Medical Learner Opportunities

U.S. and International Applicants

All visiting medical student applications must be submitted through the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities program.

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services has joined the AAMC’s Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) program for processing student applications. Currently, Pine Rest is accepting applications for 4th year clinical elective opportunities. We do not currently offer externships/observerships. Our physicians, psychologists, residents, social workers, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and faculty are committed to excellence and innovation in student education.

Pine Rest offers rotations in the following areas of psychiatry:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Addiction Psychiatry
• Adult Psychiatry
• Geriatric Psychiatry

Elective rotations are awarded based on available educational opportunities and approval of the residency program director. Applications are prioritized as follows:

• Students from affiliated schools (Michigan State University College of Human Medicine)
• Fourth or final year students from other accredited medical schools in the U.S.
• Students from medical schools outside the U.S. who have demonstrated a tie to West Michigan.

Students accepted for an elective rotation will be required to do the following:

• Pay a nonrefundable $550 rotation fee.
• Send verification from your medical school that you are a student in good standing and are covered by home medical school liability insurance.
• Send proof of immunization/immunity of the following diseases: Chicken Pox, Rubella, Mumps, Polio, Tetanus/Diphtheria, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Influenza within past 12 months, TB Skin Test within past 12 months, and a COVID vaccine (vaccine itself or a school approved declination of vaccine). 
• Be able to show proof of a completed criminal background check, fingerprinting, and drug screen, if requested by Host Institution

Healthcare Disparities Rotation Scholarship for 4^th Year Medical Students

Pine Rest’s Graduate Medical Education Department is committed to fostering an environment that addresses healthcare disparities and learning to serve different communities and demographics effectively through education, research, and clinical practice.

The Healthcare Disparities Scholarship aims to mentor and empower students interested in psychiatry with a strong focus on health equity. By offering a comprehensive rotation experience at the country’s second largest freestanding behavioral health organization, we strive to broaden representation in the medical field and support future leaders dedicated to reducing healthcare disparities and increasing access to care.

Medical student rotations at Pine Rest are highly integrated with our psychiatry residency program, which allows for interaction with current residents and faculty through both clinical experiences and didactics. Thank you for considering us. We hope to connect with you soon!

Who can apply?

• Current 3rd year medical students applying for 4th year elective rotations who have demonstrated a commitment to addressing healthcare disparities and improving quality of care for underserved populations, including through lived experiences. Students must be in good standing at an accredited U.S. allopathic or osteopathic medical school who intend to match into a psychiatry residency program.

How can I apply?

• All scholarship applications must be submitted through the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities program.

In addition to the institution requirements (i.e., transcripts, immunization records, CV, etc.) students are required to complete the following as part of the application:

• Submit a letter of recommendation sent directly from the letter writer to medical.education@pinerest.org

• Submit a letter of good standing from medical school

• Submit a personal statement (up to 500 words) discussing what kind of leadership, advocacy, research, lived experiences, etc. you have participated in or experienced that demonstrates your commitment to addressing healthcare disparities and/or access to quality care for underserved populations. Please include any future goals you have related to these areas and how you foresee using your experience to implement these goals.

How are the scholarship recipients selected?

• All applications completed by the due date will be reviewed and selected by a graduate medical education-sponsored committee.

What is the deadline to apply?

• We will start accepting applications on January 1, 2026, and applications will be due on April 1, 2026. Students will be notified of our decision by May 15, 2026.

What are the details of the scholarship?

• Medical students selected for this scholarship will receive a $2,000 stipend for rotation expenses. The stipend will be given in the form of reimbursement for travel, housing, food, and other expenses incurred throughout the month-long rotation. The stipend will be given after satisfactory completion of the rotation and after appropriate documentation is submitted. The $550 rotation fee is also waived for scholarship recipients.

Questions?

Please reach out to medical.education@pinerest.org for further information.

Visiting Resident rotations are typically scheduled on a 4 week basis. Pine Rest offers the following visiting resident rotations:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Adult Psychiatry: Addiction Medicine
• Adult Psychiatry
• Geriatric Psychiatry

Residents accepted for a rotation at Pine Rest will be required to provide verification of personal health coverage and proof of immunization/immunity of the following diseases: COVID-19, Chicken Pox, Rubella, Mumps, Polio, Tetanus/Diphtheria, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Influenza within past 12 months, TB Skin Test within past 12 months. A criminal background check and drug screen will be conducted by Pine Rest.

Please contact medical.education@pinerest.org if you are interested in applying for a Visiting Resident rotation at Pine Rest.