Apply to Be a PMR/F
ShareCompartir
Physicians seeking board certification in preventive medicine should apply for the Preventive Medicine Residency while veterinarians, nurses, or other health professionals with a MPH should apply for the fellowship.
PMR/F participants are selected from among highly qualified applicants drawn to public health and interested in developing their leadership and management skills in an experiential learning environment as evidenced by:
- a demonstrated interest in public health work through the course selection in their academic transcripts, research or dissertation (if applicable), and prior experiences with governmental or nongovernmental public health agencies.
- varied experiences in applied epidemiology in different topical areas and geographic placements in the U.S.
- a record of high academic achievement, teamwork, innovation, and leadership
Applicants to either the Residency or Fellowship must meet the following criteria:
PMR/F applicants must have experience that demonstrates mastery of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Core Activities of Learning to be considered eligible for PMR/F.
- Have 2 or more years of applied epidemiology experience outside of graduate studies that meets the EIS Core Activities of Learning
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Be willing to commit to a 12- or 24-month full-time training program
- Attend orientation in Atlanta, Georgia, in July
- Relocate for their assignments. Individuals with prior experience at a state or local health department will be assigned to a CDC location. Individuals with prior experience at the federal level will be assigned to a state or local health department.
Preventive Medicine Residency
Physicians seeking certification by the American Board of Preventive Medicine must meet the following criteria to be considered eligible for the residency.
Degree and Licensing Requirements
- Physicians (e.g., MD, DO, MBBS) must hold a current, unrestricted license to practice medicine from a licensing jurisdiction in the U.S.
- Have completed one or more years of training in a clinical specialty that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
- Commit to 12-months of full-time training
- Have completed at least 2 years of training at an ACGME-accredited residency
- Have completed training in an MPH program from a school accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health
Applicants to the 24-month full-time residency track who do not have an MPH must:
- Commit to 24-months of full-time training
- Have completed at least one year of training at an ACGME-accredited residency
- Be officers in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) at the time of application as they will complete the MPH at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD, full-time for 12-months.
- Forgo certain Medical Special Pays and incur a service obligation to USPHS of twice the duration of the MPH program
- Be willing to relocate to a host site for 12-months of a practicum year following the MPH year
- Commit to 24-months of full-time training
- Have completed at least one year of training at an ACGME-accredited residency
- Ensure that their MPH training meets the ABPM residency pathway requirements by either certifying the MPH was obtained from a CEPH-accredited school or inquiring to the PMR/F at PrevMed@cdc.gov.
- Spend one year at a practicum site and then spend a year at either a second site or as the PMR/F chief resident
Preventive Medicine Fellowship
Veterinarians, nurses, physicians not seeking certification by the American Board of Preventive Medicine, and other allied health professionals must meet the below criteria to be considered eligible for the 12-month full-time fellowship.
- Must have completed training in a MPH or equivalent program from a school accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health
- Qualified health professionals must have a graduate degree including:
- Veterinarians (e.g., DVM, VMD)
- Nurses (e.g., RN, RNP, MSN), or
- Other health professional
- Healthcare professionals must have an active, unrestricted, U.S. license to practice their clinical specialty
- Must be willing to relocate to a host site for 12-months
Complete the online application. The application will ask for your:
- Contact information
- Education
- Post-graduate training and skills
In addition to the online application, the following supporting documents are required:
- Letters of recommendation
- Transcripts
- Clinical license
- Certificates of residency and fellowship training
Three letters of recommendation are required from persons familiar with the candidate’s academic achievements, aspirations, personal qualities, and professional attributes. One letter must be from your immediate supervisor. For physicians applying to the residency, one letter must be from your most recent residency program director. Letters must be dated within 6 months of submission, signed, and on official letterhead.
Applicants must:
- Provide a copy of the Instructions for Letters of Recommendation [PDF – 2 pages] and a Reference Evaluation Form [PDF – 1 page] to persons writing letters of recommendation on their behalf.
- Applicants in CDC-sponsored field assignments must submit recommendations from field supervisors.
- Let the persons writing the Letters of Recommendation know they will receive an email from PrevMed@cdc.gov with instructions about how to submit the letter electronically.
To Submit a Letter of Recommendation:
To submit your letter of recommendation, complete the following:
- Enter reference information into the Add Letter of Recommendation section according to required fields
- Click on the Update button to confirm and to send system-generated email from PrevMed@cdc.gov
- Once the reference(s) have received the system generated email, they will be able to upload PDF copies of recommendation letter
The reference must:
- Sign and scan the letter of recommendation
- Save the letter as a PDF file
- Click on the link provided in the system generated email to upload the recommendation letter
- Receive a system generated email from PrevMed@cdc.gov indicating that the upload was successful
Transcripts
Copies of transcripts are required for all earned degrees. The following information is related to transcripts:
- When a transcript is not issued by a U.S. institution:
- Other proof of degree completion (e.g., certified copy of a diploma) must be submitted
- Diploma or other proof of degree completion must be translated into English using one of the following CDC-approved translation services:
- Do not send a high school transcript
- Notes:
- Official transcripts or other proof will be required for applicants who are accepted into the program. They must be sent by the university registrar or recorder of records and received by January 31 of the year of entry into PMR/F.
- Transcripts and other proof of degree completion will not be returned to applicants
To Submit Unofficial Transcripts
The applicant applying to PMR/F must:
- Request an unofficial copy of all college/university transcripts
- Within the online application, complete all necessary fields for college/university education, click Update
- On the main Education page, click the Upload link next to the specific college/university
- Click Browse button and select appropriate college/university transcript PDF
- Click Upload to attach unofficial transcript PDF for appropriate college/university
- Confirm unofficial transcript PDF successfully attached
Official Transcripts for Those Accepted into the Program
For those accepted into the PMR/F program, an official transcript must be received at CDC by January 31 of the year of entry to PrevMed@cdc.gov.
All applicants who were born outside the United States must demonstrate proficiency in written and spoken English by providing one of the following:
- TOEFL scores equal to 100 or higher on the Internet-based TOEFL, 250 on computer-based TOEFL, or 600 on the paper-based TOEFL
- TOEFL exemption letter for those whose native language is English. Refer to PMR/F TOEFL Requirements [PDF – 2 pages] to determine if you qualify for an exemption
Clinical License
U.S. citizens and permanent residents with a clinical degree (e.g., MD, DVM, RN, DMD, or equivalent) must upload a copy of their active, unrestricted license to practice a clinical specialty in the U.S. or Canada.
- Click Add License in the Edit College/University Education section
- Click Browse and select appropriate license PDF
- Click Upload to attach the PDF for the appropriate license
- Confirm clinical license was successfully uploaded
Physicians must email a PDF of all certificates or residency and fellowship training.
- Attach all PDFs to one email
- In the subject line, put your last name, your first name, and PMRF Application
- Email to PrevMed@cdc.gov before the deadline
EIS Activity Report or Experience Statement
Graduates of the EIS program must email their EIS activity report. Applicants with experience outside of graduate study work that meets the EIS Core Activities of Learning (CAL) will need to upload a bulleted list of how their experience meets each of the EIS CALs that is no more than 750 words.
- Attach this PDF to one email
- In the subject line, put your last name, your first name, and PMRF Application
- Email to PrevMed@cdc.gov before the deadline
Class of 2018 Deadlines and Decision Dates
| July 1, 2017 | Application opens for the Class of 2018. |
| August 1, 2017 | Application period closes at 11:59 p.m. (EDT). All applications and supporting materials must be received by the deadline. Late applications will not be considered. |
| August 14, 2017 | Selected applicants invited to interview. |
| August 22–September 5, 2017 | Interviews conducted at CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, or by telephone. Candidates who wish to interview in person are responsible for their travel expenses. |
| September 26, 2017 | Candidates notified of acceptance |
| June 25, 2018 | Programs begin |
Click the button to check the status of your application.
Contact the PrevMed@cdc.gov if you have any questions about the PMR/F application process.
- Page last reviewed: October 16, 2017
- Page last updated: October 16, 2017
- Content source: