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Scholarship

Frequently Asked Questions

Select a question from the following list:

What is the purpose of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program?

What are the program highlights?

Does the Clinical Scholars program offer an advanced degree?

How long are appointments in the Clinical Scholars program?

What are the participating universities?

Who is eligible to apply?

Do I need to be a U.S. citizen to apply?

What is the timetable for applications and appointments?

How do I apply?

Are paper applications or reference letters accepted?

How do references submit their letter of recommendation?

Who selects the Clinical Scholars?

How many Clinical Scholars are selected each year?


What is the stipend range for Clinical Scholars?

Is there any clinical work involved for Scholars?

Do VA Scholars have taxes withheld from their paychecks?

Are VA Scholars eligible to apply for the NIH Loan Repayment Program?


Can I reapply to the program if I did not get in the first time?


What is the purpose of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program?

The Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program fosters the development of physicians who will lead the transformation of American’s health care. These future leaders will conduct innovative research and work with communities, organizations, practitioners and policy-makers on issues important to the health and well-being of all Americans.

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What are the program highlights?

The Clinical Scholars program offers a master’s degree graduate-level study and research in a university-based postresidency training program. Highlights include:

• leadership training;
• mentoring;
• protected research time;
• national networking; and
• health services and community-based research training.

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Does the Clinical Scholars Program offer an advanced degree?

The Clinical Scholars program offers a master’s degree. The degree varies from institution to institution. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Program Directors at the institutions to learn more about the degree at that training site.

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How long are appointments in the Clinical Scholars program?


The Clinical Scholars program generally involves two years of study with generous protected time for research. Interested Scholars will be considered for a third year of support.

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What are the participating universities?

Four participating institutions will be recruiting Scholars to begin their programs in July 2008. These institutions are: the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Michigan; the University of Pennsylvania; and Yale University.

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Who is eligible to apply?

In order to be eligible for The Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program, physicians may be training in any of the medical/surgical specialties; in addition, they must:

Be committed to a career consonant with the program’s purposes and priorities in developing physician leaders and skilled researchers.

Be highly regarded by those responsible for their clinical training.

Have completed residency training by the date of entry into the Clinical Scholars program, except in the case of surgeons. In addition, Scholars may not hold appointments as subspecialty fellows during their tenure in the program.

Be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Applicants whose stipends will be supported or supplemented by other sources will not be considered.

We are committed to a program that embraces racial, ethnic, gender and disciplinary diversity, and we encourage applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and clinical disciplines.

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Do I need to be a U.S. citizen to apply?


U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply. If you hold permanent resident status, you must attach a copy of your Green Card to the application.

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What is the timetable for applications and appointments?


The application process begins 18 months before candidates seek entrance into the Program. Appointments are effective July 1 each year.

  • February 29, 2008 – All applications (and reference letters) must be submitted online by this date. All reference letters should be submitted online as early as possible in the application period to ensure that interviews can be arranged and completed.

  • April 18, 2008 – On-site interviews at the programs must be completed. Candidates are encouraged to make inquiries and begin preliminary discussions with Program Directors as early as possible in the application period. Candidates will be responsible for making arrangements with appropriate Program Directors for interviews.

  • June 20–June 30, 2008 – Candidates will be notified of the decisions on their applications. (The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation does not provide critiques of applications submitted.)

  • July 1, 2009 – Entry of selected Scholars into the Program at participating universities.

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How do I apply?

Physicians who meet the eligibility requirements must apply online.

All applications are reviewed by the program’s NAC. RWJF does not provide individual critiques of applications submitted.

Important:
Please be prepared to complete your online application in one sitting. You must have received agreement from your references to write a letter on your behalf and be prepared to submit their names and their contact information (email, phone number, and mailing address) during the application. (They will receive an automated email when you submit your application.) You will not be allowed to proceed in the application without having submitted your references. We also recommend that you have your personal statement and CV data prepared ahead of time and then copy and paste into the online forms.

Your online application will include the following:

Background information including:

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Current contact information and contact information effective July 1, 2008;

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The list of sites to which you are applying;

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Citizenship;

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Whether you are Board Eligible and which Board;

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USMLE status, if applicable ;


Three reference letters, one of which must be from your current or most recent clinical program director. References should be able to comment on your clinical, leadership, and research skills.

References must submit their letters online via the online application system. Please be prepared to provide an email address (and other contact information) so that your references can be contacted with insructions on how to make their submissions.

The Clinical Scholars program requires that the applicant supply three letters of reference (do not send additional references as they will not be considered). Please list the names and addresses of the references. One of the references must be the Program Director of your present or most recent clinical training program. We suggest you direct your references to the Clinical Scholars program Web site for background information.

Important: Before completing this section, make sure that the references listed below already have agreed to provide a letter of recommendation. You must submit all three references during this application process.

As soon as you submit your information about your references, they will receive an email directing them to fill out a recommendation letter online. Thus, it is critical that the email addresses you provide are correct and current. Applicants will not be able to view the letters of recommendation through the Online Application System, nor will they be able to request copies of the letters from the program. All letters must be received by February 29, 2008 (5:00 EST). If we do not receive all three letters, your application will not be reviewed.

Curriculum vitae

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location and dates for education;

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work experience including residency and fellowships as appropriate;

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volunteer and community work experiences, committees or offices held;

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your relevant leadership or service experience;

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awards received;

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publications and presentations;


Personal statement describing why you are interested in the Clinical Scholars program including:

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your specific training goals;

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a brief description of a research project you might be interested in conducting as a Scholar;

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your previous work or research experience;

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your relevant leadership or service experience;

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your longer-term career goals;

The personal statement should not exceed the paper equivalent of 3 double-spaced pages in 12 point font with 1 inch margins (i.e. approximately 900 words);



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Are paper applications or reference letters accepted?


Application materials must be submitted via the online application system.

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How do references submit their letter of recommendation?

References must submit their letters of recommendation online via the online application system.

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Who selects the Clinical Scholars?

All applications are reviewed by the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program National Advisory Committee. RWJF does not provide individual critiques of applications submitted.

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How many Clinical Scholars are selected each year?

Up to 29 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars  may be selected in a given year. Twenty positions are funded annually by RWJF. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs supports eight additional positions each year through VA Medical Centers affiliated with the participating universities. While surgeons are eligible for RWJF- and VA-funded slots as are individuals in other medical specialties, the American College of Surgeons supports an additional position each year designated for a surgeon. The universities provide all participating scholars with stipends that are comparable to stipends for similar research training positions at each institution.

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What is the stipend range for Clinical Scholars?


Grants have been made to the four participating Funds universities in accordance with RWJF’s regular funding guidelines. Under the program, the universities provide scholars with their stipends and health insurance. The first-year scholar stipend is no less than $50,000 per year with an increase the second year. Stipends are set in accordance with policies at the respective institutions, and are comparable to stipends for similar research training positions at each institution. Financial support is available at each university for expenses associated with scholars’ research, including travel.

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Is there any clinical work involved for Scholars?

Twenty percent of a Scholar’s time should be spent on clinical activities.

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Do VA Scholars have taxes withheld from their paychecks?

No, VA Scholars are ineligible to apply for the NIH Loan Repayment Program.

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Can I reapply to the program if I did not get in the first time?

Yes, you may reapply to the program. Reapplying does not guarantee admittance.  While training sites to which you applied cannot speak specifically about your application, Program Directors can provide limited feedback so you can assess whether reapplying makes sense.

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