease specialist include:
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Microbiology
- Virology
- Immunology
- Epidemiology
Doctor of Infectious Disease: Careers
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The majority of infectious disease specialists finish their training in internal medicine while others train in obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics or other fields. The backgrounds of infectious disease specialists vary with a broad representation within the medical field.
What does an infectious disease specialist do? There are many different infectious disease careers. No matter what field you work in as an ID specialist, you'll have certain job duties. These include:
- Interviewing patients with infectious diseases
- Diagnosing infectious diseases
- Treating infectious diseases by prescribing medications
- Educating patients on infectious diseases
- Reviewing literature to keep up with best practices
Government Agency and Research
Infectious disease specialists are employed in public health organizations, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These agencies train doctors of infectious diseases and contribute to the development of research in the field.
The CDC emphasizes the epidemiology of infectious diseases, researching preventive treatment such as vaccines for diseases. The NIH is involved in clinical research. Infectious disease specialists are also employed by state and federal agencies in addition to international organizations like the World Health Organization and United Nations.
Healthcare and Hospital Acquired Infections
Infections incurred in hospitals while receiving treatment for other conditions is another problem that infectious disease specialists attempt to solve. Epidemiology is devoted to preventing such occurrences, and infectious disease specialists lead the efforts in hospitals and other healthcare facilities towards stopping infectious bacteria that can cause harm to patients with weakened immune systems.
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS is one of the largest healthcare crisis that infectious disease specialists face. They are responsible for developing treatments for HIV and AIDS patients to increase their lifespan. They also work on the clinical aspect of HIV to help AIDS patients with their daily care.
Pharmaceutical Development
Infectious disease specialists are often employed by drug manufacturers to discover new drug treatments for infections. They are engaged in every stage of the development of the drug from conception and development to clinical trials.
Private Practice
Infectious disease specialists may also enter private practice. They concentrate on patient care, antibiotic formulary selection and community health.
Infectious Disease Doctor: Salary and Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicted a 4% increase in employment opportunities for all physicians and surgeons from 2019-2029, which is about as fast as average. The median salary among all physicians and surgeons was equal to or greater than $208,000 in 2019, per the BLS. The average salary for infectious disease physicians, in particular, was $199,738, according to PayScale.com in December 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the minimum educational requirement for an infectious disease doctor? ID doctors must have a medical degree (MD or DO), and they must complete residency and fellowship requirements to become board certified in infectious diseases.
- How long does it take to become an infectious disease specialist? Infectious disease specialists must complete a bachelor's degree (4 years), a medical degree (4 years), an internal medicine residency (3 years), and a fellowship in infectious disease (2 years) for a total of 13 years (9 years after finishing college).
- What is involved in an infectious disease fellowship? An infectious disease fellowship is essentially on-the-job training for ID doctors. Fellows typically work in infectious disease departments of hospitals, treating patients and becoming experts on infectious diseases. They work under the supervision of licensed ID doctors.
- How much can an entry-level ID doctor earn? According to Payscale.com, in December 2020, the average salary for entry-level infectious disease doctors in the United States was $175,449. PayScale.com also notes that those with 1-4 years experience earned $189,097.
After completing an undergraduate degree, it may take an additional nine years or more to become a doctor of infectious diseases. From 2019-2029, the job growth for physicians and surgeons is expected to be as fast as average when compared to all occupations, according to the BLS.
