The availability of all awards is contingent upon receipt of adequate funding.
October 28 – November 2, 2008 in Chicago, IL
Sponsored by:
with support from
the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS)
The
Overview
The AACAP Jeanne Spurlock Minority Medical Student Clinical Fellowship, supported by the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), offers a unique opportunity for up to 14 minority medical students to explore a career in child and adolescent psychiatry, gain valuable work experience, and meet leaders in the child and adolescent psychiatry field. The fellowship opportunity provides up to $3,500 for 12 weeks of clinical training under a child and adolescent psychiatrist mentor. Participants are required to attend the 2008 AACAP Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL on October 28 – November 2, 2008. (Complimentary registration and travel reimbursement for the Annual Meeting are included in addition to the fellowship stipend.)
The expectation is that students will complete 12 consecutive weeks (60 workdays at 8 hours per day) of the fellowship during the summer following acceptance into the program. If an applicant is unable to complete 12 weeks, he or she may propose a slightly shorter fellowship experience in the application. If approved, the stipend will be pro-rated to reflect the reduction in time spent completing the fellowship. Fellowships proposed as less than eight weeks will NOT be considered. Applicants should note that the amount of time they propose to spend in their fellowship will be taken into account by the selection committee.
There are two ways to select a fellowship mentor:
- When a student has an established link with a child and adolescent psychiatrist who is committed to work with the student throughout the summer, the student will submit an application with a detailed outline of the proposed clinical training proposal and a description of the student’s involvement in the project.
- If a student is interested in applying for the fellowship but is not linked with a child and adolescent psychiatrist, the student should contact the AACAP Department of Research, Training, and Education before they submit an application for further instructions. The Program Director, in conjunction with the AACAP Department of Research, Training and Education, will work to match the student with a child and adolescent psychiatrist mentor of compatible clinical interests. Mentor selection must take place prior to the onset of the fellowship.
The clinical training experience must provide for significant contact between the student and the mentor. The fellowship plan should include program planning discussions, instruction in treatment planning and implementation, regular meetings with the mentor and other treatment providers, and assigned readings. Clinical assignments may include responsibility for part of the observation or evaluation, conducting interviews or tests, use of rating scales, and psychological or cognitive testing of patients. The training plan also should include discussion of ethical issues in treatment. Upon completion of the training program, the mentor should hold a closing interview with the student to discuss their work as well as future career plans. The student is required to submit a final paper summarizing the clinical training experience, a copy of the research poster, and a program evaluation. The mentor should assist in the preparation of the final paper, providing guidance on the format and content of typical clinical papers.
All fellowship participants must attend the 2008 AACAP Annual Meeting. Participants will receive complimentary general meeting registration, tickets to one workshop and one institute, and travel reimbursement. Participants are required to present their clinical experiences in a new research poster session and attend various educational, mentoring and networking sessions. Additionally, fellowship participants will be recognized at a Young Leaders Awards Ceremony.
Fellowship stipends will be distributed in two installments. Upon receipt of the fellowship, $2,500 will be sent to the student’s mentor to be disbursed at the onset of the summer fellowship. Upon meeting all program requirements, the last installment will be sent directly to the recipient. The last installment will be pro-rated according to the total amount of time spent completing the fellowship. Fellowships lasting the full 12 weeks will receive the maximum amount.
Fellowship Requirements
- Applications are considered from African-American, Native American, Alaskan Native, Mexican American, Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Islander students in accredited medical schools.
- Participants agree that their fellowships will last 12 consecutive weeks (All fellowships less than 12 weeks must receive approval by AACAP. Fellowships less than eight weeks will NOT be considered). The expectation is that the student will work 8 hours per day for the duration of the fellowship.
- Participants agree to submit an abstract outlining their new research poster presentations for publication in the AACAP Book of Scientific Proceedings by June 13, 2008.
- Participants agree to attend the 2008 AACAP Annual Meeting, October 28-November 2, 2008, in Chicago, IL.
- Participants agree to submit all required reporting documentation prior to the AACAP Annual Meeting, including a final report, a copy of the new research poster session, and an evaluation of the program completed by the participant and the mentor.
- Participants agree to participate in all annual surveys as part of the program’s evaluation process.
Application Materials
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Completed Application Form
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Personal Information
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CV
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Statement of Interest
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Letter of support from proposed mentor
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Letter of good standing from medical school
Click here to download the application. 
For more information contact the Department of Research, Training and Education at 202.966.7300 or grobbins@aacap.org.
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