7 Movies and TV shows Epidemiologists Should Watch

Written by: Nafis Khan and Veronika Laird

This post was originally published on January 30, 2022.

If you’re like me, when winter hits you know the best place to be is inside. It gets dark earlier, everything is kind of dreary, plus all you want to do is take a nap. Some of my go to remedies for wintertime blues are tasty soup recipes, reading books (Re: 8 Books Every Epidemiologist Should Read), and watching TV. The cool thing about TV shows and movies is there are so many of them, and with the pandemic (and the emergence of omicron) there is so much time to find new ones. Now personally, I would rather catch up on the latest Netflix series than watch another zoom lecture. I may feel bad in the moment but there are tons of great shows and movies centered around public health to help me rationalize that decision. While some may be a bit more educational than others, I always like to tell myself that these programs depict the real world application of what I would be learning about anyways (Right??). Here are some cool shows and movies that I have stumbled across:

Andromeda Strain

• After a U.S. military satellite lands in a rural town in Arizona, a deadly contagion kills everyone except two survivors. It soon begins spreading across the country as the military begins to quarantine the area while a small, secured team of highly specialized scientists are assembled. Their task is to find a cure and intervention for the pathogen named “Andromeda”. This initially was a book written by Michael Crichton, who is also the author of Jurassic Park, and became adapted into a limited TV series that was nominated for 7 Primetime Emmys.

 Contagion

1. • A classic movie that got a lot of attention when the pandemic first began. It centers on a woman returning home from a business trip in Hong Kong only to pass away two days later back home in Minnesota. Shortly after, many others start to show the same symptoms and it quickly becomes a pandemic. While this film highlights the roles of epidemiologists, including EIS officers, virologists, and other scientists, it also considers the role of the media and misinformation. This movie is believed to be one of the more accurate infectious disease movies available to viewers.

Rise of Planet of the Apes

• • While some may not consider this a movie that highlights infectious diseases, it focuses on the animal-human interface and the importance of that relationship. A business has been testing their potential Alzheimer’s cure on various primates in their lab. After developing a gaseous version of a drug that is supposed to help with Alzheimer’s disease, a member of the company becomes sick and sneezes blood onto another colleague. It quickly spreads around the globe leading to a pandemic. (SPOILER ALERT) It isn’t until the second movie that we discover the biological origins of the drug and that it was derived from primates; making it a zoonotic disease.

World War Z

• • Following the outbreak of a mysterious and highly infectious disease, Brad Pitt’s Gerry Lane travels the world to identify the origins and a cure to this disease. What quickly becomes apparent to Lane is that this disease transforms those it infects into a zombie-like creature. While this movie may be a bit more intense than the traditional EIS officer deployment, it does show topics of disease transmission, public health policy, and the collaborative efforts on which epidemiologic work is built on. It also highlights the creativity sometimes needed when investigating an outbreak.

Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak

• • A docu-series that may be too on the nose to watch during an actual pandemic, Pandemic covers a range of topics such as a potential influenza pandemic, vaccine research, and threats of emerging viruses. Released just before the COVID-19 pandemic, the documentary follows doctors, other healthcare professionals, and anti-vaxxers for their insight into human health and the ecological effects of society.

Erin Brockovich

1. • Based on a true story, the movie follows Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) on an investigation into the misconduct of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) that led to the carcinogenic groundwater contamination of Hinkley, CA. The movie depicts the litigious applications of an epidemiologic study. Showing how study data can be used to enact change, this movie captures the real world impact of epidemiology. Understanding the applications and effects of epidemiologic principles is important to know why a study or investigation is necessary.

Hopefully some of these movies or TV shows caught your eye. Even if you are stressing over exams, APEs, theses/capstone, etc. it is important to take some time to yourself and unwind. While these options offer insight into public health practice, there are tons of other options that are just as great. If we missed any, comment your favorite public health movies or shows.

Veronika is a Second-Year MPH student in the Global Epidemiology Program interested in researching zoonotic diseases. She studied integrative biology with a minor in chemistry and global health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in their honors program.

Nafis is a 2^nd Year Epidemiology MPH student. He is from Morrisville, PA and got his B.S in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Penn State University in 2018. When not in class you can catch Nafis hiking around Northern Georgia or finding other ways to stay active.

Featured Image by Denise Jans on Unsplash

How to Reach out to Faculty for Potential Career Opportunities

It’s that time of the year again when everyone is thinking about their goals for the semester. You hear your classmates telling you about their fantastic new research position and the work they are doing that makes it seem like they are miles ahead of you, and you may be thinking that everyone has their lives together except for you. Sometimes you just don’t know where to start, and that first step toward action is always the hardest. Here at Rollins, there are countless professors who want to help you, so here are a few quick tips on how to reach out to your professors for career advice, potential research opportunities, or more. 

Use your resources. If you don’t yet know what you might be interested in working on in the future, there are so many resources to help you. You can schedule a meeting with your faculty advisor or an ADAP to talk about your experience and career interests, and they will point you in the right direction. They are here to help you, so there is no need to be scared to reach out to them for help or advice. 

Ask around. If you have an idea of the field you might want to work in, but don’t know any faculty to reach out to, ask your friends and classmates if they have any helpful information! Our student body here has such a diverse range of interests that you may be able to use your connections with your peers to find interesting projects to work on. They may have taken a class with a professor in that field or have worked on a similar research project in the past. They can connect you with other people with similar interests.

Do your research. There are so many research centers here at Rollins or otherwise connected to Emory. Make a list of topics you are interested in, and thoroughly research all the related organizations or departments within Emory or closely connected to the University. You will find many faculty members to reach out to, and you can read about ongoing, past, or future research you might want to learn more about. 

Compose a thoughtful email. Finally, you can use all of this information to reach out to faculty you might be interested in working with. Not all professors will be actively doing research or looking for assistance, but you will always be better off reaching out to them if you are interested in their work or career. You could make an important connection or be referred to another professor doing similar work. You may be surprised with the opportunities you come across this way. Read this article for tips on how to compose your initial email!

Making the Most of Your APE

Many students are likely just starting to dig into their APEs, but starting a new position can oftentimes feel confusing and directionless at first. If you’re not sure what you’re supposed to be doing at all times, rest assured you’re not alone. While 200 hours can feel like a relatively short amount of time to figure everything out in time to actually accomplish something substantial, there’s so much more to get out of this experience besides your deliverables. Here are a few tips to make the most of your APE!

1. Get to know your colleagues. Whether it be fellow students, your PI, or staff at the organization you’re working at, these could be your future bosses and coworkers. Take some time to introduce yourself to everyone you might be working with. Regardless of if you work for this organization long term, the better your colleagues get to know you the more likely they may be to write you a letter of recommendation or pass along your resume to their peers.
2. Keep busy. Its easy to enjoy the slow pace that may come at the beginning of a job or between projects, but you don’t want to be caught off guard when your supervisor asks what you’ve been doing recently. If you have nothing to work on, make sure your boss knows it. You can also try reaching out to your colleagues and asking if they need help on any projects they may be working on. If you still find yourself with nothing to do, use that time to teach yourself something new, like new SAS code, or read up on the field you’re working in. Showing this kind of initiative is sure to benefit you in the long run!
3. Reflect on your experience. Chances are you pick up some new skills to add on your resume during your APE. Taking the time to think about what you’ve learned, maybe by listing out your skills or journaling about your daily activities, will help you in the future when you need to articulate what you did in a cover letter or are asked to explain in a job interview. Keeping notes like these throughout your APE experience can be helpful as well in order to keep track of what you’ve accomplished and what you still need to work on.

Whether you’re almost finished with your APE already or are still looking for your practicum experience these tips are useful to keep in mind. Your APE is a great way to dip your toes into what your future job as an epidemiologist could look like. Love it or hate, you’re learning something that you didn’t know before.

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This post was originally published in June 2022.

The Many Roads to Federal Service at CDC

Written By: Robert Merritt

This post was originally published on March 13, 2022.

I have been fortunate to serve as an Adjunct Faculty member at RSPH since 2001 where I teach the Introduction to the US Health Care System Course (HPM 500). Adjunct faculty members are part-time faculty members who bring expertise from their professions to the classroom. In my case, my career at CDC has spanned over 34 years where my current responsibilities include tracking trends in cardiovascular risk factors and diseases and engaging in epidemiologic and health services research to support evidence-based practice, policies, and programs.

When students learn about my career at CDC, I am often asked two questions: how did you end up working at CDC and how can I get a job at CDC? The answer to the first question warrants a separate blog entry, so I will focus on the second. Based upon my experience as a hiring manager at CDC, I would like to review the most common and effective paths to landing a position at CDC:

Pre-Employment, Fellowship and Training Programs (a.k.a. “Getting Your Foot in the Door”)

There are a variety of internship, fellowship, and training opportunities at CDC (Fellowships and Training Opportunities Home Page | CDC).

CDC actively participates in two community engaged learning programs sanctioned by the RSPH, i.e., the Applied Practice Experience Program (APE) and the Rollins Earn and Learn (REAL) Program. These are important practical learning experiences and are often a prospective employee’s first experience with the agency. CDC also has an Epidemiology Elective Program (EEP) for medical students to experience applied epidemiology through a hands-on experience and mentorship by CDC subject matter expert. Only MD/MPH, MD/MSPH, MD/PHD or equivalent students are eligible (Epidemiology Elective Program | CDC). My division utilizes these three frequently. These are frequently utilized across CDC.

STEM Internships and Fellowships, typically referred to as ORISE Fellowships (Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education) (STEM Internships and Fellowships – ORISE (orau.gov)), are frequently used by CDC and offer a good introductory experience for masters and doctoral degree job seekers. These fellowships often immerse the individual into important programmatic and priority areas at CDC. These positions often lead to opportunities to better compete for more permanent FTE positions or contractor positions. CDC recruits many fellows from this program.

The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program is a two-year leadership development and training program for advanced degree candidates (i.e., Master’s, Doctoral, and Juris Doctorate). The goal of the program is for fellows to have the opportunity to work in different areas in the federal government before converting into a permanent/career-conditional position at the end of their two years. Detailed information on the PMF Program at CDC: Overview | Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program | CDC. Although this program is very competitive, RSPH had many PMF candidates accepted into the program last year that matched with CDC.

The Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) is a highly competitive, 2-year post-graduate fellowship in applied epidemiology. This CDC program is a unique combination of on-the-job-learning and service. Investigating outbreaks in the field is integral to the EIS experience (Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Home Page | CDC). Emory graduates have competed well for these positions and many EIS graduates remain at CDC.

The CDC Steven M. Teutsch Prevention Effectiveness (PE) Fellowship (Prevention Effectiveness Fellowship Program | CDC) and the Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP) (Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP)|CDC) are also 2-year post-graduate fellowships. Due to the high demand for these skill sets, many graduates remain at CDC.

Finally, CDC may also consider volunteer (guest researcher) positions for students not participating in these two programs. These volunteer positions, although less common, are established by mutual agreement of the CDC office and the individual student. These are non-paid and are often a by-product of professional networking.

We intentionally utilize these as recruitment opportunities to identify future applicants for full-time employment opportunities when they graduate or complete these programs (see Full-Time Employment below).

Securing Full-Time Employment

Full-time employment in the Federal Government takes many forms with each having very specific requirements, such as citizenship, academic training, work experience, criminal history, etc. There are three main avenues for full-time equivalent (FTE) positions: Title 5, Title 42, and Commissioned Corps.

The most desired positions are permanent Title 5 and represent most of the jobs posted on the USA Jobs and CDC Websites (USAJOBS – The Federal Government’s official employment site and Careers Home | Careers at CDC | CDC). These positions often attract hundreds of applicants and may take months to fill. These websites also list temporary and term-limited positions. Make sure you note whether the positions you are applying for are permanent or term-limited (temporary). My advice is to apply to as many of these positions that you are interested in and qualified for. I cannot stress the importance of reviewing these postings carefully for the qualifications and other requirements. Follow the instructions exactly. Most, if not all, of these positions are restricted to US Citizens only.

There are also FTE positions where both US Citizens and Non-citizens are eligible. These are Service Fellowships (Title 42) based upon your level of education and professional experience.  These are categorized as Distinguished, Senior, or Associate Service Fellows. There are not technically permanent but can be renewed every five years with no limit on the number of renewals. Benefits and years of service calculations are very similar to Title 5 employees. There are many federal employees that have remained a Title 42 employee their entire career.

The USPHS Commissioned Corps is one of the nation’s uniformed services — a branch committed to the service of health. Officers advance our nation’s public health, serving in agencies across the government, as physicians, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, scientists, engineers, and other professionals. CDC actively employees USPHS Commissioned Corps Officers (Explore Opportunities | Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (usphs.gov)).

Simply put, there are many roads to Federal service and careers at CDC. There is no one process or strategy that stands out. However, I would argue for the “PPF Approach,” i.e., patience, persistence, and flexibility. The journey is never fast and may take a different path, or combination of paths, than you first imagined.

Robert Merritt is a graduate of Washington and Lee University, Emory University and The University of the South (Sewanee) where he received academic training in sociology & anthropology, medical sociology, public health, and research methods & statistics.  His research career has spanned over 30 years with positions at the Smithsonian Institution (SI), Emory University, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  He is currently working as a health scientist in the Division for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) at CDC. 

Featured Image by Truman Adrian Lobato De Faria on Unsplash

Making the Most of Your Public Service Opportunity

As a continuation of his last two articles, Robert Merritt talks about how to make the most of your career in public services.  To read his previous article “The Many Roads to Federal Service at CDC” click here and to read his article “An Accidental Career in Public Health” click here! This article was originally published in April 2022. 

Written by: Robert Merritt

One of my responsibilities as a senior scientist and manager at CDC is to foster the development of young professionals. I take this very seriously and encourage all my peers to do the same. I’d like to offer some thoughts and advice to those of you that might be considering a career in public service. Although these are drawn from my work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they would also apply to work at a variety of other public federal, state, or local agencies (and even many non-profit organizations).

First and foremost, remember: “It’s not about you.”

Public service is focused on others. Currently, the public sector is, without a doubt, a very challenging place to work. Intense scrutiny, vocal criticism, unpredictable resources, and volatile politics will test your mettle, sheer will, and selfless service every day. It is work that aims to support the general welfare and needs of all citizens. This career choice is not about money or fame, but about understanding where we are as a society and how to make it better in some meaningful way. It has been said that public servants have some core qualities (or attributes) that enable them to successfully navigate and contribute to public service. These, in my opinion, are willingness to learn, desire to help others, and an ability to engage people.

Will to Learn

The fact that most of us have (or will soon have) a graduate degree does not negate the need for lifelong learning. Common sense dictates that continuous quality learning is important to every endeavor – especially professional development and success. Therefore, eagerness and craving for new information are essential. To make a positive difference, you should seek to constantly refresh your understanding and learn to adapt to change. My experience is that knowledge and the half-life of knowledge (the length of time that knowledge stays active and accurate) diminish over time.

I strongly urge each new member of my team to seek as many opportunities to learn as they can. What does this mean? Don’t just sit idle and inwardly reflect on your newly acquired book knowledge! Apply your knowledge, skills, and abilities by actively engaging and putting them to practical use! Get to know your colleagues and their expertise through informational meetings. Learn about emerging and new priorities by attending seminars and grand rounds. Join a journal club or community of practice (COP) on a topic of interest. Register for some of the hundreds of training courses sponsored by the agency.

To be successful, you need to be adept at lifelong learning and understand that what you learn now may not be the same in the future – so you need to keep ahead of the curve. Make yourself as informed, well-rounded, and observant of the world as possible.

Make a Difference

The public sector exists to bring services to people, so those working as public servants should have a strong desire to work on behalf of others. As advocates for positive change, leaders in public service know that their positions come with a profound sense of duty. Every public servant has an important role to play, whether they serve as executives, administrators, project officers, program officials, medical officers, epidemiologists, health scientists, or statisticians.

Therefore, the best route to accountability is through public sector professionals who really dedicate themselves to making a difference. We need to invest in the people of our civil service system by developing their skills and strengthening their standards, so they understand the real importance of good governance and the critical role of accountability. The key to future, continued good governance and accountability lies in the way in which we recruit, train, develop, manage, and lead our future public servants. In the end, we are accountable to the citizens we serve.

Engage Others

Public service is not a solo exercise. It’s a team sport. If you want to make a difference in the public sector, you must be ready to include and engage others as part of your work. Think beyond your own organizational perspective and look at things from the viewpoint of our citizens, including (but not limited to) taxpayers, legislators, grantees (city, county, state, tribal, territorial health departments), voluntary and non-government organizations, other Federal agencies, and global partners.

I realized early in my career that the more connections one makes, the more opportunities present themselves. Public service (especially at CDC) is an area in which employees are encouraged to continuously develop professionally. Therefore, creating a wide-reaching professional network opens many doors, simply by establishing relationships with others.

At my agency, I advise participating in meetings scheduled by your immediate group of colleagues (supervisor, team leader, and branch chief), Division, Center, or Agency; employee organizations and associations (there are over 30); workgroups (there are 12); and/or other advisory groups, boards, committees, and councils (there are over 10). Get involved and put yourself out there!

Ultimately, it is entirely what you make of it: if you do not make the effort to develop professionally, your experience will not be as beneficial as it could be. With the right experience and research, you can change your life–and help others at the same time!

Robert Merritt is a graduate of Washington and Lee University, Emory University, and The University of the South (Sewanee) where he received academic training in sociology & anthropology, medical sociology, public health, and research methods & statistics.  His research career has spanned over 30 years with positions at the Smithsonian Institution (SI), Emory University, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  He is currently working as a health scientist in the Division for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) at CDC. 

Featured Image by Mukuko Studio on Unsplash