Overview
The PMR/F service learning experiences strengthen participants’ abilities to bridge medicine and public health in order to comprehensively address population health. Graduates are prepared to provide leadership in disease prevention and health promotion at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels, as well as internationally. Our learners include Epidemic Intelligence Service graduates (physicians, veterinarians, and other health professionals) and other comparably-trained professionals.
Preventive Medicine Residency
Has 12- and 24-month tracks for physicians depending on whether a learner needs an MPH or two years of ACGME-accredited training to fulfill board exam requirements. The program also offers a 12-month Mid-Career program for physicians employed in public, private, or academic organizations.
- The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
- Graduates qualify to take the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) exam for the specialty of Public Health and General Preventive Medicine.
- For more information, see the ACGME Preventive Medicine Program Requirements.
Preventive Medicine Fellowship
Is a 12-month fellowship for nurses, veterinarians, and dentists with an MPH.
Residency
Fellowship
Early Career
Mid-Career
Early Career
24 Months
12 Month
12 Month
12 Month
More details on each program and track are below.
Monthly Tasks
- Preventive Medicine Grand Rounds
- Group check-in
- Direct patient care, 1 day per week**
- JULY
New learner training and orientation start July 1 - AUGUST
Initial Milestone evaluation due*
Site visits for all supervisors and learners - SEPTEMBER
Routine monthly tasks - OCTOBER
CDC Washington and Congressional orientation
ABPM exam** - NOVEMBER
Mid-year Milestone evaluations due* - DECEMBER
Routine monthly tasks - JANUARY
Mid-year site visit for learners (supervisors optional)
360 Degree Evaluation - FEBRUARY
Routine monthly tasks - MARCH
Register for ABPM Exam** - APRIL
Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference - MAY
Final Milestone evaluation due*
Deliverables due: project summaries, success stories, and clinical log
American College of Preventive Medicine Conference
- JUNE
- New host site orientation begins
- New learner pre-orientation begins
- Graduation
*Learner develops ▸ Supervisor reviews ▸ Program director reviews ▸ Competency committee reviews
** Residents seeking ABPM certification only
PMR/F Performance Requirements
While in the program, residents and fellows participate in activities that focus on growing and applying critical leadership and management skills. There are six potential project areas and descriptions for each are included in the menu that follows.
Use epidemiologic methods to identify and address issues of public health importance.
Possible activities:
- Conduct or participate in a field investigation of a potentially serious public health problem that requires a timely response
- Design, conduct, and interpret an epidemiologic analysis
- Evaluate a public health surveillance system
Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of a public health project or initiative focused on population health that is either ongoing or in development.
Possible activities:
- Identify program structure and organization, stakeholders, and components in the program environment
- Identify information sources and gather relevant data
- Plan and execute an evaluation
- Use evaluation outcomes for quality improvement
Develop a working knowledge of how to effectively administer a program
Possible activities:
- Develop and evaluate a strategic plan using a collaborative approach
- Analyze a budget and make recommendations for future
- Manage a project
- Develop a working knowledge of personnel management approaches
Apply scientifically sound techniques to conduct a policy review or develop policy guidelines.
Possible activities:
- Use scientific data to craft population health policies or recommendations
- Effectively communicate the importance of recommended policies or actions to stakeholders
- Identify priorities or agendas that could facilitate or impede recommended policies or actions and make strategic adjustments accordingly to advance the policy process
Develop a grant proposal (or a portion of it) or participate in an objective review process evaluating grant applications. The grant must provide essential public health services or complex budget management.
Possible activities:
- Develop either a grant proposal or a strategic plan on how to develop a grant
- Review grant applications systematically and objectively
- Degree type: MD/MBBS/DO
- Licensure requirement: A current, unrestricted license to practice medicine from a licensing jurisdiction in the U.S. is required
- MPH (from a CEPH-accredited school) or equivalent: Does not have a prior MPH. Needs to obtain an MPH during the PMR/F training period
- Number of years of prior ACGME-accredited training: One or more
- Requirement to be a PHS Officer: Applicants for this track must apply to be a PHS officer prior to applying to PMR/F and be accepted to PHS by the time of the start of the training in order to be eligible
- Host site: Applicants must go to Bethesda, MD for the MPH program at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, full-time for 12-months and then a practicum year site for their second year. Applicants who have no prior CDC experience will be required to complete their practicum year at a CDC Headquarters position in Atlanta, GA
- Clinical training requirement: PMR/F will work to ensure residents get the required 320 hours of direct patient care each training year
- Prior experience: EIS or equivalent experience is required
- Additional information: Participants will be required to become full-time employees (as residents) of the CDC PMR/F for the duration of the training period. Participants in this track may be required to forgo certain Medical Special Pays and incur a service obligation to USPHS of twice the duration of the MPH program
- Degree type: MD/MBBS/DO
- Licensure requirement: A current, unrestricted license to practice medicine from a licensing jurisdiction in the U.S. is required
- MPH (from a CEPH-accredited school) or equivalent: Required prior to starting
- Number of years of prior ACGME-accredited training: One or more
- Requirement to be a PHS Officer: Not required
- Host site: Reassignment to a host site different from previous work setting is required for each 12-month practium year
- Clinical training requirement: PMR/F will work to ensure residents get the required 320 hours of direct patient care each training year
- Prior experience: Reassignment to a host site different from previous work setting is required
- Additional information: Most of these residents are full-time employees of CDC
- Degree type: MD/MBBS/DO
- Licensure requirement: A current, unrestricted license to practice medicine from a licensing jurisdiction in the U.S. is required
- MPH (from a CEPH-accredited school) or equivalent: Required prior to starting
- Number of years of prior ACGME-accredited training: Two or more
- Requirement to be a PHS Officer: Not required
- Host site: Reassignment to a host site different from previous work setting is required
- Prior experience: EIS or equivalent experience is required
- Additional information: Most of the Early Career Residency participants are full-time employees of CDC
- Degree type: MD/MBBS/DO
- Licensure requirement: A current, unrestricted license to practice medicine from a licensing jurisdiction in the U.S. is required
- MPH (from a CEPH-accredited school) or equivalent: Required prior to starting
- Number of years of prior ACGME-accredited training: Two or more
- Requirement to be a PHS Officer: Not required
- Host site: Applicants for this track must be employees of a host site that agrees to support their training at time of application. PMR/F will determine host site suitability based on supervisor’s support and if there are appropriate population health projects
- Clinical training requirement: Applicants for this track must also have a letter of support from a clinical site willing to support the 320 hours of required clinical experience during the training year. This patient care requirement may add to their job responsibilities to complete the residency if the learner is not already providing care in their position.
- Prior experience: Experience in applied epidemiology, program administration, grant proposal development and management is required
- Additional information: Residents in this track will generally follow the curriculum of the CDC Population Health Training In Place program learners. All participants in this track need to travel to Atlanta for the in-person orientation in July at their or their host agency’s expense if the orientation is held in-person
- Degree type: RN, DVM, and MD/MBBS/DO not seeking ABPM board certification
- Licensure requirement: A current, unrestricted license to practice medicine in their field from a licensing jurisdiction in the U.S. is required
- MPH (from a CEPH-accredited school) or equivalent: Required
- Number of years of prior ACGME-accredited training: Not required
- Requirement to be a PHS Officer: Not required
- Host site: Reassignment to a host site different from previous work setting is required
- Prior experience: EIS or equivalent experience is required
- Additional information: Most of the Early Career Fellowship participants are full-time employees of CDC