Practicum Opportunities in Epidemiology at

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) provides
practica/internships for students each year through a variety of highly competitive training
programs.

Formalized programs include the: 1) Health Research Training Program (HRTP); 2) EPI
Scholars program; and 3) EPI surveillance practicum. Many students also participate in less
formalized working/training experiences that are arranged individually department by
department. Part-time internships are available during the academic year and both full- and part-
time internships are generally available in the summer. These formalized programs provide
students with the opportunity to work in many different areas of public health—including
epidemiology—in one of the oldest, largest and most respected public health agencies in the
country.

Health Research Training Program (HRTP). Available to NYC student residents year
round, HRTP is one of the most acclaimed public health department training programs.
Students may work part-time during the Fall or Spring semesters and either part-time or full-
time during Summer. During their internship, students may work on specific projects under
the supervision of health professionals, as well as go on field trips to public health facilities
and attend weekly seminars on health issues confronting New York. Placement can be
competitive. In the past, the program has selected 100 students from approximately 400
applications. Check the NYCDOHMH website for updated application deadlines which are
generally: August 15th for Fall semester internships; November 15th for Spring semester
internships and February 15th for Summer internships.

The Epidemiology Scholars Program (EPI Scholars). The EPI scholars program provides
exposure to disease and injury-related health disparities. One of the most competitive
programs at DOH, this small program (6-8 students) accepts students from 6 other leading
schools of public health for full-time work and for the summer months only. It does not
require NYC residency. It is geared to identifying and training promising future generations
of epidemiologists in health disparities. The program aims include providing ‘high caliber,
graduate level epidemiology students with direct public health experience in an urban setting.
Epi Scholars intern with DOHMH researchers for a period of two to three months. During
that time, the Epi Scholars receive supplemental training to further develop their skills and
work on significant high profile health disparities research projects.’ Students are chosen ‘for
their record of academic achievement and strong interest in addressing health disparities.’ A
personal statement indicating a strong interest in health disparities improves the chances of
being selected for this highly competitive program. Specific topical areas of health disparities
vary from year to year. Application Deadline: February 15th for summer internships.

Public Health Surveillance Training Program. The New York City Department of Health
and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) and the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman
School of Public Health partnered to create a practicum/thesis combination concentration in
the methods and practice of Public Health Surveillance. Application to this program must be
completed before the beginning of the second semester at Mailman, as it has traditionally
required specific prerequisite courses taught at MSPH during the Spring semester. Once
accepted into the surveillance training program, students must register for the Applied
Epidemiologic Methods course in the Spring of their second semester. A Public Health
Surveillance seminar will be offered in the Spring or Summer to complement this
 preparation. Students will be matched with a surveillance-oriented MSPH faculty member
and a senior DOHMH staff person who will serve as practicum and thesis mentors. Selected
students will work at the NYC DOHMH on a surveillance-related project to fulfill the
master’s practicum requirement (May-August, with the possibility to extend the time period)
and use DOHMH surveillance data for the master’s thesis. Preparation and submission of
manuscript(s) for publication is strongly encouraged in this practicum/thesis combination.
Apply directly to MSPH/Epi Department at epipracticum@gmail.com. Applications are
accepted once per year. Deadline: January 2nd for summer internship.

Part-time Employment at DOHMH. Students who take jobs outside one of the formalized
training programs (EPI scholars, HRTP, or Surveillance) may be eligible to use this as their
practicum if they apply PRIOR to the experience and obtain approval of their practicum
agreement form prior to beginning the practicum. Students who work outside of the
formalized training programs are not eligible to attend the highly acclaimed weekly
seminars, training classes or field trips. Students in such a position should contact Dr.
Pressley well ahead of the February 15th summer application deadline to HRTP to explore
the feasibility of getting their part-time employment recognized as an endeavor through one
of these formalized programs.

Eligibility:

Successful applicants to the HRTP/EPI Scholars/Surveillance practica must meet the following
criteria:
• Be in good academic standing at their respective university. (Successful
HRTP/surveillance/EPI Scholar candidates generally have a GPA at or above 3.0);
• Submit all application components by the posted due date;
• Be a resident in the NYC area (Fall and Spring placements only; this requirement does not
apply to summer placements.).

Elements of the application:

• Official application form (These are available electronically on the HRTP website generally
within 4-6 weeks of the due date);
• Official school transcript (photo copies and internet printouts are not accepted);
• Personal statement of 500 or fewer words;
• Resume (bachelor’s level degrees) or CV (doctoral level degrees);
• One academic reference (preferably from a professor) - must be in a sealed and signed
envelope.

Application submission tips:

Read the instructions carefully as they may be subject to change. Make requests for letters of
recommendation well in advance (about 1 month) before the application deadline. Students
should e-mail their recommendation writer a resume and a few paragraphs about interests,
academic performance and long-term career goals. The letter must be in a sealed envelope with a
signature across the back of the envelope flap. If the recommendation requires submission of a
standardized form, include that in the e-mail.

Official transcripts (stamped with the University seal) can be obtained on-line using the electronic
sites listed below. Students should submit transcripts for consideration that have their grades from
the first semester since this is part of the selection criteria for admission to some training
programs. Mailman grades are generally posted in late December and transcripts are available by
early January. DOH will accept transcripts without grades—showing the classes in which you
were enrolled. If time allows, once grades have been posted, a transcript request can be sent
directly to the DOH using the instructions listed in this document.

Students who meet application requirements and pass the first stage of the selection
process should expect to be contacted for an interview. Slots are filled on a rolling basis and
availability in some areas is limited.

When to start looking:

Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. If there are no openings in the area of
interest, it is possible that early application will provide HRTP staff time to explore whether such
an opportunity could be created.

How to obtain application forms:

The DOH website should be monitored for changes in submission instructions, including due
dates. Information on HRTP is available online at
http://home2.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/hrtp/hrtp.shtml

Alternatively, one can search for “HRTP” from The City of New York Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene website links: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/home/home.shtml or
http://www.nyc.gov/health

To Request a Transcript:

Transcripts can be mailed, free of charge, within the week of request. They will be sent directly to
the address indicated. They can also be obtained in person without extra charge for current
students from the Registrar in the Black building. If desired, a copy of grades for inclusion in the
application packet may be printed and submitted with the application, but the official transcript is
required before the application will be reviewed.

Go to the Student Services Online website by using the link: http://ssol.columbia.edu/ The UNI
and password are needed to enter the site. Select “Grades and registration status” to check that
final grades have been posted and to verify that they are correct. Once verified, select “Transcript
ordering” to request a transcript be sent directly to the address of the institution to which you are
applying. Enter the necessary contact information items (email and phone number). Under
“delivery options,” choose the option to have the transcript delivered “to a new address of your
own.” Historically, The NYC DOHMH HRTP office address where the application and all other
items, including the transcript, are to be sent:

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Health Research Training
Program
2 Lafayette Street, 20th floor, CN-65
New York, NY 10007

HRTP completion requirements: The HRTP training program requires that a final report be
submitted within 2 weeks of completion of the internship. Guidelines are listed on the website. In
the past, if multiple students worked on the same project, a single joint report could be submitted
for which all students received credit. Students are issued a Certificate of Completion after
submission of the report. The internship is considered incomplete without this certificate.

Submitting forms: Completed application forms should be submitted using a means that will
ensure their arrival by the deadline. The address (same as above) on the cover letter of the
application should be used for submissions:

Health Research Training Program

2 Lafayette St., 20th Floor, CN65
New York, NY 10007
Tel: (212) 676-2188
Fax: (212) 676-2172

Due Dates and Notification of application status: The application deadlines posted here are to
be used as a guideline only. Check the DOHMH HRTP website for the latest application forms
and updates on due dates. The application process is said to require complete submission of ALL
application components by the deadline. Notification of application status should be given no
later than the second week in January for applicants to the Spring session and no later than the
first week in April for applicants to the Summer session.

Potential Practicum Opportunity Interest Areas: Potential projects for placements are wide
ranging and have included the following areas in the past:
• Asthma • Infant mortality
• Cancer • Infectious diseases
• Cardiovascular health • Injury/violence prevention
• Chronic diseases • Lead poisoning
• Community health • Maternal/infant health
• Correctional health • Mental health
• Dental health • Nutrition
• Disease and injury • Occupational health
• Emergency Preparedness • School health
• Environmental health diseases • Sexually transmitted
• Family violence • Tobacco control
• Family health • Substance abuse/Alcoholism
• Gay and lesbian health • Toxicology
• Genetic diseases • Tuberculosis
• Gerontology surveillance • West Nile Virus
• HIV/AIDS • Women’s health
• Homeless health • World Trade Center registry
• Immunizations • Other

Before embarking on a practicum: The Epidemiology Practicum Agreement Form should be

completed and submitted to the Practicum Office BEFORE the practicum begins. CITI Human
Subjects and HIPAA certifications must be on file before the practicum agreement form will be
approved.

Disclaimer. Students should always be on alert for changes that are made in submission dates
and application components by organizations and institutions to which they are applying. This
can be done by monitoring and/or reviewing the instructions listed directly on the website
addresses in this document. This document was compiled to facilitate the practicum process, but
the on-line instructions from the agency or organization should be taken as the final authority. We
request that students notify us if they find changes and discrepancies.

Practicum Credit: Receipt of practicum credit for HRTP requires submission of two completed
evaluation forms: one from the practicum mentor/supervisor and one from the student: Forms
may be submitted by e-mail at epipracticum@gmail.com.

Prepared by JCP/AT Summer/Fall 2004; updates by JCP/CMP; Last updated 10/12/2010.