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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Division of Environmental Health Services

COSTEP

The IHS employs five to fifteen Environmental Health externs each year through the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Junior Commissioned Officer Student Training Extern Program (JRCOSTEP).

  • Earn ~$3,000/month and hold the rank of Ensign in the USPHS
  • Assignments usually occur in summer
  • Locations are at field offices across the U.S.
  • Duties are typical of an IHS Environmental Health Specialist

For information about COSTEP pay, benefits, eligibility, and application requirements, please visit the USPHS Commissioned Corps Student Opportunities and Training website Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov .

For information specifically about Environmental Health and Injury Prevention opportunities in the IHS, contact Stephen Piontkowski at 301-443-1263.


Justin Bunn measuring water chemistry of a swimming pool (2017 COSTEP, Shawnee, OK). LTJG Bunn became a fulltime member of the Great Plains Area EH team as a civil servant in 2018 (Sioux City, IA) and became a Commissioned Officer in 2019.
Cori Crocker (2021 COSTEP, Polacca, AZ) applying tick treatment to a dog as part of a Rocky Mountain spotted fever prevention campaign. Ms. Crocker became a full-time member of the Phoenix Area EH team in 2022.
Katherine Miller (2019 COSTEP, Rhinelander, WI) became a fulltime member of the Bemidji Area EH team as a civil servant in 2020 (Bemidji, MN). LTJG Miller became a Commissioned Officer in 2021.
Devin Temple (2022 COSTEP, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) conducting a sanitary survey. Ms. Temple became a full-time member of the Phoenix Area EH team in 2023.

COSTEP/Extern Experiences

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