AACAP Mentorship Grants for Medical Students
Supported by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's Campaign for America's Kids (CFAK) and Life Members Fund
*The award is discretionary and subject to funding availability.
Application Deadline: June 27, 2025
Program Description
The AACAP Mentorship Grants for Medical Students (MGMS) provides the opportunity for medical students to attend the 2025 AACAP Annual Meeting, October 20-25, 2025 in Chicago, IL , and receive an introduction into the field of child and adolescent psychiatry through AACAP’s Annual Meeting mentorship events. The MGMS recipients program requirements include participating in programs sponsored by the Life Members, a group of the oldest and most distinguished members of AACAP, all having been members for at least 30 years. Many of those in this group served as AACAP leadership and also pioneered many of the significant discoveries and developments in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. In collaboration with the Committee on Medical Students and Residents, this program provides participants with networking opportunities, exposure to varying specialties, and interaction with Life Members. Participation in this program provides a reimbursable post-meeting award payment of up to $1,200.
Program Benefits*
- A reimbursable post-meeting payment of up to $1,200 to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting
- Participation in SEVEN AACAP Annual Meeting sessions, including a Life Member co-sponsored session, the two-day Mentorship Program, and the Opening Plenary
Eligibility
- Applicants must be enrolled in a medical school in the United States beginning July 2025 and at the time of the AACAP Annual Meeting in October 2025.
- Participants must be in good standing at their medical school.
- Participants must attend all AACAP Annual Meeting events specified by AACAP.
- Medical Students must be AACAP members or pending at the time of their application to be considered.
Program Requirements
- Recipients are also required to share the AACAP recruitment videos ‘Charting a course in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ’ and 'Be Captivated', with fellow medical students in their program within the 6 months following the Annual Meeting:
- Recipients are required to provide a thank you letter to the funder.
- Recipients are required to complete an evaluation of the experience
- Participants must attend all AACAP Annual Meeting events specified by AACAP during the dates of Tuesday thru Friday of the meeting.
Application Process
Use the online awards system to complete your application and to upload the following documents:
- Curriculum Vitae;
- Personal statement articulating a compelling reason for wanting to attend the Annual Meeting;
In about 500 to 1000 words (preferably no more than one page), share the origins of your interest in child and adolescent psychiatry, along with a clear description of why you wish to attend the Annual Meeting, and how it will be beneficial to your professional development and career goals. Please include how you plan to navigate the meeting; the 2025 Annual Meeting program schedule, which will be available by mid-June, allows you to search programming via date, session type or committee sponsored sessions. If you are presenting, please provide a brief description of your role, title and program event type, including with whom you are presenting, if applicable. Additionally, if you have attended the meeting previously, indicate how this opportunity allows you to build on past experience. Lastly, include why it is important to attend the meeting this year.
- Letter of support from a faculty member or mentor
The letter should indicate how long the faculty member or mentor has known the applicant and in what capacity. In describing the candidate, it would be helpful for the letter to address the applicant’s training, qualifications, accomplishments, interest in the child and adolescent psychiatry specialty, motivation for this award, and the potential benefits of the candidate attending the Annual Meeting, as appropriate.
In addition, a letter of good standing from the applicant's medical school must be sent directly to AACAP via email at training@aacap.org or fax at 202-587-9663.
Selection Process
Administrative Review - Applications will be vetted for completeness. The candidate must be eligible and have submitted application materials in accordance with the requirements. Incomplete applications will not be assigned for further review.
Selection Committee - Completed applications will undergo a review process by the selection committee, which consists of AACAP’s Committee on Medical Students and Residents. The panel will read applications and rate the following:
- Significance of the statement of interest and justification for wanting to attend the annual meeting.
- Candidate’s accomplishments as shared in their CV.
- Letter of Recommendation in support of the candidate’s selection for the meeting, including key information on how the candidate has performed in their training program(s) and future potential.
The panel convenes to finalize the selection of the candidates. Generally, a large number of application submissions makes the selection highly competitive. Current funding for this award severely limits the possibility of selecting more than one individual per institution. Overall, the selection is multifactorial taking into account the candidate's score as well as equity and geographic distribution [institutional, region, state]. Preference is given to first-time meeting attendees or individuals that have not received the award previously.
The completed application and attachments must be submitted by June 27, 2025
For more information, contact the AACAP Assistant Director of Training and Education at training@aacap.org or 202-587-9663.
AACAP reserves the right to waive liabilities.