Medical Student Opportunities

Discover the elective rotation opportunities available to medical students at St. Jude, encompassing a myriad of pediatric care specialties.

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Third-year medical students
Fourth-year medical students
Application timelines
How to apply
Contact us

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital invites medical students to apply for elective rotations in one of the institution’s many pediatric specialties outlined below. Medical students should have a strong interest in working with children and adolescents with cancer or other catastrophic childhood diseases.

Third-year medical students

St. Jude only accepts third-year medical students from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. They may elect to complete a two-week Career Exploration rotation at St. Jude based on their career interests. Students who cannot complete a two-week rotation have the option to apply for a one- or two-day shadowing experience. To request a slot, students must apply in accordance with the listed application timeline.

Fourth-year medical students

Fourth-year medical students who have completed a pediatric clerkship may apply for clinical elective rotations in a variety of pediatric specialties. Some subspecialties require additional experience prior to rotating in their department. Details for the additional requirements can be found in the rotation descriptions.

Students will gain familiarity with the essential biological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of hematological diseases in children and adolescents undergoing bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapy treatment in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Students will work with the inpatient palliative care consult team and quality-of-life service, including seeing patients with physicians and other practitioners as part of a multidisciplinary team. Due to the specialized nature and size of the program, individual rotations will vary in accordance with the needs and interests of each student.

Students develop an understanding of anesthesia/analgesia in outpatient and inpatient settings, including pain management for acute and chronic pain, as well as the side effects of anesthesia in children. Students learn about treatment protocols by participating in patient care under the direct supervision of a physician. Students also gain an understanding of the acute impact of catastrophic diseases on patients and their families.

Prerequisites: must have completed all core clerkships: Family Medicine, Medicine, Neurology, Pediatrics, Surgery, Psychiatry, and Obstetrics–Gynecology

Students assist in caring for pediatric hematology/oncology patients under the direct supervision of attending physicians and hematology/oncology fellows. Students gain an understanding of hematological and oncological disorders in children, develop an appreciation of the acute impact of disease on the patient and family, and learn about the general principles of treatment, including interpreting lab data and developing a treatment plan.

Students join a multidisciplinary team comprising St. Jude faculty members, infectious diseases fellows, pediatric and medicine/pediatric residents, and pharmacy residents. The elective emphasizes gaining expertise in managing HIV infection and the infectious complications of cancer therapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and nonmalignant hematological conditions.

Students are introduced to caring for critically ill children in the sophisticated, technologically rich environment of a specialized pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Students will care for patients with life-threatening pediatric conditions, specifically the care of children with hematological and oncological diseases and other conditions requiring intensive care monitoring. Students learn to recognize physiology and pathophysiology concepts in clinical presentations and apply them in monitoring and management strategies. They also gain experience with families who are under the duress of having a critically ill child.

Prerequisites: must have completed a rotation in at least one of the following areas: ICU, IMCU, PICU, NICU.

Students will have the opportunity to assist in caring for pediatric patients under the direct supervision of an attending physician. Students will gain an understanding of neurological disorders through obtaining history, performing and interpreting neurological exams, developing treatment plans, and attending conferences and seminars. In some cases, students will be given the option to assist in research if interested.

Students develop knowledge of the indications for radiation therapy in pediatric patients with malignancies as well as the side effects of radiation therapy in children. Students learn treatment protocols for brain and solid tumors through patient care under the direct supervision of a physician. They gain a better understanding of the acute impact of catastrophic diseases on patients and their families. Prerequisite: Four weeks of adult radiation oncology and approval from the chair of Radiation Oncology.

Students participate in pre-operative and post-operative management of children with malignancies, including assisting with pre-operative workups, assisting in the operating room, and making pre- and post-operative rounds. Students work under the direct supervision of the attending surgeons. In some cases, students will be given the option to assist in research if interested.

Application timelines

Elective rotations are offered throughout the academic year in structured blocks, typically lasting 1-4 weeks. Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as availability is limited and selection is competitive. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis within designated cycles, with placement dependent on candidate qualification and program capacity. Because some periods are more competitive than others, early submission helps maximize the likelihood of securing preferred rotation dates.

All applicants must submit their materials within the designated application cycle listed below.

Selected students will receive an acceptance letter confirming their rotation dates. Orientation details and a schedule will be sent at least one week before their start.