Expand your knowledge from patients to populations
The Fellowship in Applied Public Health (FAPH) is a post-residency training program for licensed physicians and other advanced healthcare professionals. In this program, which is jointly sponsored by the University at Albany and the New York State Department of Health, you will learn to assess critical population health problems and develop, implement and evaluate public health policies and programs that address the needs for health promotion, disease prevention, access to quality health care and advancing health equity.
As a licensed health care professional, the FAPH prepares you for public health leadership roles in state and local government through a rigorous two-year program combining academic coursework and applied public health experience. The fellowship combines the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with a full year of on-site practicum rotations in public health practice settings.
The FAPH program builds on our successful 20+ year experience through the New York State Preventive Medicine Residency Program, which transitioned to FAPH in 2016
About the Fellowship
As a fellow, you will acquire a strong background in the academic and practical skills necessary to work effectively as a public health leader. Earn your MPH during the academic portion of the program, learning from our faculty experts, including faculty who hold primary appointments at the New York State Department of Health.
Through a specialized Population Medicine academic concentration that integrates credit for relevant coursework in your previous graduate level clinical training, you will complete the course requirements for the Master in Public Health (MPH) degree on an accelerated timeline. You will have flexibility to tailor elective courses to explore your areas of interest in public health across several public health disciplines such as epidemiology, health policy and management, community health and environmental health.
Alongside your MPH coursework, you will spend progressively increasing time each week in practicum rotations at the NYS Department of Health and the Albany County Health Department – the equivalent of a full year of hands-on, mentored practicum experience spread across the fellowship program.
Through your practicum projects, you’ll apply the public health principles learned in the classroom, learn directly from public health leaders in a range of program areas and develop tangible and meaningful products that directly contribute to promoting the health of New York’s population.
Throughout the fellowship, you will assess and advance your professional development across a comprehensive set of national public health leadership competencies, tailored to your areas of interest.
Typical Fellowship Structure
Year 1
Fall Semester Year 1:
- Principles & Methods of Epidemiology I
- Principles of Statistical Inference I
- Professional Practice in Public Health
- Advanced Topics in Population Medicine
Two of the remaining MPH core courses:
- Health Care Organization, Financing and Delivery
- Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health
- Introduction to Environmental Health
Winter Session Year 1:
- Begin pre-practicum rotation / internship at NYSDOH host sites
Spring Semester Year 1:
- Remaining MPH core courses
- Additional quantitative/ analytical course
- 3 elective courses
- Complete pre-practicum rotation/internship at NYSDOH host sites
- Advanced Topics in Population Medicine
Year 2
Summer Session:
- Begin full-time practicum rotations at approved host sites
- Present at the Department of Health
Fall Semester Year 2:
- Continue full-time practicum rotations at approved host sites
- Advanced Topics in Population Medicine
Winter Session Year 2:
- Continue full-time practicum rotations at approved host sites
Spring Semester Year 2:
- Continue full-time practicum rotations at approved host sites
- Advanced Topics in Population Medicine
- Present at the School of Public Health Poster Day
- Present at the Department of Health
See the Graduate Bulletin for details.
For more information, contact Dr. Rachel de Long at [email protected].
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
As a fellow, you will participate in weekly seminars featuring guest speakers from the Department of Health and other public and private agencies. These seminars will cover key public health issues. Our Monthly Journal Club series will give you experience with rigorous methodological analysis of published research. As a core component of the fellowship, you will develop and implement an individualized professional development plan, in consultation with your program advisor.
Pay and Benefits
The program offers full-time salary competitive with other residency and fellowship programs. Tuition and fees for the MPH are fully covered. You will be eligible for health and retirement benefits offered to SUNY employees.
Examples of projects completed by previous residents and fellows include:
- Designing and implementing an evaluation of a public health education initiative to increase BMI screening and follow-up by pediatric health care providers in New York State.
- Compiling and analyzing county data and developing a report for a local Health Department’s Community Health Assessment.
- Researching and developing a proposal for federal grant funding to address disparities in HPV vaccinations.
- Helping to develop guidance for hospitals on referral of eligible Medicaid patients from emergency departments to Health Homes.
- Conducting a literature review and provider survey to identify best practices and developing recommendations for stroke/TIA patient care transitions.
“FAPH not only gave me an excellent fund of knowledge in epidemiology, statistics, environmental health, and social and behavioral health, but it also provided me practical experiences with mentors at various offices in the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). These experiences are what facilitated my understanding of the complex structure of NYSDOH and taught me how to apply what I learned at the school to help inform decisions affecting the current and future health of New Yorkers. I have a strong interest in understanding health policies and my experience has solidified my desire to help make positive changes by using evidence-based knowledge and keeping the social determinants of health at the forefront. I am excited to begin my new position as a Medical Director in the Office of Health Insurance Programs of the NYSDOH. This new career path would not have been made possible without this fellowship and the mentorship I received.”
- Priscilla Paiva, MD, MPH (2019)
“Despite my emphasis on preventive pediatric medicine and social determinants in my practice, I continued to see challenges in the lives of my patients and families that could not be adequately solved in the doctor’s office through clinical interventions alone. The Fellowship in Applied Public Health provided me with the opportunity to expand my public health knowledge and skillset to better address the complex health issues facing my patients and our greater community. In my current role as Medical Director for the Center for Environmental Health at the NYSDOH, I enjoy the opportunity to continue pursuing my passions by linking the health care and public health communities in addressing a variety of important environmental health topics. These include ensuring safe drinking water, eliminating lead and other toxic exposures, preventing injuries and violence, improving the home and outdoor environments to prevent health-related conditions such as asthma, and addressing the health effects of climate change.”
- Kristen Navarette, MD MPH (2018)
"I applied to the Fellowship in Applied Public Health in order to gain tools and experience that would allow me to expand my role as a family medicine physician to better address health disparities. As a resident at Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, NY (completed June 2019), I worked in both a community hospital and at a Federal Qualified Health Center, treating primarily an underserved immigrant population. As I became more aware of the benefits and limitations of our health care system on patients and healthcare workers, I felt that I needed to develop a strong background in public health in order to effectively support positive change. In my fellowship, I plan to work with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to develop programs that can address some of the factors that lead to poor health outcomes in LGBT patients. Additionally, I’ll be contributing to efforts to understand the health effects of Harmful Algal Blooms."
- Ariela Zamcheck, DO, DABFM
Fellow, Fellowship in Applied Public Health
Fellowship Learning Objectives
Learning objectives that fellows are expected to attain through their Master of Public Health course of study and through further professional field training required by the Fellowship in Applied Public Health.
Fellowship in Applied Public Health
- Demonstrate how publicly available population health data systems – including public health surveillance systems and national surveys - can be used to assess, monitor, and evaluate population health and public health policies and programs
- Synthesize, evaluate, and apply evidence from multiple sources and perspectives to support public health decision-making related to current public health issues
- Evaluate the roles and responsibilities of governmental and non-governmental organizations in providing programs and services to address specific public health issues and improve public health
- Critically evaluate one’s own level of knowledge and competency as a public health physician, and develop and implement a professional development plan to enhance proficiency in selected competencies
- Identify leadership roles and career paths for public health physicians, and evaluate alignment of such opportunities with one’s own professional development goals and activities.
Admission Requirements
Deadlines
Priority will be given to applications received by January 1. After that date, applications will be considered on a rolling basis if space remains available in the program.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must hold an MD or DO. Another advanced health professional degree may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Physicians must be board certified or board eligible in a medical specialty recognized by the ABMS. Other professionals must have the equivalent credentials in their own specialty as applicable.
- Must be eligible for an unrestricted New York State license in current profession. Details on license eligibility
Admissions Documents
The fellowship application is a two-step process. You must apply to the fellowship program first (details below). If you are accepted into the fellowship, you will then apply to the Population Medicine track of the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program. Those who already earned an MPH degree elsewhere, may only apply to one (practicum) year of the fellowship. Guidance on applying to the MPH will be provided by the FAPH Office.
All fellowship application materials should be submitted directly to the Fellowship office at [email protected].
CV/Resume
Personal statement
Describe your interest in public health, your past experience in public health and your career goals. (maximum of two pages)
Three letters of recommendation
- Must be sent directly from the source and not from the applicant
- One must be from your program director if you are a current resident or fellow
- If you are currently employed, one letter has to be from your supervisor
Medical school transcript
Graduate school transcript
Undergraduate transcript
Copy of current New York State medical license (or evidence of pending license application)