Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program

The Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program (PPHFP) is a two-year professional development program that provides promising career-minded individuals with robust and practical hands-on learning experiences and training for a variety of public health career pathways. The program offers a wide array of opportunities to learn from and work directly with highly experienced and seasoned frontline public and community health professionals in the US Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPIs). The goal is to prepare participants for a successful career in organizations that focus on public and community health in the USAPIs.

The program is specifically designed to prepare new college graduates and early career professionals to meet emerging and future public health challenges in the Pacific, and to expose individuals to innovations in public health practice, health advocacy, leadership, and policy.

The PPHFP is a collaborative effort between the USAPIs’ departments/ministries of health, the Pacific Island Health Officers’ Association (PIHOA), and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The USAPIs include the US Pacific Island Territories: Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI), and American Samoa; and the US Freely Associated States (FAS): Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau.

“The fellowship provided me with a wide variety of valuable experiences. I worked on the front line alongside the Guam Public Health staff, engaged with community stakeholders, and conducted investigations with a visiting CDC team. I am eager to apply the skills and knowledge I’ve gained to serve the communities within the Pacific. I’ve gained a deep understanding of how health disparities impact people and would like to be part of the public health workforce to help reduce disease burden, especially among Pacific Islanders.”

Ms. LaDonna Engichy

2020 Pacific Public Health Fellow, Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services, STD/HIV/Viral Hepatitis Program

“This fellowship has helped me to understand the local healthcare system and network with others to create long-term solutions on behalf of the entire CNMI community. I gained a tremendous amount of skills that enhanced my capabilities to support my pursuit of furthering my career and education. I strive to continue to be a health champion for Tinian, the CNMI, and the Pacific Region.”

Ms. Gizelle Kwon

2020 Pacific Public Health Fellow, Tinian Health Center, CNMI Non-Communicable Disease Bureau

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Benefits of the Fellowship

Pacific Public Health Fellows will:

Acquire skills and knowledge that will enhance their own future career in public health
Gain an understanding of the wide array of employment opportunities in the field of public health
Learn how to use the foundational knowledge learned in the PPHFP to work with USAPI communities to assure and improve health outcomes
Network and make lasting connections with experienced health experts across many sectors of health care in the Pacific region
Gain exposure to internationally renowned global health leaders from agencies such as the CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), and others
Enhance their professional credentials through the completion of program activities and milestones

Training Core Competencies and Curriculum

At the beginning of the Program, the Fellow and their Host Site Supervisor will work together to develop a work plan that outlines their experiential and learning goals, objectives, key tasks, and anticipated deliverables for the two-year fellowship. The fellowship learning and training domains will include but are not limited to: Analytics and Assessment; Policy Development and Program Planning; Communication; Health Equity; Community Partnership; Public Health Sciences; Management and Finance; and Leadership and Systems Thinking. The Program is designed to support the attainment of the core Tier 1 sub-competencies for public health professionals.

Eligibility

Potential candidates should have a strong interest in pursuing a career in public health in the Pacific region. Completion of an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in a field that is applicable to public health such as [but not limited to] public health, community health, nursing, allied health, microbiology, environmental science, entomology, or public policy. We are seeking early career candidates who have recently graduated within the past two years.

Fellowship Living Allowance

Fellows are provided a living allowance ($25,000 per year) to help defray living expenses for the duration of their two-year fellowships. Fellowship stipends are not designed to be a source of income and do not constitute an offer of employment. Other benefits are not covered. Fellows need to plan for other means of financial support and housing as needed.

How are Fellows Selected?

Candidates for the fellowship program will be evaluated and selected based on several criteria:

Must be citizens of the US or FAS, and either from or residing in one of the USAPIs;
Have in-depth knowledge, experience, and understanding of cultures in the USAPIs;
Candidate interview;
Written personal statement;
Academic performance (priority given to applicants with a minimum GPA of 2.7); and
Feedback from references. The selection and placement of Fellows in the host sites will be based on a panel recommendation.

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Host Site Supervisor Testimonials

“We have benefited tremendously from the fellowship program, both in terms of building the region’s cadre of public health professionals and increasing our capacity to fill gaps in areas of need.”

Mr. Vince Aquon

Host Site Supervisor - Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program, Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services

“As a supervisor, I have been delighted with the experience that both we and the Fellow have gained. Gathering and analyzing data that will be used to develop evidence-based policy, systems, and interventions for the island of Tinian is a considerable achievement.”

Ms. Amber Lynn Mendiola

Host Site Supervisor - Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program, CNMI Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, Non-Communicable Disease Bureau