The Gilstrap OBGYN Fellowship & Early Career Public Health Scholar Program

History of the Fellowship

Larry Gilstrap, III, MD, served as Director of Evaluation and Executive Director of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) for ten years. The focus of his career was maternal-fetal medicine with a special emphasis on infectious diseases in women and in pregnancy. With a passion for transforming clinical research into clinical practice improvements, he authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, more than 100 chapters and several major textbooks. When Dr. Gilstrap retired in 2017, ABOG partnered with the CDC Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish this fellowship to honor his academic and public health career. In 2021, the CDC Foundation entered into a cooperative agreement with CDC to continue the fellowship. In 2023, CDC Foundation, in partnership with CDC, the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM) and Infectious Disease Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology (IDSOG), established the Early Career Public Health (ECPH) Scholar Program.  

About the Gilstrap OBGYN Fellowship

The Gilstrap OBGYN Fellowship, open to recent obstetrics/gynecology residents and fellows within eight years of graduation, places fellows within CDC. Fellows will be integrated into the Division of STD Prevention (DSTDP), the Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) or the Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders (DBDID). Fellows will work closely with their mentors to develop a curriculum that meets their public health goals and will have the opportunity to conduct research and attend or present at various national conferences. At the completion of this fellowship, fellows will have a strong foundation in emerging public health concerns, maternal and fetal health and public health surveillance systems. 

The Gilstrap fellowship is a one-year opportunity with the possibility of an extension for an additional year, depending on performance and interest. This is a non-clinical position; fellows are eligible and encouraged to participate in clinical activities with external clinical organizations if desired.

The Gilstrap Fellowship starts annually in August. Applicants are encouraged to apply up to a year and half in advance of their anticipated cohort start. The final deadline for applications for each fellowship cohort is November 30th of the prior year, however, the application will remain open to accommodate applicants for future years. When applying, please indicate your anticipated cohort (e.g., August 2025). Applications will be considered on a rolling basis; initial fellowship decisions will be available in early spring and any unfilled positions will continue to be considered on a rolling basis.

Contact Sarah Morgan at smorgan@cdcfoundation.org for any questions.

To apply for the Gilstrap Fellowship, visit our recruitment page.

About the Early Career Public Health (ECPH) Scholar Program  

The CDC Foundation, in partnership with CDC, the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM), and Infectious Disease Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology (IDSOG), has established the Early Career Public Health (ECPH) Scholar Program. This one-year program provides an opportunity for early career maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) and reproductive infectious disease (RID) fellows with previous training in clinical women’s health care, to gain public health experience. ECPH Scholars will work directly with CDC clinicians, epidemiologists, and other employees to develop and lead public health projects, resulting in a publication and/or presentation at a national conference. 

A benefit of this unique opportunity is that fellows are already engaged in a clinical fellowship program with a research requirement and are receiving mentorship at their home institutions. For CDC, this is an opportunity to engage directly with clinicians in training to inform public health analysis, programs and interventions. 

2026-27 cohort application will open in August 2025.  
 

This project was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $805,000 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by CDC/HHS or the U.S. Government.