Epidemiology Wins Coveted Fellowship
Field Study in Nepal Motivates Public Health Graduate to Pursue Career Tracking and Stopping Infectious Diseases
It was during a field study in Nepal that Madison Sisk knew that epidemiology, specifically tracking and halting the spread of infectious diseases, was an important and meaningful direction to take her Master of Public Health (MPH) career.
“That experience is what really drew me to epidemiology specifically,” says Sisk. “Being in Nepal and working with the local people to study the spread of disease there, made me even more interested in infection prevention in communities.”
The field of epidemiology is very competitive and difficult to break into, especially at an entry-level, but Sisk managed to secure one of the most coveted fellowships for future epidemiologists, the California Epidemiologic Investigation Service (Cal-EIS) Fellowship Program. The one-year program is for exceptional MPH graduates and allows them to get hands-on experience working with state agencies and epidemiologist preceptors. The program aims to give fellows the opportunity to gain the experience they need to launch their careers.
“The Cal-EIS program is a very competitive fellowship that allows participants the opportunity to work alongside an epidemiologist preceptor in either local or state health departments in California to gain the experience needed to be successful,” says Sisk
Matched with the Napa County Health Department, starting this summer Sisk will help by doing data analysis on different statistical computing programs to model, study, and track disease spread. By using the information gathered by county clinics and hospitals, the department works to determine the best course of action to contain and address infectious and chronic diseases. Napa County focuses its efforts on obesity and cancer since both are found at higher rates in the county than others in the Bay Area. With the data, the Department of Health can collaborate with healthcare providers and engage with community stakeholders to create effective interventions.
“The field of epidemiology is wide, but I am especially interested in infectious diseases, which is why I was so excited to be matched at the Napa County Health Department because that is one of their main priorities,” says Sisk.
Sisk says that she is trying to keep her mind open about her future career, saying that the epidemiology field is wide with a lot of different specialties, and is excited to get firsthand experience working with it in the real world.