Frequently Asked Questions about the CT Public Health Fellowship Program

To be eligible, a student, either full or part-time, must:

1. be a 3rd, or 4th-year undergraduate or graduate-level student enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning and in a degree program relevant to public health practice; and
2. be a US citizen, non-citizen US national, or a foreign national having a visa permitting permanent resident of the United States; and
3. may not receive any other federal funding support for their field placement

CT DPH Internships are managed by the CT DPH Office of Public Health Workforce Development. Students may apply for Fall, Spring, or Summer internship placements. More information and the application are available on the CT DPH website.

To supervise a fellow, a preceptor should be capable of providing regular supervision and support to the fellow, ensuring a well-structured experiential learning opportunity. To qualify, a preceptor must:

• work with the host agency; and
• public health related advanced degree and at least 2 years of experience in public health,
• or at least 5 years of public health practice experience (in Connecticut preferred).

An alternate preceptor should be identified if the preceptor is unavailable for personal or work-related reasons throughout the fellowship period.

Fellowships must take place in the State of Connecticut. Fellows can work at the Department of Public Health or other state agencies with a public health role, as well as local health departments and community-based public health agencies that work closely with the state's local health agencies.

CT PHFP awards stipends of $3,500 to each fellow. The stipend is intended to support the fellow’s living expenses during their field placement experience. Fellowships will be approximately 180 hours or more with their preceptors and host agency. The use of the fellowship to meet an academic requirement is optional. Students receiving academic credit for their fellowship are responsible for following their university’s policies and requirements, as well as the requirements of this program.

Stipend payments are made under the following schedule:

• Field placements of 12 weeks or less: A single payment of $3,500 is made after receipt of the fellow deliverable and exit survey.
• Field placements of more than 12 weeks: will receive the $3,500 stipend in two payments of $1,750. The first payment follows the receipt of a mid-point check-in survey, and the final payment after receipt of the fellow deliverable and exit survey.

Placements may take place at any point during the academic year prior to the fellows’ graduation. Fellowship placement applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

PHFP requires host agencies and programs to provide fellows with a well-structured practice experience that supports opportunities to develop or improve public health competencies and learn about public health careers. “Well-structured” can be different depending on the placement, but the expectations of the fellow must be clear, and a preceptor or alternative preceptor needs to be regularly available.

All fellowship stipends are approved by CT PHFP following the student and preceptor interest forms being completed and reviewed.

All agency field placement proposals must have the following components:

• Fellow and agency goals for the placement.
• Confirmation that the placement will provide at least 180 hours of learning experience for the fellow and preceptor.
• Specified projects/activities that are achievable during the timeframe and the hours allocated to the placement.
• Fellowship activities the fellow can reasonably accomplish.
• A qualified and motivated preceptor to provide student supervision and mentoring.
• Exposure to practice examples that increase student understanding of health equity, social determinants of health and public health careers.

Applications will be reviewed to ensure all eligibility criteria are met and ensure placement will offer a robust public health practice experience. Fellowship Stipends will be awarded based on set criteria and based on availability of funding.

If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please contact:

Nikole Allen, MPH

Director, Public Health Fellowship Program

Email: nikole.allen@yale.edu

Schedule Office Hours with Nikole

Evelyn Aviles

Program Coordinator

Email: evelyn.aviles@yale.edu

Schedule Office Hours with Evelyn