Public Health Fellow/Student Intern

Location : All Locations - San Luis Obispo County, CA
Job Type: Temporary - Students
Job Number: 0926KS-009673-01
Department: Health Agency
Division: Health Agency - Public Health
Opening Date: 09/15/2026


About the Position
Join us and help create a safe and healthy community and an environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive!

The Department of Public Health promotes, preserves and protects the health of all San Luis Obispo County residents through disease surveillance, health education, direct services, and health policy development. The department includes seven different divisions offering a wide range of fellowship and internship opportunities.


Currently, there are no paid internship opportunities with the Department of Public Health . However, we encourage applicants to consider the following paid programs offered through our partner organizations.

• For laboratory internships/fellowship opportunities, we partner with the APHL Public Health Laboratory Program . For more information, please visit the APHL website: APHL Strengthening Public Health Laboratory Systems
• For summer internship opportunities, we partner with Health Career Connection (HCC) . For more information visit: Students & Aspiring Health Professionals: HCC Internships
• For part-time internships for students, we partner with the California Pathways into Public Health (CAL-PPH) program. For more information visit: Pathways Internship Home
• For part-time internships for students attending Cal Poly SLO or Cuesta College, we partner with the College Corps Program . For more information visit: Cal Poly's College Corps Fellowship - Center for Service in Action - Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

Applicants who apply through one of the partner programs identified above are preferred for paid internship and fellowship opportunities.
Please note that this is a continuous posting. Applications will be given to Public Health Divisions at their request based on need.

Public Health Divisions Clinical & Communicable Disease Services

The Clinical and Communicable Disease Services (CCDS) Division serves to promote and protect community health and well-being through reproductive health services, management of communicable diseases, immunizations, and infectious disease epidemiology.

Emergency Medical Services and Public Health Emergency Preparedness

The Emergency Medical Services Division consists of the Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMSA) and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program (PHEP). The EMSA is primarily responsible for the administration of emergency medical services in the County. PHEP is responsible for planning responses to public health emergencies.

Health Care Access

The Health Care Access Division centers its efforts around coordinating health care services among providers and increasing access to key health determinants such as food, housing, and dental care.

Health Promotion

The Health Promotion Division provides health education to prevent chronic disease and improve community health. Program areas include nutrition and food security, physical activity, bicycle and pedestrian safety, car seat installations, healthy aging and dementia prevention, tobacco use prevention, and the Women Infants and Children (WIC) program.

Maternal & Child Health

The Maternal and Child Health Division aims to enhance and safeguard community health and well-being through its efforts in maternal, child, and adolescent health, children's medical services, and field nursing.

Planning, Evaluation & Policy

The Planning, Evaluation, and Policy (PEP) Division is dedicated to internal planning, community collaboration, assessing, analyzing, and evaluating data, and maintaining vital records. Additionally, the PEP Division strives to advance health equity in our community by addressing health disparities and ensuring that services are provided in culturally and linguistically equitable ways.

Public Health Laboratory

The Public Health Laboratory provides clinical and environmental testing services to support programs of the Health Agency as well as hospitals, clinics, physicians, citizens, and local, State, and Federal authorities. Activities of the laboratory include diagnostic testing for communicable diseases, monitoring the prevalence and impact of emerging pathogens, identifying sources of outbreaks, and assessing the safety of water for drinking and swimming to protect community health,

Public Information Office

The Public Information team provides relevant local health information to SLO County community members through a wide range of channels. This includes information to the community as a whole as well as messages for more specific audiences such as health care workers, older adults, and many others.
Click here to see the full job description for the Intern/Trainee position.

The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidates are current students majoring or minoring in related areas of study. We welcome current undergraduate, graduate, and nursing students to apply!



Student Intern: Person appointed to temporary employment with the County in a training position which compliments their ongoing education as a regularly enrolled student in an accredited college, university, community college, or graduate school, or as a participant in a supervised training program to meet licensure requirements of the State of California. "Regularly enrolled" shall mean that the student is both currently enrolled and intends to continue that enrollment in the next regularly scheduled term.



Licenses and Certificates

Certain positions within this classification may require driving. When driving is an essential function of the position, a valid CALIFORNIA driver's license will be required at the time of appointment.

How to Apply
Applications, including answers to supplemental questions, must be submitted online by the final filing date. Apply for an unpaid position at governmentjobs.com/careers/slocountyca. Apply for a paid position through one of the partner programs listed above.
Most County recruitments require you to respond to supplemental questions as part of the application process. We recommend that you review these questions prior to beginning your application.
An initial application review will be conducted. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and are best qualified will be invited to participate in selection activities which may include online assessments, performance exams, written exams, and interviews.
Final candidates will be required to have an in-depth background review performed before proceeding in the process. Please note that references will not be contacted until the end of the process.
If you have questions or would like to discuss the opportunity further, please contact Human Resources at View email address on click.appcast.io. Confidential inquiries are welcome.
For further information regarding the County of San Luis Obispo, visit our website at
Your attached resume will not substitute for the completion of the application. Please complete all required fields and supplemental questions.

Be advised that while use of AI is common practice, we want to see your individual style and critical thinking skills in your answers to the supplemental questions.
Reasonable Accommodation Notice
Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment. Please call View phone number on click.appcast.io for assistance or e-mail View email address on click.appcast.io for more information.

Veteran's Preference Points
If you are applying for employment with the County of San Luis Obispo and you served in the United States Armed Forces, you may be eligible for veteran's preference points as part of the recruitment process. Some dependents and survivors of eligible veterans may also be eligible for preference points. for more information and to learn how to apply for this benefit. Please note that Veteran's credits must be on file with the County of San Luis Obispo Veterans Services Office prior to the recruitment closing date indicated on the job announcement.

Equal Employment Opportunity
The County is an equal opportunity employer. Objectives are directed toward assuring equal opportunity in selection / promotion, pay, and job assignments. Recruitment and selection procedures have been established to ensure non-discrimination on the basis of political or religious opinions or affiliations, age, sex, race, color, national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or other non-merit factors. In addition, the County complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act in hiring and retaining employees. For more information contact the Human Resources Department at View phone number on click.appcast.io.
This position is temporary. There are no benefits available for this classification.
01


Effective September 28, 2018, Assembly Bill 2830 provides preference to qualified intern applicants who are presently or have been a dependent child in foster care, a homeless youth, or a formerly incarcerated youth. You are not required to identify the specific category that entitles you for eligibility under this law. Are you eligible for a hiring preference based on the criteria listed above?

• Yes
• No

02


Are you a regularly enrolled student in an accredited school, or a participant in a supervised training program to meet licensure requirements of the State of California? ("Regularly enrolled" shall mean that the student is both currently enrolled and intends to continue that enrollment in the next regularly scheduled term)

• Yes
• No

03


Would you be willing to accept an unpaid internship?

• Yes
• No

04


Select your first-choice division (listed in the job posting) in which you are interested in participating in an internship:

• Clinical & Communicable Disease Services
• Emergency Medical Services and Public Health Emergency Preparedness
• Health Care Access
• Health Promotion
• Maternal & Child Health
• Planning, Evaluation & Policy
• Public Health Laboratory
• Public Information Office

05


Optional - Select your second-choice division (listed in the job posting) in which you are interested in participating in an internship:

• Clinical & Communicable Disease Services
• Emergency Medical Services and Public Health Emergency Preparedness
• Health Care Access
• Health Promotion
• Maternal & Child Health
• Planning, Evaluation & Policy
• Public Health Laboratory
• Public Information

06


Optional - Select your third-choice division (listed in the job posting) in which you are interested in participating in an internship:

• Clinical & Communicable Disease Services
• Emergency Medical Services and Public Health Emergency Preparedness
• Health Care Access
• Health Promotion
• Maternal & Child Health
• Planning, Evaluation & Policy
• Public Health Laboratory
• Public Information

07


Describe your education and experience as it relates to an internship with the divisions you have indicated an interest in interning with. Include information about program completion date.
08


Are you bilingual in Spanish or any other language? Please share your level of proficiency with spoken, written, and translation to/from.
09


Describe your ideal internship timeframe, including when you would be available to start/end, how many hours you are available per week, and how long you are able to commit to an internship.
Required Question