GA EIP Student Experience | Emory School of Medicine

A key part of the GA Emerging Infection Program’s mission is to train the next generation of the public health workforce. Over 300 students have worked at the Emory EIP, and many more have completed internships or thesis projects using EIP data. Most of our students are from the MPH program at the Rollins School of Public Health, but we have also worked with undergraduate students and students from other nearby colleges or universities.

Working at the EIP gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience conducting public health monitoring activities in partnership with the State of Georgia and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our students have said they gained practical skills in data collection through chart review or case interviewing, developed data management and analytic skills using programs like SAS and R, and bolstered their professionalism and collaboration skills working with our public health partners.

Alumni of the EIP have gone on to work in many fields, including local, state, and federal government, academia and research institutions, non-profit organizations, public health consulting, and more! Many students also go on to complete fellowships like the CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellowship or pursue additional education in public health or medical fields.

Student Reviews

Why would you recommend working at the EIP to other students

“The people who work at GA EIP are some of the kindest most caring individuals I have ever worked with! I have learned an incredible amount during my time here. The surveillance work we do here is so important and I'm honored to be a part of it!” -RSPH Student on ABCs & Prevalence, 2023-2025
“One aspect that I want to highlight is that the EIP has had many students in that past and has all the infrastructure that you need. I have worked at places that are new to having a student and sometimes that means you are creating your job or the necessary paperwork isn't done. EIP has all the protocols organized, all the trainings prepared, so you can get started on real work much sooner. And if you want to do further research, whether for an APE or thesis, there are also plenty of ideas and all the framework set up. Because you cannot work at places for long as a student, it is nice to not lose much time on the logistics. There are many reasons, of course, but I feel like this reason is not always articulated.” -RSPH Student on CDI, 2020-2021
“Connecting with my team and the other student epidemiologists. The social events were a fun way to get to know others! I really appreciated the opportunity to be involved in team meetings, learn new things at trainings, and working on presentations to not only my smaller project team, but presented at larger staff meetings as well.” -RSPH Student on ABCs, 2022-2024

How do you feel the EIP prepared you to enter the public health workforce?

“It has shown me all the different parts of public health surveillance – from isolate collection to data entry into the CDC website.” -RSPH Student on MuGSI, 2022-2024
“EIP offers ways to gain experience in many areas. It is good to gain experience in many skills as a student. You work in the lab, call medical offices, read through medical reports, and help organize the office. You have the opportunity to present data to our partners and to practice coding by doing additional projects. When you are looking at post-graduation jobs, it's good to have this breadth of knowledge.” -RSPH Student on CDI, 2020-2021
“GA EIP has prepared me extremely well for the public health workforce. I have been able to apply the skills and knowledge that I have learned at Rollins to the work I do at EIP. Staff at the EIP are also incredibly helpful and are always willing to help students learn or improve any skills that are of interest to them!” -RSPH Student on ABCs & Prevalence, 2023-2025

How do you feel the EIP prepared you to enter the public health workforce?

“I felt a lot of support from everyone at EIP, both personal and professional. My supervisor really took time to get to know me, to train me on new tasks, and to check-in. The upper leadership was engaged in my training and degree requirements. There were a lot of my classmates working with me, and my team had several people who had graduated from my program in the past 2 years, so they could talk to me about the things I was going through. Students are invited to join all of our social programs, so you feel a part of things from the beginning. And everyone I've met at EIP is kind and smart and motivated, so it's a great group of people to know :)” -RSPH Student on CDI, 2020- 2021
“Growing closer to other students who were interested in emerging infectious diseases, especially pathogens that are included in healthcare-associated infections.” -RSPH Student on MuGSI, 2022-2024
“Great immersive experience for students, especially those interested in infectious diseases. Great opportunity to learn about a wide range of public health topics and work closely with experienced epidemiologists. A lot of trust is placed in students, and you’re given the opportunity to contribute to a variety of research projects, pilot projects, etc. Great partnerships/collaborations within the GA EIP with local partners” -RSPH Student on ABCs, 2022-2024

Student Spotlights

Claire Myers

MPH 2025
Track: Global Epidemiology
Certificate: Infectious Disease

Why would you recommend working at the GA EIP to other students? “The people who work at GA EIP are some of the kindest most caring individuals I have ever worked with! I have learned an incredible amount during my time here. The surveillance work we do here is so important and I'm honored to be a part of it!”

How do you feel the GA EIP prepared you to enter the public health workforce? “GA EIP has prepared me extremely well for the public health workforce. I have been able to apply the skills and knowledge that I have learned at Rollins to the work I do at EIP. Staff at the EIP are also incredibly helpful and are always willing to help students learn or improve any skills that are of interest to them!”

What was your favorite part about your time spent at the GA EIP? “My favorite part about my time spent at the EIP is learning from the people who work there. They are all very knowledgeable and will always take the time to teach you about their project area or talk about the field of public health in general. I have also learned new skills from coworkers and been able to apply my SAS coding skills to real public health work! It is also very fun to work with other Rollins students outside of the classroom and bond with coworkers through all of EIPs staff events!”

What are your professional plans after graduation? “After graduation, I plan to pursue employment opportunities in Seattle, WA. I hope to continue working on infectious disease research and/or surveillance work!”

Meredith Wessel

MPH 2026
Track: TBD
Certificate: TBD

Why would you recommend working at the GA EIP to other students? “Everyone is so positive and fun to work with. Supervisors are very flexible about hours, especially when it comes to school and exam season. I have learned so much during my time with the EIP!”

How do you feel the GA EIP prepared you to enter the public health workforce? “It has shown me all the different parts of public health surveillance – from isolate collection to data entry into the CDC website.”

What was your favorite part about your time spent at the GA EIP? “My favorite part was getting to work in different areas, such as the lab at HSRB, or getting to work with different projects on several EIP teams.”

What are your professional plans after graduation? “Right now, I would love to stay in infectious disease surveillance, or even explore cancer epidemiology. I am passionate about both infectious and chronic disease.