The Epidemiology Elective Program for Senior Medical and Veterinary Students
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Career Development Division (CDD) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers an elective in epidemiology for senior medical and veterinary students. Approximately 50 senior medical or veterinary students will be offered an elective position each year that provides the student an introduction to public health, preventive medicine, and the principles of applied epidemiology, all under the mentorship of experienced CDC epidemiologists.
Elective students are assigned to one of CDC’s offices, as determined by the student’s area of interest. The majority of elective assignments are based at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Occasionally, assignments to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati, Ohio, Morgantown, West Virginia, Anchorage, Alaska, and Denver, Colorado, can be arranged. Assignments in the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases in Fort Collins, Colorado, or to the Arctic Investigation Laboratory in Anchorage, Alaska, can also be arranged.
Diverse projects are available for students to work on during their elective. Areas of work and related projects include infectious diseases, congenital malformations, environmental and occupational diseases, injuries (intentional and unintentional), chronic diseases, and reproductive health and minority health. Students are also exposed to the day-to-day operation of CDC's nationwide surveillance system. Participants in this program have become coauthors on publications of major public health importance. Additionally, students might be called upon to actively participate in epidemiologic investigation of public health problems throughout the United States.
Download Application
Elective Details
Elective assignments are 6–8 weeks minimum and are intended for senior medical and veterinary students.
Rotations are available from September through early June each year, depending on the student’s program of study and elective schedule.
Students selected for the program must pay the cost of the round-trip transportation to the assignment location and their living expenses during the rotation. However, travel and living expenses related to field investigations away from their assignment location are paid by CDC.
Eligibility
All applicants must meet the following requirements to be considered for the Epidemiology Elective rotation:
be currently enrolled in a U.S.-accredited medical or veterinary school;
be a medical or veterinary student in his or her junior year at the time of application;
be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; and
be available for the elective a minimum of 6 weeks during his or her senior year.
How To Apply
Your application package comprises all of the following items and must be submitted to the address provided:
your curriculum vitae, including all the information requested in the Instructions for Application. Please download instructions from the following link Epi Elective Application Instructions.
a signed academic endorsement;
a personal statement, no longer than 300 words, typewritten and double-spaced, that addresses
— why you want to do the Epidemiology Elective rotation;
— if you have experience in epidemiology or public health
(not necessarily applied epidemiology or public health
but please provide details of your experience);
— how you anticipate using the skills gained in the
Epidemiology Elective rotation; and
— your career plans after your medical or veterinary school
training.
two letters of reference from someone who knows you professionally and with whom you have recently worked. One letter must be from a faculty member of your school. These letters should be mailed directly from the person recommending you to the attention of the Epidemiology Elective Program Coordinator at the address provided.
Application Deadline
The Epidemiology Elective program staff will select candidates twice per year. Please note the two corresponding application deadlines.
For Students Interested in a Rotation Starting in or After January 2008
For students electing rotations September–December, all application materials, including letters of reference, must be postmarked by March 30 of the applicant’s junior year.
For students electing rotations January–June, all application materials, including letters of reference, must be postmarked by May 30 of the applicant’s junior year.
For Rotations in 2007 Only (September–December 2007)
If you are interested in the fall 2007 elective (September–December 2007), all application materials, including letters of reference, must be postmarked by May 30 of the applicant’s junior year. Students will be notified by the end of July or as soon as selections have been made.
Mail your entire application package to
Program Coordinator, Epidemiology Elective Program
Student Programs, Career Development Division
Office of Workforce and Career Development
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-92
Atlanta, GA 30333
Selection Process
CDC program staff will assess the entire application package and select approximately 50 students per calendar year. For students applying for rotations occurring September–December, notifications will be made no later than early June. For students applying for rotations occurring January–June, notifications will be made no later than mid-September. We will make every attempt to assign students in an area of his or her expressed interest.
Only students applying for the fall 2007 elective (September–December) will be notified by the end of July or as soon as placement occurs. Please note the application deadline for the fall 2007 elective remains May 30, but in future years the application deadline for fall rotations will be March 30.
Click here to download instructions for completing the application to the Epidemiology Elective Program.
If additional information is required, please contact
Program Coordinator, Epidemiology Elective Program
Student Programs, Career Development Division
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-92
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: (404) 498-6152; Fax: (404) 498-6085
http://www.cdc.gov/eis/applyeis/elective.htm