AMC Rotation & Observership Opportunities
Educating the next generation of physicians and psychologists is a priority for our program. As one of the only rotations in the country that teaches about early trauma and recovery of children that have been adopted or placed in foster care, the need to increase education in this area is essential to spread knowledge about this underserved population. Our long-term goal is to continue collaborations around the world and to build a world class, accessible program that can reach vulnerable children within our scope- an innovative center with additional mental health, clinical care, rehabilitative services and integrative medicine services for children with early trauma, early malnutrition, prenatal exposures and transitions.
Residents & Postdoctoral Fellows/Associates
We offer an elective rotation for residents and postdoctoral fellows/associates within or associated with the University of Minnesota. Interested in working on a multidisciplinary team and learning more about how to care for those who have experienced early childhood adversities? Contact your program coordinator to assist in scheduling a rotation at our clinic! Please note, clinics occur on Monday mornings and all day Wednesdays and observation in our clinic is a requirement for this rotation.
Medical & Graduate Students
For medical and graduate students we offer opportunities to observe our team in clinic. Interested in seeing how a multidisciplinary team functions and learning more about our program and caring for those who have experienced early childhood adversities? Please note, clinics occur on Monday afternoon and all day Wednesday. We can accommodate half day or full day clinic observations.
Contact iac@umn.edu to learn more about an elective rotation or to schedule a clinic observation.
The AMC Medical Scholars Program (AMC-MSP)
The AMC-MSP is a unique opportunity for visiting residents, fellows and attendings to gain hands-on experience learning about adoption and foster care medicine.
Who is eligible to take part in the AMC-MSP?
Any practicing physician or physician-in-training looking to expand their understanding of the physical, mental and developmental impact that trauma, caregiver transition or prenatal exposures can have on children. Our hope is that those participating in this program will be highly motivated to take their new knowledge back to their organizations to improve the clinical care that they provide to children and families.
What to expect?
AMC Medical Scholars will have the opportunity to spend 2-4 weeks observing Comprehensive Child Wellness Assessments (CCWA) at the AMC located on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. In addition to observing, scholars will receive supplemental learning materials to support a deeper understanding of the patient population our clinic serves. Medical scholars will be eligible to receive a stipend up to $2,000 to reimburse travel expenses for this learning experience.
Why participate?
Only 61% of children who are placed in longer term out-of-home care receive any kind of recent medical assessment before or after transitioning from their home. (Child Welfare Data Dashboard, 2022). This statistic is disheartening, as we know that these children have much higher rates of medical conditions and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as parental separation, exposure to violence and mental illness, and prenatal drug or alcohol exposures (Turney & Wildeman, 2017; Palmer et al., 2021).
Without proper understanding, pain or medical issues can be overlooked or thought to be simply willful or behavioral. Families who are able to understand their children will be better equipped to move forward with permanency (long term foster care or adoption). Unaddressed medical and psychosocial problems can carry over into adulthood, resulting in chronic physical and mental health conditions, poorer quality of life, or additional secondary trauma (Crandall et al., 2019). As a participant in the AMC-MSP you will gain valuable insight that can dramatically change the health and long term outcomes of the children that you see in your home community.
Contact iac@umn.edu to learn more about the Adoption Medicine Clinic Medical Scholars Program.