Training Opportunities at Children's Minnesota

    Children’s Minnesota is committed to training the next generation of pediatric healthcare professionals. We provide hands-on learning experiences in a collaborative, patient-centered environment, offering a range of training opportunities for advanced practice provider students.

    Below, you will find information about our clinical rotations, observer/shadowing experiences, and research opportunities at Children’s Minnesota.

    Clinical Rotations (hands-on, for credit): Interested trainees are to go to Clinician Nexus and create a free student account. From there, they can fill in the appropriate application for either a PA or APRN rotation request, via the "Find Clinical Experiences" section. If all information fields are not filled in, the application will not be considered. Do not seek out your own preceptor. Whether an APRN student in an in or out-of-state program: nursing faculty in advanced practice nursing programs must hold unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse and as an advanced practice registered nurse with current registration in Minnesota. Any hands-on experiences require an affiliation agreement between Children's Minnesota and the trainee's home program.  

    • Spring 2026 (January-May) Applications due by 8/29/2025
    • Summer 2026 (May-August) Applications due by 1/2/2026
    • Fall 2026 (September-December) Applications due by 4/27/2026

    APP DNP Projects: Interested trainees are to go to Clinician Nexus and create a free student account. From there, they can fill out the APP DNP project request form via the "Find Clinical Experiences" section. If all information fields are not filled in, the application will not be considered. It is required that project request forms be submitted at least 6-8 weeks (about 2 months) out from the requested start date. Whether an APRN student in an in or out-of-state program: nursing faculty in advanced practice nursing programs must hold unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse and as an advanced practice registered nurse with current registration in Minnesota. An affiliation agreement between Children's Minnesota and the trainee's home program is required.

    • Accepting project applications on a rolling basis

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

    The Medical Education Observership Program at Children’s Minnesota provides a short-term learning opportunity for individuals engaged in graduate-level medical education. This program is designed for those interested in pediatric care and offers hands-off, observational experiences.

    Limited Availability & Guidelines

    • A limited number of observership slots are available, and placement is not guaranteed.
    • Applications must be submitted at least 6 weeks ahead of the start date for observing. Applications submitted less than 6 weeks in advance will not be accepted.
    • Observerships are restricted to a maximum of 2 weeks, with a preference for 1 week or less.
    • A Children’s Minnesota professional staff member must supervise the observer at all times, no exceptions.
    • Foreign medical graduates and offshore students are eligible for observation only; no hands-on clinical experience is allowed.

    Failure to follow these guidelines may result in the immediate termination of the observership. The Medical Education staff reserves the right to deny, suspend, or revoke observer privileges at any time.

    Application Process

    1. Identify a preceptor who agrees to supervise the observership.
    2. Create a student account with Clinician Nexus.
    3. Use the “Find Clinical Experiences” tool to locate and apply for Children’s Minnesota observership opportunities.

    Due to high demand and limited availability, early application is strongly encouraged. 

    Disclaimers:  

    1. Children's Minnesota GME office has chosen to collaborate exclusively with not-for-profit programs that have an in-person component to their training and are physically located in the United States. Rotational opportunities will not be available to students from for-profit, international, and/or fully online-only programs.
    2. Application for rotations must be fully complete and submitted by the listed deadline for the opportunity. Applying does not guarantee approval for a rotation. All updates and communication regarding application should be done through the comments section in Clinician Nexus. Please refrain from sending emails regarding rotation requests as our staff will not respond to them.
    3. Due to the complex needs of Children's Minnesota patients, we will not host APP trainees in their first clinical rotation of their current training program.
    4. Trainees who have been approved for a rotation opportunity at Children’s Minnesota must comply with onboarding deadlines. Failure to do so will result in cancellation of experience, and any future requests will not be considered.
    5. All onboarding is required to begin a minimum of 6 weeks before a rotation start date, and be fully completed 2 weeks before a start date
    6. If a rotation is no longer needed, the Medical Education Department must be notified immediately.
    7. Employed Children’s Minnesota staff seeking a clinical rotation as part of a training program are strongly advised to rotate outside of the department, they normally work in. Hours worked during an employee shift do not count toward clinical hours for credit.
    8. Being a current or past employee of Children's Minnesota does not guarantee a rotation

    Prior to the start of an approved rotation with Children's Minnesota, the following must be completed and/or on file with Children's Minnesota: 

    1. Current affiliation agreement between Children's Minnesota and the training program. Children's Minnesota will initiate the agreement once the rotational experience has been approved. This work is required to begin at least 2 months prior to an agreed upon start date. No onboarding is allowed to begin until the affiliation agreement is fully executed. If legal terms cannot be agreed upon, the rotation will be canceled. 
    2. The Trainee’s Institution is required to be currently insured for professional liability, which covers students AND faculty.  Liability limits are a minimum of $2,000,000/$4,000,000.  The school will provide Children’s with a certificate of insurance evidencing said coverage or a letter describing its professional liability protection if self-insured. 
    3. Prior to the start of a clinical, hands-on rotation, the trainee must provide proof of Minnesota DHS Background Study conducted by their current training program. Additionally, if applicable, the trainee must obtain and provide a Minnesota Board of Medical Practice Residency Permit for the duration of the experience at Children’s Minnesota. Failure to provide either or both items by the requested date will result in cancellation of experience.  

    For assistance or if you have questions about this process, please reach out to our team in Medical Education.