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Public Health Graduate Student Mentorship Program

Man in dark navy suit standing at a podium in a large room with a slideshow
Man in dark navy suit standing at a podium in a large room with a slideshow

Providing the next generation of Public Health leaders with structured support to succeed!

Interested in joining the Public Health Graduate Student Mentorship Program?

We're now accepting applications for our next cohort!

Public health is at a crossroads in the United States and all around the globe. The work is bigger than any one job title, and it can feel heavier than expected once students are deep into a master’s or doctoral program. Between coursework, practica, and capstones, the constant pressure to “build your network” and a challenging job market make it easy to feel overwhelmed and alone. 

This mentoring program is designed to provide the next generation of public health professionals in the Philadelphia region with structured support that helps students get through school and into meaningful careers. It will provide students with mentoring, real-world career guidance, and a professional home base in Philadelphia.  

The goal is not just to help these students “survive” graduate school, but to help them build confidence, professional identity, and a network they can rely on long after graduation. 

 

Why Mentoring? 

A lot of public health training is excellent at teaching concepts and methods. What often goes missing is steady, practical guidance: the kind of support that helps you apply your skills while juggling deadlines, uncertainty, and the very normal feeling that everyone else has it figured out. 

Mentoring helps fill that gap through consistent check-ins, accountability, and honest career conversations. It also creates space to build skills that many programs cannot fully cover in the classroom, like interviewing, networking with purpose, salary negotiation, and planning your first months on the job. 

 

Mentoring 

The program launches a structured pilot cohort using a small-group model, ensuring the experience is meaningful and tailored. 

Program Details

    • Monthly in-person group meetings at the College (about 1.5 to 2 hours) 
    • Monthly virtual check-ins (about 30 to 60 minutes) 
    • Additional support as needed for time-sensitive moments (an interview cycle, a capstone crunch, a tough semester) 

  • Expect a blend of academic and career-focused topics, including stress management, study and time-management strategies, presentation skills, and research conversations. Career development includes résumé support, interviews, LinkedIn optimization, networking, job search strategy, salary negotiation, and “first 90 days” planning. Subject matter experts may join select sessions when helpful. 

  • The ideal participant is a graduate student who wants to grow, is willing to show up consistently, and is ready to take their professional development seriously, even when life and coursework get busy. 

    This program is for: 

    • Current students in master’s or doctoral programs in public health 

    • Prospective students preparing to start a graduate public health program in the fall of 2026 

  • All mentees receive complimentary membership in the College’s Section on Public Health & Preventive Medicine, with access to meetings, grand rounds, poster sessions, and networking. 

    Graduates are invited to return as mentors over time, helping sustain and grow the program. 

    • Application Deadline: June 30, 2026 
    • Interviews: July and August 2026 
    • Acceptance: August 2026 
    • Program Start: Mid-September 2026 

  • René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH, FCPP, is the program lead and founding mentor for the pilot cohort. He is an epidemiologist and public health leader focused on workforce development, career readiness, and helping early-career professionals build strong professional identities. 

    Questions? Email publichealth@collegeofphysicians.org. 

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