More About the Program

Goal

To prepare public health professionals for leadership positions in local, state, national, and international public health agencies.

 

Program Overview

The focus of our 3-year program is public health management. Our unique program provides hands-on experience and mentorship in public health program planning, implementation, and evaluation.

We place our fellows in assignments that allow them to develop skills to plan, implement, manage, and evaluate public health programs and interventions. First, fellows work in program areas within the CDC. Then they are placed in a field assignment with a public health agency.

Fellows initially earn a salary equivalent to a GS-9 pay grade and advance to GS-11 with geographic adjustments. For more information on pay grades and salary levels, see the Office of Personnel Management Salary Table.

Our graduates are ready for the highly competitive public health job market.

• 37% are employed in federal agencies
• 26% are employed in state and local health departments
• 11% are employed by public health associations or institutions
• 2% are employed in private or nonprofit organizations

 

CDC Rotations

In the first part of the program, fellows complete two 6-month rotations at a CDC facility. Fellows work in a variety of programs such as environmental health, chronic disease prevention, and infectious disease.

Examples of rotation activities include

• Leadership on policy and legislative activities related to nutrition, physical activity, and obesity in the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity
• Development of case management guidelines for the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention
• Evaluation of reproductive health activities for the World Health Organization (WHO)

 

Field Assignments

In the second part of the program, fellows are placed in a 2-year field assignment in a public health agency (state or local health department, community based-organization, or public health institute or association). Fellows receive supervision and mentoring while working on multidisciplinary projects along with public and private partners.

Examples of field assignment activities include

• Development and implementation of HIV/AIDS action plans for Global AIDS programs
• Creation of a website for physicians and nurses to increase knowledge, improve reporting, and decrease hospitalizations and deaths from pertussis (whooping cough)
• Coordination and implementation of a multi-cultural media campaign to highlight CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening program

 

Other Opportunities

Fellows also have the opportunity to practice public health in an international setting through programs such as the Global HIV/AIDS Program (GAP) and Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP).