Ali Duffens, MD, MPH

Kaiser San Francisco and UCSF

Internal Medicine/Preventive Medicine combined residency program

During my rotation at AHRQ, I contributed to projects that support the work of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. I helped develop educational material on taskforce recommendations, contributed to fact-checking evidence reviews, and led a journal club discussion about new research informing future recommendations. I also attended the annual USPSTF meeting, where I observed the evidence review and grading of task force recommendations.

Through these experiences, I gained a deeper understanding of how rigorous evidence reviews, public input, and expert consensus come together to shape national recommendations. I also learned how research gaps are identified to improve preventive care moving forward.

I pursued Preventive Medicine because I am passionate about improving health outcomes at both the clinical and population levels. I chose AHRQ for my residency rotation to learn firsthand how evidence informs national health policy and to contribute to work that advances preventive care across the United States.

Note from APTR:

Regrettably all residency rotations were paused by the current administration in mid-March. The APTR contract that supports the program was officially terminated "at the convenience of the government" on April 14, 2025.  

Jessica Fenton, MD, MS

Stony Brook University

During my rotation at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), I had the privilege to engage in various activities that enriched my understanding of preventive medicine and its application in evidence-based recommendations. I participated in weekly meetings with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) division, where I was exposed to discussions on the methodologies and processes behind developing guidelines. One of the most valuable aspects of this experience was participating in mock exercises that helped me practice applying these methods in a real-world setting. I also took part in journal club discussions, where I presented on the topic of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, fostering a robust dialogue with my peers. 

Alison Dickson, MD, MPH

University of Michigan School of Public Health

I chose this rotation because of its reputation among other residents who had completed it, which were uniformly positive. I learned a great deal about USPSTF processes and procedures, honed the skill of rapidly developing expertise in a very specific topic, practiced careful, thoughtful communication of public health recommendations to different audiences, and experienced wonderful mentoring.

I worked on:

• Lots of reading! To understand USPSTF procedures but also to prepare for meetings on current topics
• Journal Club presentation
• Slides preparation -  two different topics for a USPSTF presentation at an upcoming AAFP conference
• PPIP written and submitted to AAFP for publication
• Didactics weekly
• Meetings with AHRQ program
• Weekly meetings with USPSTF team members

This is a welcoming environment that provides well-developed structured learning and opportunities for hands-on engagement with the process. I was able to practice critical public health skills in a real-world setting and was delighted to find a community with AHRQ coresidents and wonderful mentorship as well!

Elizabeth Lees, DO

Preventive Medicine and Public Health Fellowship
Mayo Clinic

My experience with AHRQ gave me a new appreciation for the work that goes into making and maintaining national health guidelines, which is not a process well known to most people in healthcare. I spent two months working closely with AHRQ medical officers learning how research is aggregated, appraised, and applied in guideline decision-making. I attended Task Force meetings that allowed me to see recommendation statements in various stages of their development. Most notably, I was given the unique opportunity to work on projects that shape our national guidelines and the future of research funded by Congress.

In public health policy, it can be hard to feel like you are moving the needle. However, this rotation with the Task Force felt like my work had impact. The staff I worked with all took great pride in their work, and that translated to how I felt throughout the rotation. The highlight of my experience was attending the Task Force meeting that convened in person at HHS headquarters in Rockville, MD. It was perhaps best described as experiencing a sense of patriotism- being in a room with distinguished minds from all across America who come together for a common purpose to serve. 

Types of projects I worked on:

• Extracting priority topics for research needs and gaps 
• Fact checking draft recommendation statements
• Drafting sections of recommendation statements
• Composing journal segments related to Task Force recommendation topics
  

The most eye-opening part of the rotation was simply seeing how much work goes into creating a guideline. I have a better idea of what it means to critically appraise research and apply it to a population. I also learned a lot about communications.

Note:

Dr. Lees had a reflection published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in December 2024. Her commentary was titled "Evidence-Based Humanism: A Reflection from the APTR-AHRQ Preventive Medicine Residency Rotation Program"  

Irina Arkhipova-Jenkins, MD MBA

Stony Brook Preventive Medicine Residency

My AHRQ-APTR rotation was great. It allowed a unique opportunity to attend a biannual US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in-person meeting at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) headquarters during which I attended presentations on scientific evidence and experienced USPSTF deliberations on several in-progress recommendations. As a part of the rotation, I also received a robust training on the USPSTF methodology for evaluating the quality of scientific evidence, developing preventive health recommendations, and strategies to address important evidence gaps, particularly in the areas of health equity. I also learned about AHRQ’s ongoing efforts related to the dissemination and implementation of the task force recommendations.

As a AHRQ-APTR resident I was given the opportunity to attend weekly task force progress meetings during which USPSTF members reviewed new evidence and developed draft language for recommendation statements. I also had a chance to take a "deep dive" into the task force’s process for developing recommendations for preventive screening services by working on the project that compared and summarized diagnostic accuracy characteristics of screening tests used in the USPSTF Grade A and B recommendations. In addition, I helped draft a monthly "Putting Prevention into Practice” feature for the American Family Physician journal contextualizing a recently published recommendation from a clinical practice perspective and critically appraised and presented recently published research relevant to the topic of one of the in-progress USPSTF recommendations. This rotation also allowed me a unique chance to continue developing my evidence synthesis skills by assisting with literature review for an in-progress evidence report. 

Aside from the phenomenal educational experiences listed above, participating in this rotation broadened my understanding regarding critical prevention focused population and public health efforts spearheaded by AHRQ, CDC, NIH, and other leading federal agencies and gave me a greater sense of appreciation for evidence-based preventive medicine practice.