Epidemiologist Interview Questions & Answers


An Epidemiologist studies the causes and spread of infectious diseases within populations of people in order to develop methods for detecting, containing, and preventing future outbreaks. The Epidemiologist will monitor outbreaks, collect data, and report findings to the public and policy-makers.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Epidemiologist or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Epidemiologist position, these Epidemiologist interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Epidemiologist Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Epidemiologist interview questions.

  1. Do you have any educational qualifications and/or field experience for this role?
  2. What technology do you prefer to work with when conducting research? 
  3. What method would you use to convince people suffering from infectious diseases to talk to you?
  4. How would you handle a sudden spike in the spread of an infectious disease?
  5. Explain what an Explosive Epidemic is and The Person to Person Spread?
  6. Talk about a disease you have recently investigated. Were you able to discover any breakthroughs?
  7. Talk about a public health report you contributed to.
  8. What are the types of public health surveillance?
  9. What is the most challenging part of supervising technicians and other Epidemiologists?
  10. Talk about the steps you take to contain an epidemic. Where do you start your analysis?
  11. How would you rate your critical-thinking skills? Can you give an example that demonstrates you successfully using these skills?
  12. What is your opinion on collaboration in this field?
  13. Do you consider yourself a strong team player? Can you give an example of a successful teamwork experience? What was your contribution?
  14. Talk about a time you thought outside of the box. What results did you get?
  15. How do you ensure that you minimize errors when you move from observation and interview to conclusions? Do you have a strategy?
  16. What do you consider the most challenging aspect of being an epidemiologist?
  17. Do you have any experience in giving speeches and presentations? How do you prepare for these?
  18. Give an example that demonstrates your approach to informing the public and community leaders about public health risks.
  19. How would you rate your stress management skills? Can you give an example of when you responded to a public health problem or an urgent health-related emergency?
  20. Which skills do you think are essential for an epidemiologist to succeed? Can you give me an example of a time you successfully used these skills?

Epidemiologist Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Epidemiologist interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

  1. What is Your Greatest Weakness?
  2. What is Your Salary Expectation?
  3. Tell Me About Yourself
  4. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
  5. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
  6. What is Your Greatest Strength?
  7. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
  8. Why Should We Hire You?
  9. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
  10. Why Do You Want This Job?