CDC employment

[mvervaine]

how do you start working for the cdc (either as a physician or whatever)? aren't cdc employees also federal agents? does that mean you have to first be trained through the FBI?

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[lola]

no, they're not federal agents, they're federal employees.

 

[DW]

hey, i'm sitting at my cubicle at CDC

no fbi, cdc docs generally are medical officers in the U.S. public health service, all the same benefits of military docs (potential 20 year retirement after completion of residency), but in wartime they have the outside possibility of being pulld out by the navy. the pay is mediocre, but loans and malpractice insurance for docs who practice on the side are taken care ofby uncle sam. some start in the 2 year Epidemiology Intelligence Service, the "disease detectives" if you will, its an ultra selective program that only has 80 some spots per year.

for student employment, they have programs for college, grad, med student 4th year electives, and many other things, if you go to www.cdc.gov and look in the employment and training section they've got lots of info.

got any questions about the area, just drop me a pm

 

[agent]

so you live in atlanta?

 

[DW]

Originally posted by agent
so you live in atlanta?

yeah man

....saturday, its off the heezy for sheezy,
you can find me up in one tweezy

 

[pbehzad]

who wants to work at the cdc. when you can work across the street at american cancer society or better yet work for coke u!

 

[exigente chica]

Ohhh..to work at CDC...whoa!!! How cool would that be...

CDC here I come..
next stop Pentagon

 

[nkow]

yes research at atlanta is plentiful...

I too am sitting at my cubicle at the CDC...

I have also worked at the ACS (american cancer society) and Coke U (emory)...

ATL is great.

 

[Amy]

What exactly do physicians at the CDC do? Do they practice, or it it mostly research?

BTW, I like your sig, DW.

 

[DW]

Originally posted by Amy
BTW, I like your sig, DW.

glad to see someone likes it.

most PHS docs are highly encouraged to do some clinical practice part-time, so many of CDC docs stationed in atlanta work a day or two a week at egleston-scottish rite, grady, or the other big hospitals in the area. but it is mostly lab-based, epi/statistics, or policy work. some examples:

my boss has been working on a study of immune correlates of bloodstream infections in developing countries for 12 years now. she's had several ~4 month trips to developing nations (malawi, thailand, mozambique), very interesting stuff.

my professor from grad school works in global disater management. basically, whenever there is a major earthquake/flood/etc, they send his team over and they do risk assessment and provide care to victims, and do retrospective studies to determine the medical impact of these events. coolest job ever.

i have a friend who is a lab tech, and his job, no lie, is to make synthetic urine. why, i think its for testing some kidney infection or something, i dont really understand, but he spends mots of his day making piss. worst job........ever!!!!

injury prevention, substance abuse, bioterrorism preparedness, maternal and child health, healthcare disparities, nosocomial infections, and a variety of other health concerns are all addressed in some measure. if you can handle the gridlock and paperwork (it IS a federal agency, ugh), its pretty interesting. the web site is a great resource

 

[JessieLee]

I know this is an old thread, but I'm bumping it with some more questions.

After talking with family members who work for the federal government, I think I'd really like to work for the CDC after residency. The benefits listed on their site look pretty good and I'm hoping to be able to travel a lot (international and national) while employed there.

DW do you have any advice on applying? How competitive is it?

To DW or anyone else: How often would a new Medical Officer be able to travel? Do they have benefits that help you pay off student loans? I'm a female, so I shouldn't have to worry about being drafted right?

Also, I've been looking on the site for summer internship/employment, so I can get a feel for how the CDC runs. Do they offer summer programs that involve traveling?

ETA: The "Summer Internship/Employment" would be for the break between MI and MII.

 

[LadyWolverine]

My sister is currently an APHL fellow. She's pre-PhD (not MD), but they also have a 2-year track for people with MDs. She absolutely adores her job, and she gets to see, do, and take the lead on some pretty cool stuff. You can opt to work either at the CDC in Atlanta, or various state public health labs all over the country.

I'd check out the APHL fellowship. The 1-year track (which she is doing) is also a great idea for someone who wants to take a year off between finishing UG coursework and starting medical school.

 

[JessieLee]

My sister is currently an APHL fellow. She's pre-PhD (not MD), but they also have a 2-year track for people with MDs. She absolutely adores her job, and she gets to see, do, and take the lead on some pretty cool stuff. You can opt to work either at the CDC in Atlanta, or various state public health labs all over the country.

I'd check out the APHL fellowship. The 1-year track (which she is doing) is also a great idea for someone who wants to take a year off between finishing UG coursework and starting medical school.

Thanks for the info. I'll check the APHL site for a summer program.

 

[paranoid_eyes]

Ohhh..to work at CDC...whoa!!! How cool would that be...

CDC here I come..
next stop Pentagon

THAT is, until you catch something in the vaults

j/k

 

[JessieLee]

I know this is an old thread, but I'm bumping it with some more questions.

After talking with family members who work for the federal government, I think I'd really like to work for the CDC after residency. The benefits listed on their site look pretty good and I'm hoping to be able to travel a lot (international and national) while employed there.

DW do you have any advice on applying? How competitive is it?

To DW or anyone else: How often would a new Medical Officer be able to travel? Do they have benefits that help you pay off student loans? I'm a female, so I shouldn't have to worry about being drafted right?

Also, I've been looking on the site for summer internship/employment, so I can get a feel for how the CDC runs. Do they offer summer programs that involve traveling?

ETA: The "Summer Internship/Employment" would be for the break between MI and MII.

bumping from the 3rd page