Alumni Testimonials
Submit alumni stories and photos to epielective@cdc.gov.
“The knowledge, skills, and experience I gained at a state and county level during EEP will aid my pursuit of a public practice veterinary career. I know more about disease surveillance, gathering data, and scientific writing. I also learned important cultural competency skills through assisting in preventative veterinary and One Health endeavors among Native American populations. These field experiences will help me better serve many communities in the future.”
Rozalyn Donner, DVM
Midwestern University
2018 Epidemiology Elective Program
“I plan to utilize my understanding of the public health system to collaborate with various public health and policy stakeholders, in order to address health inequities domestically and abroad as a clinician. Additionally, my experiences in EEP have further fine-tuned my understanding of policy and advocacy. I hope to better incorporate these skills in my future career.”
Jesal Shah, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
2018 Epidemiology Elective Program
“My Epidemiology Elective at CDC was an enriching, diverse, and enjoyable experience. I spent the majority of my time in Atlanta, helping to research and write a report on the delivery of asthma care. I also had the chance to travel to Alaska to assist with an Epi-Aid outbreak investigation of group A strep among the homeless population. During my assignment, I was able to work alongside a variety of public health experts who were dedicated to public service and mentorship. It was an inspiring introduction to the world of applied epidemiology.”
Matthew Blum, MD
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
2017 Epidemiology Elective Program
“I have come away from this rotation more confident in assembling task forces and being agile in response to emergent or sudden situational changes. I have learned even more about the importance of being a team player. I felt very inspired by the people I was able to work alongside. They were inclusive and valued the fact that I loved learning and took me under their wings.”
Diana Chen, MD, MBA
Michigan State University
2020 Epidemiology Elective Program
“For the first time ever, EEP helped me to explore and evaluate topics I’m most passionate about and to fully utilize my background knowledge in agriculture, animal health, and zoonotic diseases. My newfound skills and experiences will be valuable influences in my search for a career that I love and allows me to make a difference in public health.”
Jesse Whitfield, DVM, MPH
Purdue University
2020 Epidemiology Elective Program
“Working alongside a CDC medical officer and EIS officer during a coronavirus field investigation enabled me to learn about public health response through first-hand experience. I got to see how decisions are made and how an incident command team is structured. I had the chance to contribute to field investigation information that was published in two Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports. I see great value in being a physician with epidemiology training, and will plan to apply to EIS as soon as I am eligible!
Amy Xie, MD
Ohio State University
2020 Epidemiology Elective Program
“I hope to use my EEP experience to help inform how I treat patients clinically. EEP gave me perspective on population-based prevention and managing infectious diseases. I also established various networks while in EEP and plan to maintain connections as I pursue further training.”
Max Cohen, DO
University of New England
2020 Epidemiology Elective Program
“My host site was a city health department and involved connecting with agencies involved with HCV (Hepatitis C) care. I appreciated the importance of building community relationships, especially with key informants. In the future, as a primary care physician, I would like to use these skills, as well as some of the technical skills I learned, such as how to conduct literature reviews and develop surveys, to develop initiatives for my patients.”
Christina Randolph, BS, DO, MPH
Ohio University
2018 Epidemiology Elective Program
“During my rotation in the U.S. Virgin Islands, I saw how veterinarians can fulfill truly interdisciplinary roles. My primary work involved assisting with various studies centered around leptospirosis surveillance and rabies monitoring. I was also able to assist with COVID-19 surveillance, community-wide post-hurricane health monitoring, and community health education. EEP showed me the wide range of skills that veterinarians use to promote public health.”
Learn more about Leanne’s experiential training in her blog post:
Leanne Jankelunas, DVM, MPH
Cornell University
2020 Epidemiology Elective Program