About Our Physician Assistant Rotation Program
This four- to five-week elective rotation in clinical oncology is designed to acquaint motivated, senior-level physician assistant (PA) students with state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary cancer care.
Students will be mentored by full-time clinical PAs who teach on a volunteer basis. Students will gain firsthand experience providing care to oncology patients in a variety of subspecialties. Rotations typically involve time with both inpatient and ambulatory teams at the Longwood campus in downtown Boston and the Chestnut Hill campus in Newton, MA. Rotations may include time with surgical oncology (in clinic only; no operating room time), medical oncology, radiation oncology, and palliative care teams, depending on availability. Since students may also be placed with preceptors at our satellite clinics — such as Foxborough, Milford, Boston Medical Center — Brighton, and South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, MA — reliable transportation is highly recommended. All placements are subject to preceptor availability, which can vary from month to month.
Eligibility
This rotation opportunity is for senior-level physician assistant students who have a strong
interest in oncology. All students must meet the following general requirements:
- Completion of at least one month of primary care or internal medicine AND one
month of inpatient medicine rotation(s). - Their current PA program must have full accreditation by the Accreditation Review
Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), and programs must
have active academic affiliations with both Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and
Brigham and Women’s Hospital. - Must possess all appropriate wardrobe items for clinical patient contact, including
lab coat, stethoscope, and appropriate shoes and attire.
To keep our program equitable and accessible to all, we use a standardized application process that considers each individual’s clinical experience, motivation to pursue oncology, and academic achievement. We do not currently offer standing placements to schools. If a school does not already have affiliation agreements with Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we can create a limited agreement to accommodate an accepted student. Between one and four students each month are typically accepted, depending on demand and preceptor availability.
Application Deadlines
Elective rotations take place throughout the year. Applications are due four months before the intended start date, on the first day of the month. For example, if a student is applying for a rotation that starts in mid-May, their application would be due January 1.While early submissions are accepted, they will not be reviewed until after the deadline. A selection committee of clinical PAs reviews all applications and matches selected students to available positions.
The selection committee’s decision will be communicated no later than two months prior to the rotation start date.
| Application Deadline | Rotation Start Date |
|---|---|
| 9/1 | 1/1-1/31 |
| 10/1 | 2/1-2/28 |
| 11/1 | 3/1-3/31 |
| 12/1 | 4/1-4/30 |
| 1/1 | 5/1-5/31 |
| 2/1 | 6/1-6/30 |
| 3/1 | 7/1-7/31 |
| 4/1 | 8/1-8/31 |
| 5/1 | 9/1-9/30 |
| 6/1 | 10/1-10/31 |
| 7/1 | 11/1-11/30 |
| 8/1 | 12/1-12/31 |