​​Cal-EIS Fellowship Program

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cal-EIS?

The California Epidemiologic Investigation Service (Cal-EIS) is a one -year training program founded in 1989 for health professionals who have at least a master’s degree in a field related to public health. The mission of Cal- EIS is to prepare epidemiologists for public health leadership positions in California.

What opportunities are available for Cal-EIS Fellows?

Beginning July 1st, each Fellow is assigned to a Preceptor in a program within the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) or within a local health department. The specific opportunities will depend in part upon the Preceptor and Program. Assignments may be available in fields such as environmental health, infectious disease control, chronic disease control, maternal child adolescent health, etc. At the beginning of the year, each Preceptor and assigned Fellow jointly develop specific projects for the year. Fellows perform activities and achieve competencies over a broad range of public health epidemiology functions. Prior Fellows have performed studies on descriptive and/or analytic epidemiology of diseases, evaluated programs to determine their effects on the incidence or severity of health problems, and investigated disease clusters. Former Cal-EIS Fellows have studied problems ranging from the relationship of air pollution and cardiovascular mortality to designing and conducting “Train the Trainer” sessions for pandemic flu prevention. If applicable, Cal-EIS Preceptors assist the Fellow in preparing the results of his or her studies for local, state, and/or national publications.

Where do Cal-EIS Fellows work?

Fellows will be based in CDPH offices in Sacramento or Richmond, or in local health departments throughout California.

Who should apply to Cal-EIS?

Applicants that possess a master’s or doctoral degree in a health-related field (e.g., Masters of Public Health-Epidemiology/Biostatistics track preferred, doctorate in Epidemiology or Public Health, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine); and having taken at least three (3) courses in epidemiology and two (2) courses in biostatistics, and one (1) course in R during graduate/professional school.​ ​The primary selection criteria are demonstrated interest in and ability to perform public health epidemiology in California. Applicants who possess or qualify for a California medical license are encouraged to apply for the CDPH Preventive Medicine Residency Program rather than Cal-EIS.

Can I apply to Cal-EIS before receiving my graduate degree?

Yes. If you are in the process of completing your graduate degree, you can apply to Cal-EIS. However, you will need to provide proof of completion of your graduate degree prior to starting the fellowship program.

How much are Cal-EIS Fellows paid?

As part of the Public Health Equity and Readiness Opportunity (HERO) Initiative passed in the Budget Act 2022, Cal-EIS received new funding of $3.2M to the state general fund. This funding will be used to increase the number of Fellows trained in the Cal-EIS Fellowship Program. Fellows are hired through the University of California, Davis (UCD) with a salary of $55,000 pe​r year, health benefits included (medical, dental, vision and other benefits). Required travel costs are reimbursable up to $2,000, and are to be used for attending the California Conference of Local Health Officers (CCLHO) Annual Meeting and the California Conference of Local Health Data Managers and Epidemiologists (CCLHDME) Annual Meeting.  Placements will be at local health departments using the new funding. There will be some funding for placements in state agencies. 

Will I receive a form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement?

Yes. The W-2 will be issued from UCD.

When are applications due?

The application deadline is October 31. Supplemental documents (CV, statement of purpose, and official transcript(s) must be emailed or postmarked by October 31. Please have your three letter writers email their signed letters of recommendation directly to CAL_EIS@cdph.ca.gov.

Yes. This is an option offered by UCD.

Four weeks of vacation and 12 days of sick leave total, accrued monthly. Vacations are scheduled throughout the year, with some flexibility for personal needs. All accrued vacation must be taken prior to leaving the program. 

Preferred statistical software skills: R, SAS, ArcGIS, Excel, Power BI, Tableau

No. The Fellowship is a full time position Monday through Friday and to take advantage of all of the learning opportunities, the Fellow is expected to study on evenings and weekends. 

The Fellow must reside in California during the Fellowship.

No, placement sites require in person work or a hybrid schedule, so Fellows should plan to move near to their placement site.  

No, alternate work schedules are not offered. The schedule will be Monday through Friday, normal business hours 8am-5pm.

The training year begins July 1st (if this day falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day will be the start date.)

The fellowship is July 1 through June 30. To receive a certificate of completion, 11 months need to be completed.

Yes, official graduate transcripts can be emailed directly from the academic institution to: CAL_EIS@cdph.ca.gov 

Only official graduate transcripts are required.

The stipend is a fixed non-negotiable amount. 

UCD does not provide moving-related expenses. 

All incoming fellows participate in an orientation session. During orientation the Cal-EIS Program Director or Assistant Director will cover various topics related to the fellowship year.

Fellows are required to attend the CCLHO Annual Meeting and the CCLHDME Annual Meeting. During the CCLHDME​ meetings, Fellows are required to present a poster presentation.

Each fellow and Preceptor completes biannual evaluations. These evaluations assess the fellow’s performance and outline progress toward meeting the required core activities. These evaluations also assess the Preceptor and Cal-EIS program’s performance.

​Are there goals that Cal-EIS Fellows are expected to achieve?

The Cal-EIS Fellowship is a flexible program that allows Fellows to tailor their experience to their own goals. However, the Fellowship is framed around specific competencies. The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CSTE/CDC) has developed a list of competencies for Applied Epidemiology/Public Health. Cal-EIS has modified the published Tier 1 competencies slightly. Each Cal-EIS Fellow works towards achieving competencies during their fellowship year. Mastery of a specific competency is achieved through a combination of coursework completed in an applicant’s MPH program and practical work experience. We encourage each Fellow to achieve at least basic competency in all areas, and higher competency in areas important and relevant to their immediate future career goals. Fellows complete a Cal-EIS Competency Chart at the beginning, middle, and end of their Fellowship. The chart is a helpful and important tool to guide Fellowship activities and to measure the competencies achieved during the year. In addition, the completed chart can be used as a record of skills, experience, and expertise in pursuit of employment positions upon completion of the Fellowship.

​If I continue for a second training year, will two certificates be issued?

One certificate of completion will be issued for the entire experience. ​

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