MS Clinical Mentorships

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 an MS clinical mentorship program to students who have completed at least one year of medical school. The experience exposes 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

Students will work with neurologists and other clinicians specializing in MS (e.g., physiatrists, nurses,  rehab therapists, etc.) and observe many aspects of MS specialty care.

The MS Clinical Mentorship Program occurs during the summer months. Applications open in December.  Check back here for updates.

To apply

Applications are closed for 2021. If you're interested in the program for 2022, please email piper.reynolds@nmss.org.

Monday, June 14, 2021

• National MS Society: A Supportive Partner
  Kaye Gooch; Suma Shah, MD
  Objective: Learn about the mission and work of the National MS Society, and explain how the Society partners with health care professionals to provide optimal care and support for people affected by MS.
• National MS Society: MS Navigator
  Becky Hueske; Danielle Tardif; Nina Bozinov, MD
  Objective: To gain a deeper understanding of the Society’s MS Navigator services and how the Society collaborates with healthcare providers when supporting people impacted by MS.
• Understanding Multiple Sclerosis: What MS Is
  Derrick S. Robertson, MD
  Objective: To review the diagnostic criteria of MS with an emphasis on the role of neuroimaging and other paraclinical tests in the diagnosis and management of MS.

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

• National MS Society: Advocacy
  Kim Calder, Jennifer Muthig
  Objective: To discuss the Society’s policy priorities: research funding, access to MS medications and access to coverage. To share the role of healthcare professionals in advocacy, how you can get involved and why it matters.
• National MS Society: Research
  Kathleen Zackowski, PhD, OTR; Francois Bethoux, MD; Jennifer Graves, MD, PhD; Tim Vartanian MD, PhD
  Objective: To introduce medical students to available research resources provided by the National MS Society and to learn perspectives from three research physicians in the MS field.
• Understanding Multiple Sclerosis: What MS Is Not
  Enrique Alvarez, MD, PhD
  Objective: To explore the differential diagnosis of inflammatory lesions of the central nervous system.

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

• National MS Society: Why Choose a Career in MS?
  Marwa Kaisey, MD
  Objective: Describe why medical students should consider pursuing a career in MS, what makes MS care an engaging and exciting field to specialize in, and the journey from residency to fellowship to an MS center.

Thursday, June 17, 2021

• MS Across the Lifespan
  Suma Shah, MD
  Objective: To review how age, sex, genetics, and environmental factors contribute to the phenotypic expression of MS.

Friday, June 18, 2021

• Disease Modification for MS
  Anne Cross, MD
  Objective: To learn about MS and medications used to treat MS.

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

• Symptom Management in MS
  Joan Ohayon, RN, MSN, CRNP, MSCN
  Objective: To identify and manage common symptoms related to multiple sclerosis in order to provide optimal quality of life for people living with this disease.

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

• Rehabilitation in MS
  Theodore Brown, MD, MPH and Melissa Gilbert, DPT, NCS
  Objective: Understanding role of multidisciplinary rehabilitation in MS care. Understanding symptom management for pain, spasticity and gait problems in MS.

Thursday, June 24, 2021

• Understanding Health Care Disparities and Implicit Bias
  Francesca Bagnato, MD, PhD
  Objective: Understand the scope of health disparities in neurologic care and to recognize implicit bias and its impact on health outcomes.

• July 14, 2020 - Understanding MS: What It Is and What It Is Not. View the recording here.
• July 16, 2020 - Disease Modification for Multiple Sclerosis. View the recording here.
• July 21, 2020 - MS Across the Life Span. View the recording here.
• July 23, 2020 - A Path Forward: Understanding Healthcare Disparities and Implicit Bias to Improve Health Outcomes. View the recording here. 

In collaboration with Kessler Foundation, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the National MS Society offers a three-week clinical mentorship experience for a psychology graduate student who has completed at least one year of their graduate program. The program will introduce diagnosis and comprehensive management of patients with multiple sclerosis and focus on neurocognitive, mood, and other psychosocial issues associated with multiple sclerosis. The students will virtually observe assessment and management strategies, learn about current research as it informs new treatment strategies, as well as spend time learning about other clinical aspects of care to include comprehensive neurological care and rehabilitation. Due to the continuing risk presented by Covid-19, the Society has determined there will be no in-person program this year.  This program will be held virtually starting June 14 through July 7, 2021.  Students will not receive a stipend due to the virtual model.

Highlights

• The mentorship is available June 14- July 7, 2021. It is full time Monday-Friday during regular business hours, with possible evening hours (no more than three or four nights over the course of the program). 
• Mentor experiences from two sites are being offered:
  • Kessler Foundation with campuses in East Hanover and West Orange New Jersey.
    • Over the course of the three weeks the student will spend time observing patient care and in discussion with researchers and clinicians at Kessler Foundation and Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation as well as one or more National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Partners in MS Care Centers for Comprehensive MS Care in northern NJ or NYC and will observe a range of mental health and associated activities in other settings (e.g. support group, wellness activity, educational program).
  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
    • Over the course of the three weeks the student will spend time observing patient care and in discussion with researchers and clinicians at John Hopkins Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as the John Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis Center and other related departments of John Hopkins. In addition, the student will observe a range of mental health and associated activities in other settings in the Baltimore area (e.g. support group, wellness activity, educational program).
  • Students being hosted at either site will be offered opportunities for learning from each other and through scientists and researchers from both locations and appropriate sessions being offered in the parallel medical student clinical mentorship program being offered simultaneously.

To apply

Applications are now open.  Application deadline April 15 at 11:59pm ET. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

View application instructions and form 

Program Guidelines
Applicants must complete the online application. Only complete applications with all the required information will be considered. 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. Unofficial transcript

Questions? Contact Andrea Arzt.