Microbiologist to physiologist
A microbiologist already meets 73% of what the physiologist role asks for. The move turns on 5 required skills not yet in the profile.
41.9/ 100
1 How much of what a physiologist is expected to do is already part of a microbiologist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the physiologist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A physiologist role treats 36 of its required skills as things a microbiologist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply for research funding
- apply research ethics and scientific integrity principles in research activities
- apply scientific methods
- biology
- communicate with a non-scientific audience
- conduct research across disciplines
What stands in the way is 5 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 50 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A physiologist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a microbiologist background worth leading with.
- already held histology arts and humanities
- already held neoplasia health and welfare
- already held proteomics natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held conduct research on fauna information skills
- already held assist in clinical trials communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held clinical cytology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
All 50 carried skills, including the 36 the physiologist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 33 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn human anatomy required
- still to learn human physiology required
- optional, not held clinical immunopathology optional
- optional, not held dermapathology optional
- optional, not held exercise physiology optional
- optional, not held hepatology optional
- optional, not held intracranial hypertension optional
- optional, not held neuroscience optional
- optional, not held professional documentation in health care optional
- optional, not held urolithiasis in the urinary tract optional
- optional, not held nuclear medicine optional
- optional, not held occupational physiology optional
- optional, not held rehabilitation optional
- still to learn calibrate laboratory equipment required
- still to learn maintain laboratory equipment required
- still to learn apply safety procedures in laboratory required
- optional, not held assist in performing physical exercises optional
- optional, not held assist patients with rehabilitation optional
- optional, not held develop patient treatment strategies optional
- optional, not held conduct experiments on animals optional
- optional, not held conduct polysomnography optional
- optional, not held conduct preoperative investigations optional
- optional, not held develop scientific theories optional
- optional, not held interpret electromyograms optional
- optional, not held archive scientific documentation optional
- optional, not held advise on rehabilitation exercises optional
- optional, not held explain the molecular basis of a disease to patients optional
- optional, not held explain types of coagulation disorders optional
- optional, not held offer advice on diet-related concerns optional
- optional, not held prepare lesson content optional
- optional, not held research design optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a physiologist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 apply safety procedures in laboratory practise this
- 02 calibrate laboratory equipment practise this
- 03 human anatomy study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 50 skills that carry over
- already held apply for research funding skill
- already held apply research ethics and scientific integrity principles in research activities skill
- already held apply scientific methods skill
- already held biology knowledge
- already held communicate with a non-scientific audience skill
- already held conduct research across disciplines skill
- already held conduct research on fauna skill
- already held demonstrate disciplinary expertise skill
- already held develop professional network with researchers and scientists skill
- already held disseminate results to the scientific community skill
- already held draft scientific or academic papers and technical documentation skill
- already held evaluate research activities skill
- already held histology knowledge
- already held increase the impact of science on policy and society skill
- already held integrate gender dimension in research skill
- already held interact professionally in research and professional environments skill
- already held laboratory techniques knowledge
- already held manage findable accessible interoperable and reusable data skill
- already held manage intellectual property rights skill
- already held manage open publications skill
- already held manage personal professional development skill
- already held manage research data skill
- already held mentor individuals skill
- already held operate open source software skill
- already held perform laboratory tests skill
- already held perform project management skill
- already held perform scientific research skill
- already held promote open innovation in research skill
- already held promote the participation of citizens in scientific and research activities skill
- already held promote the transfer of knowledge skill
- already held publish academic research skill
- already held scientific research methodology knowledge
- already held speak different languages skill
- already held synthesise information skill
- already held think abstractly skill
- already held write scientific publications skill
- already held apply blended learning skill
- already held assess environmental impact skill
- already held assist in clinical trials skill
- already held clinical cytology knowledge
- already held develop pharmaceutical drugs skill
- already held develop scientific research protocols skill
- already held gather experimental data skill
- already held life sciences knowledge
- already held neoplasia knowledge
- already held perform lectures skill
- already held proteomics knowledge
- already held scientific literature knowledge
- already held teach in academic or vocational contexts skill
- already held write research proposals skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held scientific modelling optional
- optional, not held ergonomics optional
28 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held advise on rehabilitation exercises optional
- optional, not held assist in performing physical exercises optional
- optional, not held assist patients with rehabilitation optional
- optional, not held clinical immunopathology optional
- optional, not held conduct experiments on animals optional
- optional, not held conduct polysomnography optional
- optional, not held conduct preoperative investigations optional
- optional, not held dermapathology optional
- optional, not held develop scientific theories optional
- optional, not held exercise physiology optional
- optional, not held explain the molecular basis of a disease to patients optional
- optional, not held explain types of coagulation disorders optional
- optional, not held hepatology optional
- optional, not held interpret electromyograms optional
- optional, not held intracranial hypertension optional
- optional, not held neuroscience optional
- optional, not held professional documentation in health care optional
- optional, not held urolithiasis in the urinary tract optional
- optional, not held archive scientific documentation optional
- optional, not held develop patient treatment strategies optional
- optional, not held ergonomics optional
- optional, not held nuclear medicine optional
- optional, not held occupational physiology optional
- optional, not held offer advice on diet-related concerns optional
- optional, not held prepare lesson content optional
- optional, not held rehabilitation optional
- optional, not held research design optional
- optional, not held scientific modelling optional
35 held skills the physiologist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on legislative acts skill
- not needed by the target role analyse cell cultures skill
- not needed by the target role biological chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role biotechnology knowledge
- not needed by the target role botany knowledge
- not needed by the target role collect biological data skill
- not needed by the target role collect samples for analysis skill
- not needed by the target role communicable diseases knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct research on flora skill
- not needed by the target role conduct research on reproductive medicine skill
- not needed by the target role contribute to registration of pharmaceutical products skill
- not needed by the target role control production skill
- not needed by the target role cryopreservation knowledge
- not needed by the target role detect microorganisms skill
- not needed by the target role develop bioremediation techniques skill
- not needed by the target role develop new food products skill
- not needed by the target role develop vaccines skill
- not needed by the target role helminthology knowledge
- not needed by the target role immunology knowledge
- not needed by the target role medical genetics knowledge
- not needed by the target role medical mycology knowledge
- not needed by the target role microbiology-bacteriology knowledge
- not needed by the target role molecular biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role parasitology knowledge
- not needed by the target role pathogenic microorganisms knowledge
- not needed by the target role pharmaceutical chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role pharmaceutical industry knowledge
- not needed by the target role prepare compliance documents skill
- not needed by the target role production processes knowledge
- not needed by the target role provide specialist pharmaceutical advice skill
- not needed by the target role recommend product improvements skill
- not needed by the target role send samples to laboratory skill
- not needed by the target role supervise laboratory operations skill
- not needed by the target role toxicology knowledge
- not needed by the target role virology knowledge
16 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn human anatomy required
- still to learn human physiology required
- optional, not held clinical immunopathology optional
- optional, not held dermapathology optional
- optional, not held exercise physiology optional
- optional, not held hepatology optional
- optional, not held intracranial hypertension optional
- optional, not held neuroscience optional
- optional, not held professional documentation in health care optional
- optional, not held urolithiasis in the urinary tract optional
- optional, not held ergonomics optional
- optional, not held nuclear medicine optional
- optional, not held occupational physiology optional
- optional, not held rehabilitation optional
- optional, not held research design optional
- optional, not held scientific modelling optional
Common questions about this move
Can a microbiologist become a physiologist?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A microbiologist already covers 73% of what a physiologist is expected to do: 50 skills carry over, 36 of which the physiologist role treats as required.
What skills does a microbiologist need to become a physiologist?
5 required skills are missing, plus 28 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by health and welfare. The single most important is apply safety procedures in laboratory.
How hard is the move from microbiologist to physiologist?
Its learning distance is 41.9 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.