Training Opportunities at Children's Minnesota

The Education Department at Children's Minnesota manages the clinical training for medical students, residents, and fellows in partnership with various clinical departments within the health system. Currently available options are outlined below.

Clinical rotations for non-affiliated training programs

Medical Students

Visiting medical students are no longer able to participate in for-credit rotations directly at Children's Minnesota. Instead, they must use the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) system to explore and apply for placements through the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Residents and Clinical Fellows 

For visiting residents and fellows, Children's Minnesota accepts a limited number from ACGME-accredited programs in the United States. These trainees are required to collaborate with their home programs to complete and submit a Children's Minnesota Rotation Request application at least six months prior to their intended start date to facilitate discussions regarding potential affiliations and rotational experiences.

Clinical rotations for affiliated training programs 

A comprehensive list of our educational partnerships is available here for review. If your training program is not currently listed, please review the options for non-affiliated training programs above.

Medical Students

Current experiences available for University of Minnesota medical students are listed on the University of Minnesota Medical School course directory. University of Minnesota departments or medical students who wish to establish new experiences must submit a Children's Minnesota Rotation Request application in advance of the intended start date. Approval from the Children's Minnesota Graduate Medical Education Office must be obtained before onboarding or scheduling may begin for new experiences.

Residents and Clinical Fellows 

Children's Minnesota partners with Allina, HealthPartners Institute, Hennepin Healthcare, the University of Minnesota's Medical School and School of Dentistry, and Mayo to offer pediatric training experiences to their residents and fellows. Training programs from affiliated academic institutions seeking placement should contact our team to check if their desired experience is covered under a current, active Program Letter of Agreement (PLA). For experiences not documented in as PLA, programs must submit a Children's Minnesota Rotation Request application. Approval from the Children's Minnesota Graduate Medical Education Office must be obtained before onboarding or scheduling may begin for new experiences.

Observer/Shadowing (hands-off, not for credit): 

Children's Minnesota offers a limited number of observer/shadowing experiences for individuals currently engaged in graduate level medical training who are interested in exploring pediatric medicine or a career at Children's Minnesota. These opportunities are limited to 8 weeks, total, across all Children's Minnesota sites. Interested candidates are required to identify and secure a preceptor who agrees to supervise them onsite throughout the experience. After a preceptor has been identified, the individual must create a student account with Clinician Nexus and use their "Find clinical experiences" search tool to find the Children's Minnesota observership opportunity and submit their application.

Research opportunities (for credit or not for credit): 

The Education Department, in collaboration with the Children's Minnesota Research Institute, has established a research pathway for students, residents, and fellows who wish to engage in IRB-approved research projects or case studies. This initiative does not aim to connect candidates with principal investigators (PIs) at Children's; instead, it simplifies the onboarding process into a unified application system. Candidates must first identify a potential principal investigator and engage in discussions regarding collaboration. Once a PI is identified, the candidate is required to create a student account with Clinician Nexus, utilizing the "Find clinical experiences" search tool to locate the research or case study opportunities at Children's Minnesota and submit their application. All applications must be submitted no less than six weeks before the experience will begin. More information about the Children's Minnesota Medical Education Research Pathway can be found here.