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.

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.

Host Site Supervisor Testimonials
Fellows in the Field
Contact Us
Dr. Kristine Qureshi, PhD, RN, FAAN, CEN, PHNA-BC
Regional Human Resources for Health Coordinator
Email: krisq@pihoa.org
Telephone: 808-537-3131
Address: PIHOA Honolulu Office
733 Bishop St, Suite 1820
Honolulu, HI 96813
Dr. Yvette Paulino, PhD, CPH
Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program Manager
Email: yvettep@pihoa.org
Telephone: 671-735-3337
Address: PIHOA Guam Office
414 West Soledad Avenue, Suite 906
Hagatna, Guam 96910
Ms. Bernie Schumann, MPA
Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program Development Specialist
Email: bernies@pihoa.org
Telephone: 671-735-3337
Address: PIHOA Guam Office
414 West Soledad Ave, Suite 906
Hagatna, GU 96910
Ms. Jade Chennaux,
Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program Administrator
Email: jadec@pihoa.org
Telephone: 671-735-3337
Address: PIHOA Guam Office
414 West Soledad Avenue, Suite 906
Hagatna, Guam 96910