Please see below for responses to frequently asked questions.
Q: I’m not going to school for public health. Can I still apply?
A: Students do not need to have a public health major (or minor) to apply. Applicants should have an interest in public health.
Q: Is this a paid internship?
A: Yes, interns are paid hourly wages based on their education level and their internship location.
Q: Will I be directly interning with CDPH?
A: No. CDPH hires and pays interns through University Enterprises, Inc. (UEI), but does not directly provide work tasks or supervision to interns. Interns accepted into the Pathways Internship Program are placed with and report directly to a local county or city health department. The assigned local county or city health department provides hands-on work experience and day-to-day supervision.
Q: I’m a graduate student. Can I still apply?
A: The Pathways internship aims to provide a pathway into public health for students who may not otherwise have such an opportunity. Graduate degree, bachelor's degree and community college students are eligible to apply if they are enrolled in a UEI affiliated college and meet employment eligibility criteria. During the semester to which they are applying, students must be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) semester units or nine (9) quarter units for undergraduate students and four (4) semester units or six (6) quarter units for graduate students.
Q: Are there any opportunities for students with disabilities?
A: Yes, the program aims to be inclusive and provides opportunities for students with disabilities. Please contact the program for specific accommodations.
Q: What are some examples of types of jobs or tasks we will be doing during this internship?
A: Interns may be involved in various tasks such as data analysis, community outreach, health education, and program planning. Please check the program's website for specific job descriptions.
Q: What does proof of eligibility to work look like?
A: Proof of eligibility to work relies on I-9 documentation such as a Social Security card, passport, and/or work visa.
Q: Is this program mostly catered to community college/undergrad students or grad students as well?
A: The program is open to both community college/undergrad students and grad students.
Please note that our program is not intended or designed to satisfy practicum requirements for graduate students. Our internship is only available as advertised and cannot be tailored to meet individual school requirements.
Q: If we can only strictly do 15 hours per week, should we still apply?
A: Yes, you should still apply. The program may be able to accommodate your availability. Applicants will have the opportunity to discuss availability prior to job placement.
Q: Can I use this internship for academic credit?
A: The Pathways internship's intended purpose is to provide exposure to different aspects of public health to eligible student assistants. If you are interested in receiving academic credit for this experience, it will be your responsibility to check with your school or program before applying/accepting the position. This will be an agreement between you and your school and cannot place any specific or additional responsibilities on the preceptor, the host site, or the Pathways program team.
Q: Can I use the internship for my program's required practicum?
A: Our program is not intended or designed to satisfy practicum requirements for graduate students. CDPH cannot sign affiliation agreements or memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with colleges or universities.
Q: I am interested in doing community engagement around tobacco use. How can I make sure I get an internship doing this?
A: Each participating local health department submits an application that lists the subject area they want an intern to work in. Interns are primarily matched based on geography as the internships require in-person attendance. Intern subject area preferences are considered as much as possible but cannot be guaranteed.
Q: My nearby health department isn’t listed as an option on the supplemental application. What do I do?
A: The list of participating local health departments changes each semester based on their needs. The Pathways program offers internships at those host sites that apply for an intern. If you’re able to commute to a listed host site, you can select that location/s to be considered for placement there. If you can’t commute to one of the listed local health departments, we encourage you to apply to the next Pathways cohort as the available host sites may have changed.
Q: My school schedule doesn’t allow me to work at least 15 hours during the Monday-Friday workday hours. Can I work evenings and weekends to make up the hours?
A: Interns must have availability in their school schedule to work at least 15 hours per week during typical business hours, which is approximately 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday – Friday. If you do not have this availability in your schedule, please apply during a future semester when you can meet this availability requirement with your class schedule.
Q: I don’t have a car; will that be a problem?
A: Interns are required to commute to their host site locations for in-person work, but how they commute is up to each intern. Interns are not allowed to drive county vehicles but may ride along with a county employee to an off-site event as part of their internship.
Q: What if I’m offered a host site placement but want to work at a different host site instead?
A: Internship assignment locations are non-negotiable. Applicants select the host sites they are interested in working at during the application process. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure they only select host sites during the application process that they can physically commute to for the duration of their internship. Once a match has been made between the applicant and the host site, the applicant either accepts or rejects the internship offer. No additional offers will be made to the applicant if they reject their initial placement.
Q: Are there 100% remote internship options?
A: The Pathways Internship Program requires that students have the ability to show up fully in-person for the duration of the internship. Limited hybrid options may be available at varying host sites but are not guaranteed. There are no 100% remote placements available nor is there plan to add them in the future.
Q: I will not be enrolled in school during the time of the internship. Can I still participate?
A: All applicants must be enrolled in at least six credits at the start of the internship to be eligible. Verification of this requirement must be provided during the hiring process. There are no exceptions for recent graduates, individuals enrolled in credits during the application period but not the actual cohort, or any other scenario. Individuals that are not currently enrolled in credit courses are encouraged to check out our Fellowship Program.
Q: Can I participate as an intern for more than one semester?
A: The Pathways Internship Program aims to provide an internship opportunity to as many students as possible. Interns will not be hired for more than one internship semester. Extensions of an intern from Fall into Spring semesters are also generally not allowed.