Applied Epidemiology Fellowship

The CDC/CSTE Fellowship is designed for recent master or doctoral level graduates in epidemiology or a related field who are interested in the practice of public health at the state or local level. While the program provides rigorous training for its participants, it is also designed with flexibility in order to meet the particular interests of the Fellow. Fellows are carefully matched to host agencies based on the career interests of the Fellow and available opportunities of the host agency. Program participants will develop a comprehensive set of core skills through competency-based training.

Training

Closely designed after the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) program and using a mentorship model, The CDC/CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for graduates to acquire and develop epidemiologic skills during a high quality, on-the job-training program in public health practice. Fellows work closely with highly trained and experienced epidemiologists at the state and local level, as well as those working at the federal level with the CDC. All Fellowship graduates have secured permanent positions and most are furthering their careers in epidemiology at the state or local level.

Mentor and Host Health Agency

Each Applied Epidemiology Fellow is assigned to a designated host health agency and two highly trained and experienced mentors (primary and secondary mentors). Host health agencies are CDC and CSTE approved, with demonstrated capacity to provide an Applied Epidemiology Fellow with technical training, research opportunities, and practical experience in the application of epidemiologic methods.

Role of the Mentors

The mentors oversee the training, research, and field activities of the Fellow, ensure that the Fellow is familiar with relevant techniques in a given specialty, and encourage the overall professional development of the Fellow. Host health agencies and mentors provide opportunities for the Fellows to participate in other public health activities that will expand the Fellows’ scope and depth of epidemiologic knowledge and/or expand his or her job-related capabilities.

Applied Epidemiology Core Competencies

Program participants will develop a comprehensive set of core skills through competency-based training. These competencies are expected to be fulfilled during the two-year Fellowship:

Epidemiologic methods

• Design surveillance systems to assess health problems.
• Evaluate surveillance systems and understand the limitations of surveillance data. First year Fellows are required to submit an abstract on their evaluation project for the CSTE Annual Conference.
• Role in bioterrorism/emergency preparedness and response (BT/ER). Fellows should be prepared to play a functional role in the BT/ER response for their host agency and are encouraged to participate in related training, tabletop exercises, etc.
• Be able to interpret surveillance data.
• Design an epidemiologic study to address a health problem.
• Understand the basic types of study design and the advantages and limitations of each type.
• Design a questionnaire or other data collection tool to address a health problem.
• Collect health data from appropriate sources (e.g., case interviews, medical records, vital statistics records, laboratory reports, or pathology reports).
• Create a database for a health data set.
• Use statistical software to analyze and characterize epidemiologic data.
• Interpret findings from epidemiologic studies, including recognition of the limitations of the data and potential sources of bias and/or confounding.
• Recommend control measures, prevention programs, or other public health interventions based on epidemiologic findings.

Communication

• Write a field investigation report resulting from participation in an infectious disease or other approved outbreak investigation of either acute disease outbreak or a time sensitive investigation. Fellows will experience participating in and observing an investigation performed in a charged environment. Those Fellows working in Chronic Disease, Maternal and Child Health, etc, will participate in a temporary detail to allow the Fellow to participate in such an investigation.
• Write a surveillance report.
• Understand the basic process for preparing a manuscript for publication.
• Make an oral presentation using appropriate media.
• Present data graphically and know how to use graphic software.
• Understand the basics of health-risk communication and be able to communicate epidemiologic findings in a manner that is easily understood by lay audiences (i.e., those with limited scientific background).
• Master's-level Fellows: present a poster at a national or regional meeting/publish a technical report/prepare a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
• Doctoral-level Fellows: prepare a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
  

Public Health Practice, Policy, and Legal Issues

• Have a basic understanding of public health law
• Understand the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the recently implemented privacy and information security amendments.
• Distinguishing between public health research and public health practice.
• Understand policies designed for the protection of human subjects and the role of an Institutional Review Board (IRB).
• Know the essential public health functions.
• Understand the roles of local, state, and federal public health agencies.
• Appreciate the diversity of how epidemiology is used in different program areas.
• Effectively negotiate cultural sensitivity issues.