American Medical Student Association

AMSA 2013-2014 Fellowship Program

Application deadline for 2013 - 2014 Fellowship is now past.

AMSA’s Fellowship Program is an intensive one-year long educational immersion experience. Through experiential education, mentorship, formal curriculum, and individual scholarly pursuits, fellows support AMSA’s vision while gaining knowledge about organizational development and leadership. Fellows work to improve medical education for all physicians-in-training and champion reform to improve the lives of the patients they will one day serve. Upon completion of this program, fellows will be uniquely situated to deal with the challenges of a complex health care system and affect positive change in their chosen profession.

• Learn more about the PharmFree Fellow position.
• Learn more about the Education & Research Fellow position.

Core Components of the AMSA Fellowship Program

• Experiential Education – Fellows will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the day-to-day organization of a national association. They will work alongside a dynamic professional staff to further AMSA’s goals while developing an appreciation for and general understanding of association management.

• Mentorship – Fellows will be able to receive and provide mentorship throughout their experience. Fellows provide oversight for the AMSA Intern Program and also serve as a resource to AMSA National Leaders in the Fellow’s content area. Fellows will also be mentored by local professionals who they identify as content experts in their fellowship’s focus area and are welcome to maintain existing mentorship relationships from afar. Fellows will work closely with all AMSA staff, and will be members of the Senior Management and Strategy Team (SMST). Fellows will report directly to the Education and Research Director (ERD).

• Formal Curriculum – Fellows’ knowledge and skills will be supplemented by a formal curriculum of discussions, didactics, and workshops around topics that relate to the fellowship’s purpose. Trainings include grassroots organizing, lobbying/policy-making, teaching, health care systems, organizational development, leadership, and others based on input by current Fellows.

• Scholarly Project – Fellows will have the opportunity to pursue a project of their personal interest, as it relates to the content area of the individual fellowship. This project will allow the fellow to delve deeply into a topical area they are passionate about while providing a tangible product for AMSA. The design and identification of project deliverables will be determined through consultation with the ERD and Executive Director.

Program Description

• AMSA’s fellowships are paid, full-time, year-long intensive educational experiences that support the mission and current activities of AMSA, along with the complementary activities and goals of partner organizations, as relevant.
• Eligible AMSA members are selected to serve as Fellows through a competitive process overseen by AMSA’s Executive Director and the Education and Research Director, and AMSA retains primary responsibility for the supervision and employment of all Fellows.
• AMSA’s fellowships maintain a priority focus on the education and professional development experience of Fellow, while he/she works to actualize AMSA’s and AMSA’s partners’ organizational goals.
• AMSA’s fellowships have clearly defined and achievable objectives (articulated above in the fellow descriptions) from which to formulate an explicit work plan. The work plan is developed in collaboration with the fellow and key organizational representatives during the first three weeks of full-time work to both determine and outline specific implementation steps and deliverables to meet the stated objectives of the position.
• AMSA’s fellowships are organized under AMSA’s formal fellowship program; AMSA’s Education and Research Director serves as the fellowship program director, with additional support from the Executive Director.
• AMSA’s fellowships are all based out of the AMSA office in Sterling, VA, wherein the fellows are provided with equivalent stipends and benefits and held accountable to similar professional and employment expectations.
• Fellows are expected to participate in the Building On Foundations (BOF) meeting, tentatively scheduled for May 2 – 5, 2013. Fellows’ attendance at BOF is mandatory and fully funded.
• Fellows are expected to participate in the activities of the fellowship program, which include regular supervision meetings with the ERD and Executive Director, didactic trainings/seminars, select staff meetings, and similar activities that involve the fellow in the day to day work and responsibilities of all AMSA office personnel.
• In service to the goals of the fellowship program, content area experts will be identified and cultivated as mentors for all AMSA fellows.

Eligibility

A qualified candidate must be:

• An AMSA member (experience as an AMSA leader at the national or local level is preferred, but not required.
• A medical student in good academic standing;
• Available to work full time out of the AMSA office in Sterling, VA, from May 2013 through May 2014;
• Able to work collaboratively with others to develop and achieve the goals in a work plan, with limited supervision;
• Able to demonstrate excellent speaking, writing, interpersonal, and leadership skills;
• Able to work well on a team and with professional office staff; and
• Accountable.

The ideal candidate is energetic, well organized, creative, and passionate about AMSA’s mission and goals. AMSA fellowships are highly desired and they provide a unique learning opportunity for motivated students who enjoy organizing projects, cultivating strong leaders, and problem-solving in a high-intensity, productive, and evolving environment.

Compensation

Each fellow receives:

• A stipend of approximately $58,000 for the period of the fellowship paid in equal installments over the course of the fellowship.
• Full employment benefits, which includes free health care, dental, life, dismemberment and disability insurance, along with co-premium vision, beginning the first full month after the first day of the fellowship and ending the last day of the month of the fellowship.
• Ten (10) days of Paid Time Off within the fellowship year.
• Paid Holidays (Holiday schedule is the same as staff and averages 12 scheduled holidays per year).
• Compensatory time off for working weekends and long hours.
• Reimbursement for moving expenses up to a total of $1000 per fellow.
• Professional development funds (or loan interest payments, as eligible) up to $1,000 for the Fellow to engage in educational activities of specific interest and relevance to his/her career, and as approved by the Executive Director.