Public Health Residency Program

Since 1959, the Public Health/Preventive Medicine Residency Program, associated with the Columbia University Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, has trained physicians in health promotion and disease prevention at the population level. Graduates have served as leaders in public health practice, epidemiologic and clinical research and clinical preventive medicine.

The Residency Program, a unique learning opportunity, combines field experience at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) with study toward the Master of Public Health degree at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Residents will acquire the epidemiologic, administrative and clinical skills needed to understand and reduce the risks of disease, disability and death for individuals and groups. Core competencies that residents develop include biostatistics and epidemiology, management and administration, clinical preventive medicine, occupational and environmental health and understanding of ethical, social and cultural influences. 

This Program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education to offer the combined Academic and Practicum Years (24 months). Note: the PGY-1 Clinical Year is not offered in this Residency Program. Applicants must have completed at least one clinical year (see below) by the start date of this Residency Program.

Applicants who possess an MPH or equivalent degree may apply for a twelve-month Practicum Year.

Graduates of the Residency Program are eligible for Board Certification in Public Health/Preventive Medicine from the American Board of Preventive Medicine.

What are Preventive Medicine Specialists?

Physicians who specialize in preventive medicine are uniquely trained in both clinical medicine and public health. They possess the skills required to understand and reduce the risks of disease, disability and death in individuals and in populations. Preventive medicine physicians work in areas as diverse as primary care settings, managed care organizations, public health and other government agencies, community-based organizations, occupational health facilities, academia and in the international setting (http://www.acpm.org).

For more information on residency training in preventive medicine, visit http://www.acpm.org/medstudents.htm.

Elective in Public Health for Residents and Medical Students

The Public Health/Preventive Medicine Residency Program also offers electives in public health (PDF) for residents and medical students.

What Is the Public Health/Preventive Medicine Residency Program?

The Residency Program offers two years of training (combined Academic and Practicum Years); practicum rotations are conducted  concurrently with study toward the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. Residents further develop expertise through clinical public health rotations (e.g., TB, STD, occupational medicine, etc.,) outbreak investigations, on-call experience and other activities. Compensation includes a stipend determined by the total number of years of prior clinical training as well as health insurance and other benefits, educational travel allowance and full tuition for the MPH degree.

In the first year, residents rotate through several divisions of the NYC DOHMH, acquiring skills needed for a) conducting surveillance, b) planning, implementing and evaluating services for the prevention and control of communicable and environmental problems, c) promoting health and preventing disease, and d) expanding access to health care. 

In the second year, each resident develops and implements a year-long applied research project in his or her area of interest.

During both years, residents may choose clinical responsibilities in the Department’s TB, STD and other clinics and have the opportunity to observe and participate in activities such as outreach to high-risk populations, epidemiologic investigations, data analysis, policy development, program administration, delivery of clinical services, and communication with the public, policymakers and health care providers.

Day-to-day activities of the residents are under the guidance of public health physicians and other senior staff members of the NYC DOHMH. An academic mentor guides the education of the residents at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. A weekly seminar on public health and preventive medicine is held for the residents, who also participate in the extensive educational activities available at the NYC DOHMH, the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and NYC health care institutions.

What Do Residents Work On?

Examples of resident projects are:

• Coronary heart disease deaths in NYC – are they more frequent  than expected?
• Epidemiology of community-acquired MRSA in NYC
• Hematopoietic Malignancies in World Trade Center Health Registry participants
• Behavioral Change Program for HIV+ Persons – creation and evaluation
• Hypertension Control Program in Faith-Based Institutions
• Preventive Medicine Components of the Electronic Health Record
• Hemoglobin A1C Registry – how can it help physicians?
• Outbreak of deaths associated with heroin use
• HIV Case Management – how can it be improved?
• Field Testing for HIV
• Sarcoidosis in World Trade Center Health Registry
• Epidemiology of Kawasaki Disease in NYC participants
• Surveillance for occupational burns in NYC
• Development of a health education kiosk for family and friends of inmates at a NYC correctional facility
• Creation of an on-line interactive teaching module for health professionals on public health informatics
• Screening for intimate partner violence by providers at a NYC correctional facility
• Who is dying of cervical cancer in NYC?
• Epidemiology of high-grade cervical dysplasia among women inmates
• Evaluation of NYC hospital Emergency Department triage and isolation of patients

What positions do Graduates hold?

Graduates of the Public Health/Preventive Medicine Residency Program are currently working in state and local health departments, international non-governmental organizations, academic medical centers and graduate medical education programs and schools of public health.

Track in Cancer Prevention and Control

With funding from the American Cancer Society, the Residency Program offers training in population-based cancer prevention and control. Residents in this track spend part of their training focusing on:

• cancer epidemiology, biometry and surveillance
• promotion of screening and early detection
• tobacco use prevention and cessation in the clinical site and community
• school-, workplace- and community-based cancer risk factor intervention
• physician education
• social marketing
• community coalitions
• legislative initiatives
• risk communication to policymakers and the public.

See below for application instructions.

Master of Public Health Degree

The academic program leading to the MPH is designed to develop skills in recognizing and combating public health problems, setting priorities and using scientific approaches to problem solving. Residents gain a broad understanding of public health and develop quantitative skills that are utilized in their DOHMH practica.

Residents can “major in” biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health policy and management, population and family health, sociomedical sciences, global health or in the interdisciplinary, individually-tailored General Public Health track.

Full tuition and all fees are provided by the Public Health/Preventive Medicine Residency Program.

About the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

The only accredited school of public health in New York City, and among the first in the nation, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health provides instruction and research opportunities to nearly 1000 graduate students in pursuit of masters and doctoral degrees. Its students and more than 300 multi-disciplinary faculty engage in research and service in the city, nation, and around the world, concentrating on biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health policy and management, population and family health, and sociomedical sciences.

Throughout its history, the School has been a national and international leader in many areas of public health research, education and service. Among its many achievements over the years, the School was the first institution to establish programs in sociomedical sciences and in psychiatric epidemiology training, the first to offer a joint degree in business and public health, and the first to provide graduate education in hospital administration. Preventing illness and promoting health are a natural outgrowth of the School's mission of research, education, and service. Among its many facets, prevention research involves close interaction with people in communities to identify their health needs, choosing and implementing strategies for disease prevention, and encouraging healthy living. (from www.asph.org and www.mailman.hs.columbia.edu )

Visit www.mailman.hs.columbia.edu for more information and for instructions on applying to the School. (Applicants to the DOHMH Residency Program must submit a separate application to the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. (However, applicants may postpone the application until they are interviewed for the Residency.) You may also call (212) 305-3927, e-mail ph-admit@columbia.edu (provide full name and mailing address), fax your request to: (212) 342-1861 or write to:

Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia University
722 West 168th Street, Suite 1030
New York, NY 10032

What compensation and benefits are provided?

Residents receive stipends of $45,150-$57,624 (depending on years of postgraduate medical education completed), as well as health insurance and other benefits, educational travel allowance, and full tuition and fees for the Master’s degree.

Eligibility

Applicants must have completed at least one year of clinical training year in a residency program accredited by the ACGME, the AOA, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the College of Family Physicians of Canada by the start date of this Program. The training must include at least six months of direct patient care comprising ambulatory and inpatient experience with hands-on patient care involving diagnostic workup and treatment of individual patients.

Applicants must be eligible for a full and unrestricted New York State  license. Licensure must be obtained by the Program’s start date (July 1). You may contact the NYS Office of the Professions at op4info@mail.nysed.gov or 518-474-3817 to determine your eligibility for a license.

As you will need to demonstrate your eligibility for a license by the time you are accepted into the Residency Program, you must pass Step 3 of the USMLE by late winter (around the time of the last interviews).

The City of New York does not sponsor work visas.

How do I apply to the Public Health/Preventive Medicine Residency Program?

There is no application form. Your application should consist of the following:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Detailed Statement of Interest in Public Health and Preventive Medicine
   
   Your statement should delineate your interest in these fields and in training at a public health agency. Please describe your future goals, and how this Residency Program would help you achieve them. Discuss what you would be interested in working on, both as a resident at NYC DOHMH and in your future career.
   
   Please indicate whether you request to be considered also (or only) for the Residency's Track in Cancer Prevention and Control and discuss your interest in this area in the Detailed Statement of Interest. This Track within the Residency allows residents to focus part of their two-year experience on cancer-related activities in order to gain special skills in these areas.
3. Transcripts from medical school, college and any other post-secondary programs in which you’ve been enrolled. We may also request your USMLE scores
4. Three letters of recommendation (one from the Residency Program Director for your clinical training and two from clinical and/or research supervisors). If you are currently employed, we will require a letter from your supervisor prior to entry into the Residency Program. We may also request your Dean’s Letter. Additional letters may be requested.
5. Copy of a full and unrestricted New York State medical license (or indication of eligibility for same by the start date). As you will need to demonstrate your eligibility for a license by the time you are accepted into the Residency Program, you must pass Step 3 of the USMLE by late winter (around the time of the last interviews). In addition, New York State requires that a licensed physician be a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States. You may contact the NYS Office of the Professions at op4info@mail.nysed.gov or 518-474-3817 to determine your eligibility for a license. The City of New York does not sponsor work visas.
6. Feel free to submit additional materials to illustrate your interests and accomplishments (e.g., PowerPoints of presentations given, residency research papers or products from other projects.

Applications are requested by December 31 of the year prior to the start date (July 1). Interviews will be held during the winter for selected applicants.

The NYC DOHMH is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/H/F/V.

Any questions? Please e-mail them to healthrp@health.nyc.gov or call 212-341-3957 or fax to 212-676-2172.

Applications should be mailed to:
Public Health/Preventive Medicine Residency Program
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
2 Lafayette Street, CN-65, 20th floor
New York, NY 10007

How do I apply to the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health?

Applicants to the Public Health/Preventive Medicine must submit a separate application to the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. (You may postpone the application until you are interviewed for the Residency Program.) Information for prospective students may be obtained by visiting http://www.mailman.columbia.edu/experience/  or by contacting:

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Office of Admissions
722 West 168th St, Suite 1030
New York, NY 10032
Tel: (212) 342-5127
Fax: (212) 342-1830
E-mail: ph-admit@columbia.edu

How can I find out more about the Public Health/Preventive Medicine Residency Program?

We welcome all inquiries. Contact the NYC DOHMH Public Health/Preventive Medicine Residency Program:
E-mail: healthrp@health.nyc.gov
Tel.: 212-341-3957
Fax: 212-676-2172

Mail:
Public Health/Preventive Medicine Residency Program
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
2 Lafayette Street, CN-65 20th floor
New York, NY 10007

How can I find out more about the MPH Program?

Information on the Master of Public Health degree may be obtained by visiting http://www.mailman.hs.columbia.edu/index.html or by contacting:

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Office of Admissions
722 West 168th St, Suite 1030
New York, NY 10032
Tel: (212) 342-5127
Fax: (212) 342-1830
E-mail: ph-admit@columbia.edu