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Minneapolis VA health care provides training programs for students at the college, university, and postgraduate levels. Explore our training programs to find out about how we can help you

start your career as a health care professional.

The main missions of the Veterans Health Administration are patient-centered and evidence-based health care; collaborative, continuous education in an integrated environment; and prevention

and population health through research.

Minneapolis VA Health Care System is an academic health system that provides a full range of health services for Veterans, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and research.

We maintain over 90 active affiliations with health professions schools and have been working closely with the University of Minnesota since 1947.

Every year, our facility trains around 1,500 health professions trainees in over 40 disciplines, including medical students, residents, nursing students and associated health professions.

While most trainees rotate for a period of time in our clinical learning environment, we also offer the opportunity to enroll in our VA-based, accredited training programs. Our learners,

preceptors and staff are supported through a well-resourced health science library, advanced-tier simulation center and our Interprofessional Education and Collaboration Center. We’re proud

of our partnerships with top institutions and organizations that support the educational mission of the VA to train the health care workforce for VHA and the nation.

Minneapolis VA Center for Care Delivery and Outcomes Research (CCDOR) offers two-year post-doctoral fellowships in clinical and health services research for qualified candidates with a PhD,

MD or other doctoral degree (e.g., DNP).

Candidates interested in PTSD and other trauma-related disorders, chronic pain and opioid harms reduction, healthcare disparities, implementation science, high value health care and policy,

biostatistics, research methodology, cancer prevention and screening, substance use disorders, or epidemiology may find CCDOR a particularly good fit but other candidates are encouraged to

apply.

Learn more about CCDOR advanced fellowships in clinical and health services research

Our dietetic internship program is a 42 week program with a medical nutrition therapy concentration.

The Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) clinical program seeks to distinguish, define and disseminate the best ways to identify and treat dementia. We manage a clinical

service, conduct clinical studies, and train other health care professionals in geriatric-focused medicine and research. GRECC also offers training opportunities for fellows, residents, and

allied health trainees.

Minneapolis VA medical center has a variety of nursing internship programs at different levels including student nurse technician and  VA-STEP (VA Student Trainee Experience Program) for

aspiring nurses seeking fulfilling careers improving the lives of those who've served our nation.

Minneapolis VA Health Care System offers a full time, 12-month hand therapy fellowship of didactic and clinical education with provisional program status as approved by the American

Occupational Therapy Association. This fellowship has been designed with curriculum and learning theories consistent with recent advances in recommended medical clinical education.

Learn more about our occupational therapy hand therapy fellowship program

Minneapolis VA Health Care system offers a full time, 12-month occupational therapy fellowship in physical rehabilitation. Clinical experiences include diverse settings with rotations in

acute/sub-acute inpatient polytrauma, outpatient Comprehensive Pain Center, spinal injury and disorders, and outpatient rehabilitation with an emphasis on neurological conditions.

Learn more about our occupational therapy fellowship in physical rehabilitation

This internship is an 8 or 12 week supervised practice program based on the core competencies for entry level Occupational Therapy or Occupational Therapy Assistants set by the American

Occupational Therapy Association.

Minneapolis VA Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service offers a variety of resident and fellow rotations available to anatomic and/or clinical pathologist trainees as part of our

affiliation with the University of Minnesota Medical School Laboratory Medicine and Pathology Residency and Fellowship Training Program.

Learn more about our pathology and laboratory education programs

Minneapolis VA Health Care System offers both pharmacy student (pre-licensure) and residency (post-graduate training) programs. Pharmacists play a vital role in the delivery of patient care;

working closely with physicians, nurses and other health care team members to ensure America's Veterans receive the finest care.

Learn more about our pharmacy student and residency programs

The physical therapy clinical education program aims to provide exceptional, specialized education to prepare physical therapists and physical therapy assistants with professional skills and

knowledge to become excellent clinicians.

Learn more about our physical therapy clinical education program

The mission of the physical therapy geriatric residency program is to create and sustain a culture of continuous learning and professional development through advanced evidence-based

education and interprofessional collaboration in geriatrics, thereby elevating standards of excellence to optimally serve our nation’s Veterans and community at large.

Learn more about our physical therapy geriatric residency program

The mission of the physical therapy neurologic residency program is to provide exceptional, specialized education that prepares physical therapists with advanced post-professional skills and

knowledge to become better educators, researchers and clinicians in the practice of neurologic physical therapy.

Learn more about our physical therapy neurologic residency program

Minneapolis VA is dedicated to providing physician assistant students with a high-quality, hands-on training program. Physician assistant students will function as a member of the clinical

or surgical team while performing a variety of rotations.

Our post-graduate Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Residency (PC-NPR) prepares candidates to become passionate, highly competent and autonomous primary care providers through an

interprofessional clinical experience to increase access to quality primary care for Veterans.

Our Mental Health Service Line provides high quality training across a range of mental health disciplines.

Learn more about our psychology and psychiatry clinical training

Minneapolis VA Heath Care System is a major teaching hospital for the University of Minnesota (UMN) Radiology Residency Program and the UMN Medical School Radiology elective.

Our residency rotations include GI, GU, MSK, nuclear medicine, interventional radiology, non invasive vascular, and modality rotations in CT and ultrasound. The medical student rotation at

Minneapolis VA is intended to expose the student to the clinical duties of a radiologist.

Learn more about our radiology/imaging resident and medical student programs

Recreation therapy internships are available in the following clinical areas: Community Living Center/long term care/palliative care, polytrauma/acute rehab, traumatic brain

injury/polytrauma transitional rehab, inpatient psychiatry, medical foster home and the Spinal Cord Injury and Disorder Center.

The Minneapolis VA Health Care System School of Radiologic Technology was founded in 1965, and with advances in medical technology, and as higher standards were required of radiation

workers, VA established an accredited program in 1966-67.

Minneapolis VA Health Care System has the only VA radiologic technology training program in the nation, graduating hundreds of students who have gone on to successful radiologic technology

and radiology-related careers.

The Minneapolis VA Health Care System Service to Science Scholars Summer Research Institute offers nine full-time, paid positions to undergraduate and graduate students in psychology and

related health science fields.

The Minneapolis VA Mental Health Integrated Care Community, with support from the VA Office of Research and Development, hosts a Veteran and military-connected student summer research

program in mental health research. We recognize that Veterans are underrepresented among scientists pursuing VA mission-critical behavioral science research on PTSD, suicide prevention,

post-deployment health and reintegration issues, and other mental health issues.

We're eager for student Veterans and military-connected students (e.g., children of U.S. Veterans) to gain a clinical science understanding of mental disorders necessary for their success as

the future generation of VA scientists.

Learn more about this Veteran and military-connected student summer research program in mental health research

VA is one of the largest trainers of social work students in the country and annually trains approximately 600 social work interns. Field instructors and interns at Minneapolis VA benefit

greatly from access to this national network of resources.

Speech pathology training allows trainees and clinical fellows to participate in a truly interdisciplinary approach to evaluation and treatment of Veterans and service members being served 

at the Minneapolis VA medical center.

Learn more about our speech pathology training and clinical fellowships

Minneapolis VA Surgery and Specialty Care Service Line and the Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota are recruiting a Surgical Fellow in Quality and Safety. This is a unique,

one year training program focused on quality improvement, patient safety, and leadership.

Learn more about our surgery and specialty care residency and fellow program

The National VA Quality Scholars Program (VAQS) is a 2-year fellowship that is designed to train the next generation of health professionals to improve healthcare through innovations,

quality improvement, and patient safety.

The fellowship is sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and consists of eleven sites across the United States, as well as an affiliate site in Toronto, Canada. Each site in the US

consists of a partnership between a VA hospital and an academic institution. The site in Minneapolis is based at the Minneapolis VA Healthcare System and the University of Minnesota.

The fellowship is available to physicians, doctoral level nurses, and psychologists. Exceptional candidates with an interest in quality or implementation research, healthcare leadership or

education are encouraged to apply.

As a Simulation Learning, Education and Research Network (SimLEARN) Advanced Tier Certified Simulation Program, Minneapolis VA trains over 2000 staff per year using simulation equipment,

methodology or technology for the goal of Veteran and staff education and patient safety.

In 2021, VA celebrates the 75th anniversary of the establishment of partnerships between VA and our nation’s medical schools to train clinicians in the care of Veterans. This educational

partnership remains one of VA’s main missions.

VA’s Office of Academic Affiliations continues to maintain and expand our close relationships with institutions of higher learning to provide advanced clinical training in physician

education, nursing, dentistry, psychology, social work, optometry, dietetics and nearly 40 other health care professions.