https://www.bettycjung.net/Phenomjoin.htm


Public Health Expertise Network of Mentors (PHENOM)
Recruitment Information
INTERNET EDITION, Year 2025 - 2026

PHENOM Index PHENOM Directory PHENOM Listings All Mentors Listing Public Health Careers
Program Info PHENOM Blog Mentee Experiences Web Resources Public Health Continuing Education

Quick Pick Table
I would like to...
Then, go to...
Look at a description of the Public Health Expertise Network of Mentors (PHENOM)Program PHENOM Program Description
Look at how to become a mentor with the Public Health Expertise Network of Mentors (PHENOM)Program (Recruitment - Annually June 1-30) PHENOM Recruitment Information
Look at biosketches of public health professionals who would be willing to mentor me PHENOM A-L
PHENOM M-Z
Look at available mentors sorted by job titles, geographic locations and work settings PHENOM Listings
Look at resources for career choices and public health practice opportunities Phenom Careers Page
Look at resources for career choices and public health practice opportunities Phenom Careers Page
Look at mentor responses to career and public health practice questions Phenom Blog
Look at public health student experiences with PHENOM mentors In their own words
Look at free continuing education offerings for CECHs, CEUs, CMEs, etc. Public Health Continuing Education Opportunities
See some guidance about public health careers &/or look for a job joblogo
See the index for everything Public Health Public Health Site Index
Ask a question Ask a question!
Give some feedback Provide feedback so we can make PHENOM better!

Mentoring Logo from Mentoring.org
Peer Resources CA 		Healthy Communities Institute

Compilation of Online PHENOM Mentions

Citation: Jung, BC (2019-2025). Public Health Expertise Network of Mentors Program Recruitment Information.
By Betty C. Jung, MPH, RN, MCHES® P.H.E.N.O.M. Program Director

RECRUITMENT INFORMATION

TERMS OF SERVICE

  • Recruitment officially occurs during the month of June of the current year for the following academic year. Preparation of the annual online directory occurs during July and August. Applications received after June of the current year will be held for the following year.
  • Length of service: July 1st of the current year to June 30th of the following year.
  • Renewable one-year voluntary terms of service follow the academic calendar. A brief profile (biosketch) will be posted on the annual on-line P.H.E.N.O.M. Directory A-L and P.H.E.N.O.M. Directory M-Z and career-based information on the P.H.E.N.O.M. Listings.
  • Those interested in your areas of expertise would then contact you for advice, information, etc. via E-mail, phone or other digital app. You can either respond directly to those who contact you or refer the question(s) to PHENOM, giving other mentors the opportunity to respond. Such responses are then posted on the PHENOM Blog.
  • Additionally, you can mentor by submitting articles for the PHENOM Careers Page and the PHENOM Blog that have anything to do with Public Health, career options, professional development, etc.
  • Certificate of Application will be awarded to any mentor who make themselves available for mentoring contacts during their current year of service and completion of the annual program evaluation. These certificates are posted on the PHENOM Certificates of Appreciation Page
  • Those certified by NCHEC.org as CHES or MCHES can earn one Category II CECH, upon completion of at least one documented mentoring content/event, and/or one article submission for the PHENOM Careers and Blog pages and the completion of the annual program evaluation. The program director will provide the necessary documentation the mentor can submit to NCHEC.org. This continuing education opportunity has been offered since 2013.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

  • Proficiency in English.
  • Possess at least one academic degree in Public Health or a related field (i.e., epidemiology, environmental health, health education, etc.) from an accredited institution of higher learning.
  • U.S. public health academic degrees must be from a CEPH-accredited institution of higher learning.
  • Non-U.S. academic degrees must be evaluated by a credential evaluation service in order to be given credit towards qualification. You can use any of the 29 credential evaluation services approved by U.S. Department of State. Credential evaluations are not free, and applicants are responsible for the cost of the selected service. You must submit the documentation these services provide as part of the application process.
  • Or, be willing to submit a copy of your transcript, submitted by the higher education of learning for the program director's review, provided your educational institution can be found on the World Higher Education Database (WHED)
  • Have a working E-mail and/or phone number or other mode of communication at which you can be contacted by someone on the Internet during the term of service.
  • Complete a biosketch of yourself.
  • Be willing to submit information for program purposes (e.g., postings for PHENOM Blog, articles, activity reporting, evaluation, etc.) during your term of service.
  • If you want more information, E-mail Betty C. Jung, Program Director

APPLICATION PROCESS

For consideration, all you have to do is take these 3 steps:

To be listed for the coming academic year, send all required materials by June 30th of the current year. Incomplete applications will not be processed.

If approved, you will be asked to complete a biosketch, using this PHENOM Directory Biosketch Template for the PHENOM Directory A-L or PHENOM Directory M-Z, alphabetized by last name.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

WHAT ARE WE ALL ABOUT?

By June 2025, we will have been providing mentoring services for 32 years! Basically, we are a group of volunteer public health professionals interested in helping people to learn more about the field of Public Health, and to explore career opportunities in this discipline. Those who volunteer are given the opportunity to share the professional expertise they have developed while working in the field, and in return enhance their professional growth and development in the process. Using Internet technology, we can mentor virtually anyone who has access to the Internet. Most contacts are handled over E-mail.

With the graduation of the first MPH class at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), alums of that first class went on set up the university's first alumni chapter, the Public Health Alumni Chapter, spearheaded by Betty C. Jung, who also served as its first Chapter President.

The chapter went on to develop several committees to provide opportunities for alums to provide services to SCSU. The Service Committee went on to create The Public Health Alumni Mentor (P.H.A.M.) Program. It consisted of undergraduate and graduate alums of the Department of Public Health academic programs, who volunteered to provide career advice and resources to current students attending SCSU's Public Health and other academic programs.

However, once the PHENOM directory became available on the Internet, public health professionals from around the world expressed an interest in volunteering to be mentors. So, PHAM was expanded to acommodate these professionals and became an online mentoring program, known now as The Public Health Expertise Network of Mentors (P.H.E.N.O.M.) Program.

It is an autonomous service program completely funded and managed by Betty C. Jung, the founder, formerly President of the SCSU Public Health Chapter, and now PHENOM's program director. PHENOM is part of The Public Health Foundation's Workforce Development Initiative and other nonprofit service agencies providing online services.

The P.H.E.N.O.M. Directory is an on-line directory listing volunteer mentors for the current academic year. An on-line directory was first posted in 1999 to enhance dissemination of mentor information to those who access the World Wide Web. In essence, such outreach has extended beyond the physical boundaries of a college campus to the virtual worldwide Internet community. Through this medium, mentors can be reached with E-mail.

We also maintain a P.H.E.N.O.M. Blog in which all mentors have the opportunity to collectively respond to mentoring requests with written responses. Those questions and answers of broader general interest are posted here. Since 2022, several PHENOM mentors have written a series of articles about public health practice to enlighten those interested in a Public Health career. Additional articles have been added since then.

Public Health Perspectives is a series of articles written by PHENOM mentors about topics pertaining to Public Health practice and careers. Access to these articles can be found on the PHENOM Blog page and PHENOM Public Health Careers Page.

The PHENOM Public Health Careers Page was developed in 2023 in response to online inquiries about what interested individuals should do to work in Public Health. The webpage was developed to serve as a one-stop introduction to careers in Public Health.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A P.H.E.N.O.M. MENTOR?

As a public health practitioner, you can provide valuable insight into what employers expect of those with a college preparation in Public Health. More than in any other field, Public Health is broad, not only in scope, but in the variety of settings one can practice in. Those with a Public Health degree can bring their special skills to work settings that are not necessarily viewed as traditional Public Health settings. By making yourself available, via E-mail or phone contact, you will be able to share your academic, professional expertise and work experiences with those interested in the field. Such sharing enhances your professional growth as well.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF ME AS A MENTOR?

For the time you are serving as a mentor, keep track of your contacts/activities on the Mentor Activity Log. This will help the program director assess the types of services the program is providing and to develop other types of activities to meet the needs of individuals contacting mentors.

At the end of the academic year you will be expected to submit these forms and to complete an Annual Program Evaluation Form that is used to make suggested changes to enhance the program. At that time you can choose to continue for another year, or take a break. Your feedback is essential to the annual program report. All mentors who complete one year of service and the annual evaluation will be awarded a certificate of appreciation.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT AS A MENTOR?

You may or may not get contacted. Most contacts are made via E-mail. Responses can vary from 5 - 30 minutes (the time it takes to write an E-mail response). Telephone contacts last anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. Contact data are being collected for purposes of assessing and evaluating program activities. You can be proactive and mentor others in whatever circumstances you may find yourself in - the workplace, meetings, conferences, etc.

Content includes questions about what a mentor is doing at his/her workplace, questions regarding one's professional expertise, how to become certified in a specialty area (e.g., health education credentialing, registered sanitarian requirements, etc.), academic course requirements in public health courses, what kinds of skills are expected for a particular public health discipline (i.e., best evaluation methods for health education interventions, types of statistical programs an epidemiologist may need to know, etc.), to name a few.

During your year of service, you will receive a monthly PHENOM newsletter covering the latest PHENOM program and public health news, continuing education opportunities, job opportunities, and PHENOM member updates. You also have an opportunity to share with other mentors what's going on with your career and outside interests.

You can mentor by sharing your career trajectory and work experiences by submitting articles that will become part of the PHENOM Careers Page and the PHENOM Blog

If you are a CHES or a MCHES, your willingness to mentor others about your professional expertise will be recognized. Upon meeting the objectives of PHENOM Program's Goal 3, you can earn 1 Category II CECH for each full year of voluntary service. As of 2025, 25 CECH credits have been awarded.

Join Now!!!

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ETC. can be directed to the P.H.E.N.O.M. Program Director, Betty C. Jung. She can be reached:

HOW MENTORING CONTRIBUTES TO THE LIFE OF A PROFESSIONAL
"One of the most satisfying and traditional ways in which young professionals begin learning about professionalism is to seek out those whom they identify as mentors."
"Whether the mentor relationship is formal or informal, the best mentors all share the same qualities: respect for each other, a shared vision to reach a common goal, trust, acting as a pipeline to new experiences and growth, creating a safe place where mistakes can be made, providing challenges, listening, giving advice, imparting wisdom, and providing inspiration. The mentor will become a lifelong friend and colleague."
"Mentorship opportunities also are available for the seasoned professional...experienced and well-established health education professionals in various community health settings (e.g., community-based organizations and agencies, hospitals, local and state health departments) serve as mentors to the prospective or new professional."
"At any level, volunteer opportunities are a part of community health education practice that can provide excellent formal and informal professionalism experience for new and seasoned health educators. By volunteering one's time and skills, the notion of professionalism is reinforced; that is, being a professional is not about looking the part but about actually doing the job. An expected role of any professional is that one has a social responsibility to the community in which he or she lives."
Citation source: Bensley, RN & Brookins FJ. (2009). Community Health Education Methods. A Practical Guide. (pp. 55, 56)

Search Betty C. Jung's Web site

Custom Search

Search the Entire Internet

Custom Search

Published on the Web: June 17, 2019
R350
Comments, suggestions, dead link reports:

Links

Betty's Home Page PHENOM Description P.H.E.N.O.M. Careers Resource Page Site Map

Back to Top

© Copyright 1993 - 2025 Betty C. Jung
All rights reserved.