MSTEPP Scholar Internship Opportunity

Planning your career as a surgeon and looking for meaningful opportunities to round out your studies?

Spend your summer with us!

The Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota has partnered with Tuskegee University, Norfolk State University and Virginia State University to provide an opportunity for undergraduate students who are interested in medicine with an immersive experience on our Twin Cities campus.

Undergraduates engage in clinical and surgical observation, work on faculty-sponsored projects, and participate in educational seminars from renowned leaders throughout our institution and the Twin Cities community — all while exploring and experiencing the variety of activities Minnesota has to offer. This paid program is open to students who have completed their sophomore or junior year at these institutions and are interested in becoming a surgeon. Our 2025 cohort will start in late spring and run through mid-summer.

Get to know the 2024 Cohort!

View the profiles below.

Program Participation

  • Shadowing experiences - Observe faculty surgeons in clinics and operating suites
  • Education and Research - Experience hands-on research and learning in a classroom setting, and participate in tours of our research labs, with the goal of creating a research poster for presentation
  • Core curriculum - Learn more about navigating the medical school application process and MCAT Prep. What does the ‘day in the life’ of a medical student look like? What does a surgical resident do?
  • Social/cultural activities - Previous cohorts have participated in visiting the George Floyd Memorial, attending a Minnesota Twins or St. Paul Saints Baseball Game, and much more!

FUNDED SUPPORT

  • Lodging 
  • Small meal stipend
  • Transportation to and from Minnesota
  • Weekly pay stipend
  • Cost of any social activities

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Research

Participants are connected to faculty mentors and introduced to surgical research residents. Projects are clinically oriented and intended to challenge and build upon current coursework, as well as provide introductions to new concepts in a real-world academic healthcare setting. At the end of the program, participants will showcase their achievements at a poster session attended by department faculty, trainees and staff.

Clinical Observation

Our rotating clinical and surgical observations expose participants to a variety of environments, broaden their scopes of interest and allow them to gain an understanding of new and different areas of medicine. Step into the operating room, shadow surgeons while they perform a procedure or test, or observe face-to-face daily interaction between a trusted care provider and a patient. Our program will engage you from a provider’s perspective and show you a side of medicine you may not yet have experienced. 

Lunch and Learn Lecture Series

Scholars have the opportunity to learn from some of the most forward-thinking minds in medicine. Leaders across the Twin Cities, University of Minnesota Medical School and Department of Surgery will share their knowledge and experience in a lecture series. Lecture topics include: an orientation and welcome to the Twin Cities; getting into medical school; MCAT Prep; life as a trainee; choosing a specialty, as well as additional department chair events and Dean’s topics.

Ready to Apply? Application Requirements

Applicants will be responsible for uploading all documents, including letters of recommendation | Incomplete applications will not be considered.
 
1. One-to-two page cover letter, typed and double spaced using 12 pt Times New Roman. In your cover letter you must answer the following questions: 
- Why do you want to participate in this program?
- Have you participated in a similar program before?
- How will this program benefit you?
- Do you have a specific area of interest in the medical field? If so, what is it and why?
2. Resume 
3. Unofficial transcript 
4. Two letters of recommendation
 
Please Note: If selected, participants must be able to commit to attending the entirety of the program as well as comply with all vaccination requirements.

Contacts

Department of Surgery

  • Sherri Novitsky, MMA, MA - Administrative Director | UMN Department of Surgery ([email protected])
  • Jenni Sullivan - Associate Administrative Director | Department of Surgery ([email protected])
  • Dr. Bradley Segura - Associate Professor, Pediatric Surgery | Department of Surgery ([email protected])
  • Sara Pierson - Program Associate | Department of Surgery ([email protected])
  • Stephanie McLean - Project Coordinator | Department of Surgery ([email protected])