Straight From the Horses’ Mouths: Mentors, Mentees, and Recruiters Tell All About Careers for Epidemiologists in Government, Industry, Academia, and Consulting

Q&A – Second Half of Workshop

Presentors: Doug Hamilton, MD, PhD (EIS Director, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) / Jackie LaVigne, PhD, MPH (Chief, Office of Education, National Cancer Institute) / Shine Chang, PhD (Professor, MD Anderson Cancer Center)

Moderator: Jan Eberth, MSPH

Doug Hamilton:

Q: What is EIS looking for?

A:  1) Play well with others, 2) Strong academic record, and 3) Interests that parallel EIS needs & interests

Q: How competitive is EIS for International students?

A: EIS interview approximately half of its applicants annually. It typically gets 270-290 applications for 80 spots. The International pool of applicants is more competitive than US citizens and residents. Non-US citizens must be eligible for J1 exchange visitor status. If selected for EIS, CDC will sponsor the J1 visa.

Q:  Describe the application process.

A: The deadline for applying is September 15th for the EIS class beginning the following July. Applications are accepted starting in May each year.  Letters of recommendation, transcripts, and a US clinical license (if applicable) are required materials. USAJOBS, the online portal that accepts EIS applications, searches for specific keywords … so use the allotted amount of space efficiently.  For more information, see www.cdc.gov/eis/ApplyNow.html.

Shine Chang & Jackie Lavigne

Q: What are the distinctive feastures of a post-doc?

A: 1) Explore options and make any necessary shifts in your career/interests, 2) Better pay and more free time, 3) Publish your dissertation in journals, 4) Fill up your toolbox, 5) Build on your dissertation work

Q: General advice for post-docs and junior faculty…

A: 

1. As a junior faculty, you’re on your own for awhile (limited staff, student help, lab space, etc…). Thus, collaborations and mentorship are very important.
2. Mentorship includes regularly scheduled meetings to discuss your work.
3. One of the best ways to increase your visibility is to tell everyone what you want to do. If you tell everyone your research interests and career goals, then someday one of them will think of you when a research study is being dev