Expanding the Future Public Health Workforce: Recruitment Lessons From an Undergraduate Pathway Program

The John R. Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholars programs provide the opportunity for undergraduate students and recent graduates to explore pathways into the public health field. An important goal is recruiting and selecting students who will benefit from the opportunity. The programs use a variety of methods, including in-person recruitment events, an online and social media presence, and word-of-mouth through alumni and program contact networks. A combination of national and regional recruitment methods helps reach applicants across the country. A holistic application review process focuses on public health potential as demonstrated through essays, recommendation letters, and interviews. From 2023 to 2025, these efforts yielded 9607 applicants and 746 participants (8% applicant-to-participant rate). Participants represented 47 US states and territories, and almost all (98%) completed the intensive program. These findings suggest that a coordinated, multisite recruitment and holistic review model can generate a large applicant pool, support high program completion, and ultimately strengthen the future public health workforce.