Background
In 1952, the first Epidemic
Intelligence Service (EIS) Conference was held as a 2-day event
devoted to infectious disease-related topics. Through the
1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s, a small number of non-infectious
disease topics, such as family planning, cancer, and birth defects,
began to be included. By the mid-1970s, efforts were made to
"balance" the presentations by having all components of CDC program
areas represented, and by the early 1980s, the poster session became
an integral part of the EIS Conference.
The EIS Conference began as a forum for 2nd-year EIS officers
(epidemiologists-in-training) to demonstrate the quality of the work
they had accomplished during the 2-year training program. Gradually,
the conference began to include 1st-year EIS officers, as well as
EIS alumni/ae. From the beginning, the primary function of the EIS
Conference was to teach and provide presentations on cutting-edge
science.
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