The National MS Society is committed to raising awareness of careers in MS care. See below for information about MS clinical mentorship for medical students and psychology graduate students.

The National MS Society offers a four week MS clinical mentorship program to students who have completed at least one year of medical school by the start of the program. The experience will expose students to the diagnosis and comprehensive management of MS under the tutelage of MS experts. Our goals:

• to raise awareness of the challenges experienced by people with MS
• to generate interest in a career in MS care

The student will work with neurologists and other clinicians specializing in MS (e.g., urologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, physiatrists, nurses, radiologists, rehab therapists, etc.) and observe most aspects of MS specialty care.

Over the course of the 4 weeks the student will spend time at one or more Centers for Comprehensive MS Care and may spend time at community practice locations and other settings (e.g. rehabilitation, long term care, clinical trials research). Students are placed at prestigious MS clinics spanning across the country from Boston to Seattle to Denver to Chicago to New York and more. Applicants will have the opportunity to indicate site preferences in the application.

The mentorship is full-time and takes place Monday-Friday running June 5 -June 30, 2023 during regular business hours, with possible evening hours (no more than three or four nights over the course of the program). The MS Society provides an award of $3,000 to the student awardee.

2023 Host Sites

Application submissions

To submit an application for the 2023 Medical Student Mentorship Program, applicants must first register in our grant management system, MSGrants, found here https://nmss.fluxx.io. 

Deadline 2023:
Full application deadline extended to: January 25, 2023, 5 p.m. ET

• Clinical Mentorship Programs Application Instructions

Program Guidelines
Applicants must complete the online application. Only complete applications with all the required information will be considered. The student must make their own living arrangements. They must also have their own daily transportation and the ability to travel to the assigned mentorship sites. The mentorship is open to all graduate students attending school who are U.S. citizens or candidates lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence. 
 
Application Requirements

1. Complete application
2. Two reference letters    
3. Curriculum vitae of applicant
4. Unofficial undergraduate, graduate (if applicable), and medical school transcripts. *If fall 2022 semester grades are not available by the deadline, you can provide documentation of completed classes without grades. This will not negatively impact your application.

Questions? Contact Deszarae Busi.

Wednesday June 1, 2022

• MS Navigator
  Becky Hueske; Nina Bozinov, MD
  Objective: Provide an overview of the Society’s MS Navigator services and how the Society collaborates with healthcare providers when supporting people impacted by MS
• Why Choose a Career in Neurology
  William Meador, MD
  Objective: Describe what makes Neurology an engaging and exciting field to specialize in and why medical students should consider pursuing a career in this specialty.

Thursday, June 2, 2022

• Multiple Sclerosis Overview
  Suma Shah, MD
  Objective: Review the pathophysiology of MS in addition to the diagnostic criteria, with an emphasis on the role of neuroimaging and other paraclinical tests in the diagnosis and management of MS. Review how age, sex, genetics, and environmental factors contribute to the phenotypic expression of MS.
• Managing and Treating MS
  Joan Ohayon, RN, MSN, CRNP, MSCN
  Objective: Review disease modification therapy to manage multiple sclerosis and to identify and manage common symptoms in order to provide optimal quality of life for people living with this disease.

Friday, June 3, 2022

• Research Panel
  Mark Allegretta, PhD; Erin Longbrake, MD, PhD; Timothy Vartanian, MD, PhD; Joe Sabatino Jr., MD, PhD
  Objective: Introduce available research resources provided by the National MS Society and to share perspectives from research physicians in the MS field.
• Understanding Healthcare Disparities and Implicit Bias
  Daniela Pimentel Maldonado, MD
  Objective: Present the scope of health disparities in neurologic care and describe implicit bias and its impact on health outcomes.

In collaboration with Kessler Foundation, The Multiple Sclerosis Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the VA Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence East, and the University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the National MS Society is offering a four-week clinical mentorship experience for three psychology graduate students who have completed at least one year of their graduate program. The clinical mentorship will introduce diagnosis and comprehensive management of patients with multiple sclerosis focusing on neurocognitive, mood, and other psychosocial issues associated with multiple sclerosis. The students will observe assessment and management strategies, learn about current research as it informs new treatment strategies, and observe other clinical aspects of care including comprehensive neurological care and rehabilitation.

The mentorship is full-time, Monday-Friday from June 5 - June 30, 2023 during regular business hours, with possible evening hours (no more than three or four nights over the course of the program). The MS Society provides an award of $3,000 to the student.

Highlights

• The Clinical Mentorship will be offered at the following sites:
  • Kessler Foundation with campuses in East Hanover and West Orange New Jersey.
    • Over the course of the four weeks the student will observe patient care, interact with researchers and clinicians at Kessler Foundation and Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.  In addition, the student will observe a range of mental health and associated activities in other settings (e.g., support group, wellness activity, educational program)  at one or more Centers for Comprehensive MS Care in northern NJ or NYC.
  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
    • Over the course of the four weeks, the student will observe patient care and interact with researchers and clinicians at Johns Hopkins Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as the Johns Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis Center and other related departments of Johns Hopkins. In addition, the student will observe a range of mental health and associated activities in other settings in the Baltimore area (e.g., other Centers for Comprehensive MS Care, support group, wellness activity, educational program).
  • University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
    • Over the course of the four weeks, the student will observe patient care and interact with clinicians and researchers in the Michigan Medicine Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) as well as the Michigan Medicine Multiple Sclerosis Center and other related departments of Michigan Medicine. Interprofessional observational opportunities include Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology (inpatient/outpatient assessment and individual/group intervention), Neurology Division of Neuroimmunology – MS Neurology, PM&R Physiatry, PM&R Clinical Research, Rehabilitation Therapies and PM&R DEI.

To apply

More information regarding the application process is coming soon.

Program Guidelines
Applicants must complete the online application. Only complete applications with all the required information will be considered. The student must make their own living arrangements. They must also have their own daily transportation and the ability to travel to the assigned mentorship sites. The mentorship is open to all psychology graduate students attending school who are U.S. citizens or candidates lawfully admitted to the U.S. for graduate study.
 
Application Requirements

1. Complete application
2. Two reference letters    
3. Curriculum vitae of applicant
4. Unofficial undergraduate and graduate school transcripts

Questions? Contact Deszarae Busi.