I am following President Obama's advice and going to serve my country now that I feel proud of it again. I am applying to the Public Health Service and I was wondering if there were any PHS Kossaks.
I had originally thought of joining after I received my MSPH from the University of South Florida's College of Public Health. I decided instead to pursue my Ph.D. This was back in 1998. I ended up being "All but dissertation" (I got sidetracked when I met my wife while doing my research at the EPA). Well, ten years, two kids, and one disastrous presidency later I am feeling like I want to contribute to the health of the nation by joining the Public Health Service. The PHS, for those who don't know, is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, NOAA, and the PHS).
I have been researching positions currently available and found several that I may qualify for. I have been working in the clinical trial field for the last nine years and would be a natural fit at the FDA. My educational background in Tropical Public Health and Communicable Diseases might also allow me to work for the NIH, the CDC, FEMA, or Homeland Security. I am hoping to work on Project Bioshield or the BARDA Pandemic Influenza Program.
I am hoping that there might be someone on this site who can help me with the process by giving me the inside scoop on what it means to them to be a member of the PHS. I am very interested in the types of opportunities the service offers as well as what happens once I am accepted (assuming that I will be). How much choice do I have as far as where I am assigned and what kind of job I get? Really, any information would be greatly appreciated.
Peace.