I really want to become an immunologist in a hospital when I grow up…

Answer

Dear Chantal,

An immunologist is a doctor who has specialized in the field of immunology after studying to become a doctor. In practice, these are often pulmonologists who have specialized in immunology. An immunologist deals with diseases in which the immune system is central: these can be diseases in which there is a congenital abnormality of the immune system, but also diseases in which the immune system is affected from the outside (such as the viral infectious disease AIDS). Immunologists often also deal with allergy problems: these are patients who react allergically to all kinds of foreign substances. Examples of this are hay fever or allergies to certain nutrients (eggs, milk, fish, nuts, kiwi,…). This is sometimes referred to as an immunologist/allergologist.

There are actually two types of immunologists: the first type works with patients with an immunological/allergological problem (this is called the clinical immunologist), the second type works in a laboratory and mainly conducts research into immunological diseases (the immunologist researcher). The combination of these is also possible.

The clinical immunologist/allergologist often has laboratory tests carried out on patients’ blood and sometimes also carries out tests themselves, such as skin prick tests, to see whether the patient reacts allergically, for example, if a certain substance comes into contact with the skin. The immunologist does not operate, he diagnoses and treats patients with medication (as far as possible).

The laboratory immunologist/allergologist often works in the laboratory of a university and will investigate certain immunological diseases there. This is a very broad domain because the immune system is one of the most complex systems in the body.

Immunology is a very varied subject with interest for many other branches of medicine, often very complicated but always very fascinating! Many Nobel Prize winners in medicine are immunologists!

Good luck with your future, Chantal, who knows, maybe as a doctor immunologist!