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 a four and a half week MS clinical mentorship program to students who have completed at least one year of medical school. 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 4.5 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 can select between 25 different prestigious MS clinics spanning across the country from Boston to Seattle to Denver to San Francisco to New York and more.  Click here to read about each participating site.

The mentorship is full-time and takes place Monday-Friday running June 1st through July 1st during regular business hours, with possible evening hours (no more than three or four nights over the course of the program). June 1-3 will be spent in virtual sessions with in-person clinic shadowing starting on June 7.  The MS Society provides an award of $2,500 to the student.

To apply

Applications are now open. Application deadline March 1 at 11:59pm ET. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

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

Application Steps

1. View Application Instructions Here
2. Apply Online Here

Note: As a part of the MS Clinical Mentorship Program, we will open up the virtual didactic presentations to any medical student interested in MS, whether or not they are in the full  program (didactics will occur during business hours June 1-3, 2022).  If you are interested in receiving information about how to join the didactic presentations only, please email Deszarae Busi and enter "Didactic Presentation Interest" into the subject line.

Questions? Contact Deszarae Busi.

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 is offering a three and a half week clinical mentorship experience for two 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 1st through June 24th during regular business hours, with possible evening hours (no more than three or four nights over the course of the program). June 1-3 will be spent in virtual sessions with in-person clinic shadowing starting on June 6.  The MS Society provides an award of $2,500 to the student.

Highlights

• The Clinical Mentorship will be offered at two sites:
  • Kessler Foundation with campuses in East Hanover and West Orange New Jersey.
    • Over the course of the three 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 three  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).

To apply

Applications are now open.  Application deadline March 1, 2022 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 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 transcript

Questions? Contact Andrea Arzt.