Medical Student Education

Medical students talking during a course

This is an image modal dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. Pressing the Close Modal "X" button at the top of the modal will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

_{Photos by Adria Carpenter, courtesy of University Libraries.}

This is an image modal dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. Pressing the Close Modal "X" button at the top of the modal will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

A person is looking at resources at a course

This is an image modal dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. Pressing the Close Modal "X" button at the top of the modal will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health provides comprehensive medical education to all students. Our faculty and community preceptors are deeply involved in teaching from the first to the fourth year, including hands-on electives. Through our clerkship, students gain insight into family medicine's vital role in healthcare and community service. Our Medical Student Education program collaborates with a diverse group of clinical educators, enhancing students' learning and preceptors' teaching skills for exceptional clinical experiences.

For Medical Students

Expand all

For Medical Students

Overview of Courses

Family medicine faculty from the Twin Cities campus teach the following educational offerings:

Required

Essentials of Clinical Medicine - required for medical students years one and two
Family Medicine Clerkship - required for third-year medical students participating in their clinical curriculum

Longitudinal

UMN medical students receive the opportunity to apply for or enroll in the following clerkships. Completion of any of these experiences fulfills the Family Medicine Clerkship requirement.

UMN Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP)

Nine-month, internationally renowned rural educational opportunity for UMN third-year medical students
Learn more about the Rural Physician Associate Program

UMN Metropolitan Physician Associate Program (MetroPAP)

Nine-month longitudinal elective immersing UMN third-year students in the care of an urban population and communities that are underserved with limited access to health care
Broadway Family Medicine Clinic, the clinic of our North Memorial residency program, is one of the clinic sites
Learn more about the Metropolitan Physician Associate Program

Urban Community Ambulatory Medicine (UCAM)

Twelve-week urban medicine clerkship for UMN third- or fourth-year students
Learn more about Urban Community Ambulatory Medicine

Examples of electives

Addiction and Substance Use
Cardiology for Primary Care
Community Family Medicine
Family Medicine Obstetrics
Family Medicine Research
Hospice Care
Human Sexuality Research
Introduction to Residency in Family Medicine
Rural Family Medicine
Sexual Problems in Clinical Medicine
Sleep Disorders Medicine
Sports Medicine

Contact [email protected] for University of Minnesota third and fourth-year student rural rotation stipends:

Four-week rotation AND >60 miles from home: $2,000
Two-week rotation OR <60 miles from home: $1,000

Are you a UMN student in need of housing assistance for your away rotation? Contact the Clinical Housing Program.

View all elective course directory

Visiting Student Rotations

How to Apply

For all medical student rotations with the University of Minnesota family medicine residency programs, apply via Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) by the deadlines below.

Course Code	Course Title
FMCH 7200	Introduction to Residency in Family Medicine
FMCH 7500	Acting Intern in Family Medicine
FMCH 7525	Cardiology for Primary Care
FMCH 7537	Sports Medicine
FMCH 7539	Sports Medicine (Virtual)

Acting Intern in Family Medicine Rotation Application Deadlines and Dates

Deadline	Rotation Dates
Dec 12, 2025	March 9 - April 5, 2026
Jan 9, 2026	April 6 - May 3, 2026
Feb 6, 2026	May 4 - May 30, 2026
March 6, 2026	June 1 - June 28, 2026
April 3, 2026	June 29 - July 26, 2026
May 1, 2026	July 27 - Aug 30, 2026
June 5, 2026	Aug 31 - Sept 27, 2026
July 3, 2026	Sept 28 - Oct 25, 2026
July 31, 2026	Oct 26 - Nov 22, 2026
Aug 28, 2026	Nov 23 - Dec 22, 2026

DFMCH JEDI Medical Student Scholarship (FMCH 7500)

The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH) is committed to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) and offers financial assistance to 4th-year visiting medical students from an underrepresented group (URiM) who are pursuing the FMCH 7500 Acting Intern in Family Medicine rotation.

Award: Up to $1,000 stipend for travel and/or housing expenses.
Eligibility: Upcoming/current 4th-year students (Class of 2026) from domestic LCME/COCA-accredited schools. Our definition of underrepresented is non-restrictive (e.g., socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, rurality).
Application: The scholarship application link is made available as part of the VSLO rotation application for FMCH 7500.
- Required Materials: Current CV and a personal statement addressing contributions to Family Medicine and inclusion.
Timeline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis (beginning May 2025 - final offer in January 2026).

Students will be notified of their placement 4 weeks prior to rotation start date.

To qualify, students must attend domestic LCME-accredited or COCA-accredited medical schools and earn credits for elective rotations.

Rotation Application Fee Reimbursement

Please visit the Medical School’s Visiting Students page for more information on student eligibility and the application process. A limited number of reimbursements for the VSLO fee are available for in-person courses (approximately $242). Email the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Medical Student Education (MSE) office at [email protected] after completing the course to request reimbursement or for additional information.