Visiting Student Elective Scholarship Program

Students in Pediatric Simulation RoomThe University of Vermont Children’s Hospital is excited to invite you to apply for our funded fourth-year rotation, the Visiting Student Elective Scholarship Program in Pediatrics. Thank you for your interest!

 The University of Vermont Department of Pediatrics recognizes that certain groups have been historically excluded from opportunities and are underrepresented and underserved in medicine and in the pediatric workforce. The Visiting Student Elective Scholarship Program (VSESP) in Pediatrics aims to support 4th year medical students, including those from historically and underrepresented and underserved populations in medical school, whose diverse experiences and perspectives will contribute to excellence in our residency programs. The program will provide a unique experience for those students applying to a pediatric residency who may also be interested in experiencing pediatrics practiced in an academic rural setting while gaining clinical opportunities and mentorship.

The VSESP in Pediatrics, sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont will offer two student elective positions during the month of October 2024, each with a $2,500 stipend for reimbursement of travel, housing, meals, and application fees.


Overview

The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital is in Burlington, Vermont, a Refugee Resettlement Community with increasing racial and ethnic diversity.

Visiting rotations of 4 weeks, will be offered from September 30 - October 25, 2024:

  • Neonatology (NICU)
  • Pediatric Primary Care
  • Pediatric Pulmonary
Neonatal Intensive Care

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) rotation is a sub-internship that provides fourth year medical students with the opportunity to attend deliveries and work at an intern level in caring for newborns with acute and chronic medical issues. During their rotation the student will be encouraged to develop autonomy in managing their own patient panel, join rounds for both the resident and advanced practice provider teams, and attend didactic sessions focused on both NICU-specific topics as well and pediatric medicine more generally.

Primary Care Pediatrics

In Primary Care Pediatrics, students will have the opportunity to care for children of all ages for both acute and well-child visits. The primary care pediatrics site in Burlington houses the New American clinic, and the student may also have the opportunity to spend time in the community-based Building Strong Families clinic, a model of group well visits for New American young children and their parents.

Pediatric Pulmonary

The Pediatric Pulmonary service provides students the opportunity to evaluate infants, children, and teenagers with a broad variety of respiratory conditions such as airway disorders, cystic fibrosis, asthma, and infections.  The student will work as an integral part of the team in varied settings including outpatient subspecialty clinic, general inpatient pediatric unit, pediatric ICU, and neonatal ICU.  The student will practice bronchoscopy using simulation and attend bronchoscopies that are scheduled during the rotation.

While participating in VSESP, visiting students are invited to attend a variety of teaching sessions alongside the pediatric residents.

There will be no overnight or weekend shifts for visiting students.

Each visiting student in the VSESP Pediatrics Program will be matched with a resident/fellow and an attending as mentors for the month based on shared interests and additional experiences can be included during the rotation depending on individual interests of the student. Students selected will also be guaranteed a residency interview if interested in applying to our Department of Pediatrics Residency Program at the University of Vermont Children's Hospital.  


Eligibility

Eligible students include fourth-year medical students (post-clerkship year) in good standing who have passed Step One of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) or the COMLEX Level 1 exam and are enrolled in a U.S. LCME or COCA accredited institution (an MD or DO granting program) and who are members of groups that the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) has identified as underrepresented in medicine.

University of Vermont

Application Process

Please apply via the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities program (VSLO).

  • A completed VSESP Application form
  • A brief statement of interest, including how the goals of the VSESP in Pediatrics Program align with your own goals and what you hope to gain from the rotation (400-word limit)
  • A letter of good standing from your home institution’s Office of Student Affairs
  • Your CV or resume

Documents should be submitted via email to VSESPPeds@med.uvm.edu. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. 

Applicants will be notified within 3 weeks of receipt of full application.

Resources

Cultural guide for Burlington