The Dr. June Jackson Christmas Medical Student Fourth Year Elective

Overview

The Psychiatry Department at Columbia University is dedicated to growing the mental health workforce and improving provider understanding and awareness of how social factors and systems affect mental health. The Dr. June Jackson Christmas (JJC) Senior Visiting Medical Student Psychiatry Elective Program has been created to provide senior medical students from across the country the opportunity to participate in an elective at New York Presbyterian/New York State Psychiatric Institute. Accepted participants will receive a $2,500 stipend for housing and living expenses during their one-month rotation.

With a special focus on community psychiatry, participants will rotate at one of our inpatient units, with additional exposure to our community psychiatry clinics and/or psychiatric emergency room. Participants will provide direct care to patients while working collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team of social workers, therapists, physicians, case managers, peer specialists and others. Participants will also gain expertise in understanding the outpatient and community continuum of care and learn how to manage acute outpatient crises and rapid stabilization. Participants will also participate in residency didactics during their rotation. 

Program Dates: Friday, August 1st to Friday, August 29th, 2025

Application Opening Date: Saturday, March 1st, 2025

Application Deadline: Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Eligibility/Fellowship Requirements

To be eligible medical students must:

  • Be enrolled in an US medical school (LCME-accredited school or Osteopathic school)
  • Be in good academic standing at their current medical school
  • Have completed their Major Clinical Year, including their core psychiatry rotation
  • Agree to participate in all surveys as part of the program’s evaluation
  • Participate in a virtual interview if requested
  • Participate in brief program evaluation surveys during elective
  • Submit all application requirements prior to deadlines

Applicants will be considered on an individual basis with special consideration given to those applicants who:

  • Were the first in their family to attend graduate school
  • Grew up in a single parent household
  • Have, either as a result of their socio-economic background, or other challenging life experiences, overcome obstacles on their journey to medical school
  • Have, through their education or work experience, demonstrated a commitment to serving historically underprivileged populations. 

Application

The application and supporting materials should be submitted on the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO):  https://vslo.aamc.org/vslo/index.html#/public/find-electives. Please search for “PS100P”(can also be found by filtering under Institution –> Columbia U Vagelos Coll of P&S) to access the application.

The application will require:

  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Official Medical School Transcript
  • Step 1 Board Score Report
  • Personal statement: An essay describing your interest in psychiatry and in this program [1000 words maximum]
  • Letters of Reference: Reference letters are not required, but up to two letters may be sent directly from the letter writer to chiemeka.ezie@nyspi.columbia.edu

Contact

If you have any questions, please reach out to: 

Chiemeka Ezie  
Email: chiemeka.ezie@nyspi.columbia.edu