Preventive Medicine Residency and Fellowship
Developing Public Health Leaders
The CDC Preventive Medicine Residency (PMR) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) as a 12-month program meeting the practicum year training requirements for certification by the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) in public health and general preventive medicine. PMR is designed to prepare physicians for future leadership roles in public health at federal, state, and local levels.
Residents will develop a range of knowledge and skills in leadership, management, public health policy, program development, epidemiology application, and administration. Training activities include didactic and supervised practical experience and will contribute to the professional development of physicians in public health careers.
Veterinarians who have a master of public health (MPH) or equivalent degree are encouraged to apply to the Preventive Medicine Fellowship (PMF). Follow the PMR application procedure, but exclude items that are not applicable (i.e., copy of residency certificate).
Eligibility for Residency
Eligibility for PMR is open to any U.S. citizen or permanent resident who
- is currently a U.S. government physician or will be eligible to be hired as such (in either a fellowship personnel system or as a Commissioned Corps officer in the U.S. Public Health Service) before entering the program;
- has a current, full, and unrestricted medical license from a U.S. licensing jurisdiction;
- has completed at least 1 year of ACGME-accredited postgraduate clinical training involving at least 6 months of direct patient care*;
- has an MPH or other appropriate postgraduate degree, as defined by ACGME, or is eligible for U.S. government-sponsored full-time long-term training for an MPH (see Program Requirements); and
- will have trained for 2 years in the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) or has comparable experience before entering the program.
| * | exceptions will be made for completion of at least one clinical year accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) or the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) |
Eligibility for Fellowship
Eligibility for PMF is open to any U.S. citizen or permanent resident who
- is currently a U.S. government veterinarian (or will be eligible to be hired as such before entering the PMF);
- has a current, full, and unrestricted veterinary medical license from a U.S. licensing jurisdiction;
- has an MPH or equivalent degree from an accredited university; and
- will have trained for 2 years in EIS or has equivalent experience before entering PMF.
Factors considered in selecting fellows include professional experience plus career interests; potential, as determined through the written application; personal interviews; academic performance; publications; and references from supervisors and peers.
Program Requirements
Physicians who have an MPH or other appropriate postgraduate degree
If accepted into PMR, applicants may
- select a civilian fellowship personnel system, or
- apply and be commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Public Health Service before the start of the residency in June 2009 (if not currently a Commissioned Corps officer).
Applicants must hold degrees from institutions or programs that have been accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health or other appropriate postgraduate accrediting body.
Physicians who do not have an MPH or other appropriate postgraduate degree
Applicants must be U.S. citizens and currently be an officer in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. These applicants will be sponsored for one year of full-time extramural long-term training to obtain an MPH outside of the PMR. Entry into the practicum year will be deferred until July 2010.
Participants who are supported for the academic year must be willing to attend the institutions identified by the residency and be willing to relocate if necessary. The extramural training and practicum years must be served consecutively. Extramural training results in officers incurring approximately a 2-year service obligation with the Commissioned Corps, starting immediately following the end of the practicum year.
Practicum Year Assignment
Each preventive medicine resident/fellow must be willing to relocate. Because our program emphasizes experience at both federal and local levels, residents/fellows must change assignments upon entry into the practicum.
Specifically, applicants who are admitted with public health experience at a state or local health department will be assigned to CDC. Those with experience at the federal level will be assigned to a state or local health department. Residents and fellows are based at one assignment site during the year.
Program Activities
- Develop public health leadership and management skills
- Evaluate a public health program
- Manage a public health project
- Develop public health policy
- Participate in a community-based public health intervention
- Write or review a grant proposal
- Train to be a public health leader and manager
- Teach epidemiology in the EIS summer course
- Participate in training activities including distance-based learning and multi-day seminars
Application Process
Part 1—Application
Please submit the following to the Preventive Medicine Residency/Fellowship (PMR/F) office
Curriculum Vitae
Include the following information:
- business and home addresses,
- e-mail address,
- telephone number(s),
- all prior education since the beginning of college,
- prior training in public health / preventive medicine,
- employment history, and
- a list of medical licenses held and the expiration dates.
Transcripts
Official undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate transcripts must be mailed directly to the PMR/F office. If you do not have an MPH, please state whether you have taken masters degree level courses in the following areas and provide transcripts:
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
- Health Services Administration
- Behavioral Sciences
- Environmental Health
Personal Statement
Describe your professional goals and how the PMR/F will help you achieve them. Please indicate public health topic areas and PMR/F assignments of interest and explain why.
Public Health Experience
Documentation of public health practice experiences in the following areas†:
- Serving the epidemiologic needs of a public health oriented agency (governmental or nongovernmental). Please describe your position, role, and activities in which you contributed epidemiologic input to the development of epidemiologic studies, public health programs, and community public health planning processes.
- Conducting epidemiologic investigations, analysis, research, and surveillance. Please describe your role (principal investigator, staff member, intern), type of investigative/analytical/statistical processes used, informatics and statistical software used, reporting of findings, and development of recommendations.
- Preparing and delivering written and oral reports and presentations, including epidemiologic data, to agency staff, professional and lay audiences, media, and key stakeholders. Responding to inquiries from the public, media, and politicians. Please describe your role (first or primary author, contributor) and include examples such as publications in peer-reviewed journals, internal reports, judged abstracts, and press releases.
| † | If an EIS officer or alumnus, a summary of your experience can be supported by an EIS Activity Report. If not an EIS officer or alumnus, please describe your public health practice experience in a narrative for each experience area. |
License
Copy of a current, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a U.S. licensing jurisdiction.
Board Certification
Documentation of board certification in a clinical specialty (if applicable) or copy of certificate or letter.
Documentation of Clinical Training (physicians only)
Copy of certificate(s) or letter(s) from sponsoring institution(s) documenting evaluation of ACGME’s six general competencies (http://www.acgme.org/acWebsite/dutyHours/dh_dutyhoursCommonPR07012007.pdf 
pp 9-11) and verifying completion of ACGME-accredited postgraduate clinical training.
Reference Letters
Three letters of recommendation from persons who can evaluate your work (one must be from your immediate supervisor). Applicants who are currently in CDC-sponsored state or local assignments must submit recommendations from both local and CDC supervisors. Download Reference Letter Instructions and Template ( 3 pages; 42K)
Peer references
List the name and phone number of three peer references who have worked with you professionally in a public health setting, but not in a supervisory capacity.
Application Deadline
- October 1, 2008: All applications must be postmarked by this date.
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Part 2 — Interviews
If invited for an interview, the applicant must contact our Program Coordinator at 404-498-6140 to arrange appointments for interviews in Atlanta with at least 3 members of the selection committee. Expenses related to interviews are the responsibility of the applicant.
Application Timeline
Application schedule for PMR/F Class 2009–2010¶.
May 15–Oct 1, 2008 |
Application period |
Oct 1, 2008 |
Application deadline. All applications must be postmarked by this date. |
Oct 1–Nov 7, 2008 |
Interviews |
Oct 2008 (the week of the EIS fall course for second-year Officers) |
Interviews (for applicants who are current EIS Officers based outside of Atlanta) |
End of Dec 2008 |
Acceptance notification |
| ¶ | The practicum year 2009 begins July 1, 2009 and ends June 30, 2010. Residents and fellows who have not completed the EIS Train-the-Trainer (TTT) workshop to prepare to teach in the EIS summer course must be available in mid June 2009 and participate in TTT. |
Contact Information
For further information regarding the CDC Preventive Medicine Residency and Fellowship, please contact
Gail Stennies, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P.M.
Director, Preventive Medicine Residency and Fellowship
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, NE, MS E-92
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: (404) 498-6140
Fax: (404) 498-6105
E-Mail: pmrcdd@cdc.gov
CDC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides a smoke-free environment.
References to CDC include the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service
Public Law 93-579 entitled the Privacy Act of 1974 requires that individuals asked to furnish information such as requested in the attached application be informed of the purpose for collecting such information and what the information will generally be used for. The following information is accordingly provided:
AUTHORITY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, is authorized to solicit the information requested in the attached application under provisions of the Public Health Service Act, Section 203, 207 (42 U.S.C. 204 and 209).
PURPOSE: The information requested is considered relevant and necessary to the selection process for the Preventive Medicine Residency and Fellowship.
USES: The information requested will be shared with the Career Development Division, Office of Workforce and Career Development, and the PMR Advisory and Graduate Medical Education Committees. It will also constitute the basic record of your general qualifications for the PMR/F.
EFFECTS OF NON-DISCLOSURE: Your disclosure of the requested information is voluntary, and no penalty will be imposed, if you choose not to respond. However, failure to provide the requested information may hinder consideration of your application.