J. Buffington et al., An elective rotation in applied epidemiology with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1975-1997, AM J PREV M, 16(4), 1999, pp. 335-340
Introduction: To increase awareness of and interest in public health and ep
idemiology, CDC initiated an elective in epidemiology and public health for
senior medical students in 1975 and for veterinary students in 1982.
Methods: A review of CDC records to describe participation in the elective,
to assess whether students subsequently enrolled in another CDC training p
rogram, the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), and, if enrolled, employme
nt status following EIS. A review of documentation of board certification i
n preventive medicine to determine how many participants later chose this s
pecialty, one indicator of public health and prevention as a career choice.
Results: From 1975 through 1997, 632 students participated in the elective.
Of these, 438 (69%) were assigned to infectious disease areas, 95 (15%) to
environmental health, 59 (9%) to chronic disease, and 40 (7%) to other are
as. Students participated in at least 278 official investigations of import
ant public health problems including infectious disease outbreaks, natural
disasters, chronic disease problems and access to health care. Of 530 stude
nts who had completed the elective through June 1995, 91 (17%) were enrolle
d in EIS by July 1997. Of 83 completing EIS by July 1997, 65 (78%) had cont
inued in public health careers: 35 with CDC; 17 with local or state health
departments; 7 with other federal agencies; 4 in academic public health; an
d 2 in international health. Of those not enrolling in EIS, at least 5% wer
e certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine, compared with 34%
of those completing EIS.
Conclusion: An elective rotation in public health and applied epidemiology
is valuable in introducing future physicians and veterinarians to the pract
ice of public health, and can provide important role models for encourageme
nt to pursue careers in public health. (C) 1999 American Journal of Prevent
ive Medicine.