Diversity in Pediatric Medicine Visiting Student Elective Scholarship
Our visiting student program aims to provide students that have demonstrated an interest in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, the opportunity for an excellent pediatric elective experience while exposing students to all that UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, our pediatric family, and Gainesville has to offer. Our goal is to recruit a diverse group of applicants applying to our pediatric residency program, matriculating our program, and caring for our wide variety of patients.
Our institution is a quaternary care referral center in north central Florida with over 120,000 outpatient visits and over 10,000 inpatients each year. With an amazing breadth and depth of patients cared for by generalist and subspecialists, students will encounter a variety of patients that will enhance their learning and prepare them for residency. Students will be immersed in an environment dedicated to excellence in teaching, clinical care, advocacy, and equity with faculty, fellows, residents, and staff in the Department of Pediatrics.
Scholarship-based elective rotation benefits include:
- Students can select inpatient or outpatient rotations
- Students will attend conferences including Academic Half Day and Morning Report
- Meeting with the Program Director
- Meeting with the Chair
- Mentorship with a faculty member
- Mentorship with a resident or fellow
- Students will be offered an interview
- $2500 reimbursement for travel to and from Gainesville and lodging
- $40 reimbursement for VSLO application fee
Application Requirements
Eligibility requirements:
The program is open to all applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing and advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion. This includes but is not limited to activities with established organizations (e.g. Student National Medical Association, Latino Medical Student Association, Association of American Indian Physicians), volunteer work, academic/research pursuits, or current attendance/graduation from minority serving institutions (e.g. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, tribal colleges and universities). Other qualifications to be considered include the applicant’s success in overcoming or helping others to overcome barriers as well as first generation medical school students. All applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis by the Department of Pediatrics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee- Education Subcommittee members and scholarship committee members.
Applicants must provide the following by the application deadline (June 30th):
- Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) application for a rotation at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Diversity in Pediatric Medicine Visiting Elective Supplemental application
- Please have verification of your VSLO pediatric elective acceptance ready to upload into this application
- Medical school should send the student’s unofficial transcript to Melissa Watson.
This Award is open to students of all races. The University of Florida is committed to nondiscrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations, genetic information and veteran status as protected under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.
Questions?
Please contact Melissa Watson.
Thank you for your interest in our program. We look forward to meeting you!