Undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral scientists trained as virologists can play critical roles in public health, such as in health science policy, epidemiology, and national defense. Despite a need for basic science backgrounds within these fields, finding entry-level careers can be challenging. Volunteer opportunities are a great way for scientists to experience public health careers while still in school, and this article describes volunteering with the Medical Reserve Corps and outlines unique postgraduate opportunities for early-career virologists. R ecent outbreaks of viral pathogens like Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and multiple influenza virus strains coupled with the continued threat of bioterrorism highlight the need for experts in infectious disease to play integral roles in public health. As a graduate student training in molecular virology at Loyola University Chicago, I primarily devoted my energy to research in the lab. However, I wanted to explore other career opportunities where a background in basic science was helpful but wet lab research was not necessarily a requirement. This led me into the public health field and the desire to experience how public health officials plan for and respond to emergencies involving infectious disease. In my search for volunteer opportunities, I was fortunate to discover the Medical Reserve Corps (www.medicalreservecorps.gov). The Medical Reserve Corps was founded in response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, and it has been critical to the local response during natural disasters and remains part of emergency planning for communicable disease outbreaks or bioterrorism events (1). Scientists (including basic scientists) are not common volunteers in organizations like the Medical Reserve Corps, while members of other health professions more regularly volunteer.My local Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) unit was very receptive to new volunteers and was involved in training exercises with local public health departments. Upon joining, I was immediately integrated into MRC training and activities, including a planned live, full-scale exercise designed to test mass prophylaxis plans in conjunction with the Cook County Department of Public Health. In addition to my participation in the training exercise, I was able to contribute scientifically by helping evaluate the exercise and communicating the results and conclusions from the planning and execution (2). To illustrate the benefit of participating in public health and how these experiences can influence a graduate student's career outlook, I would like to share the details of my participation in the joint exercise with the MRC and the Cook County Department of Health (CCDPH, Cook County, IL) and outline some of the career opportunities that correlated with my volunteer activity.Training for the full-scale exercise began over a month in advance, with training modules being developed and presented to volunteers for each of the roles necessary during the exercise (triage, antibiotic...
