Meet Veterans where they live with VA’s Rural Scholars Fellowship

To address the needs of the 4.7 million Veterans who return from active military careers to reside in rural communities, VA’s Rural Scholars Fellowship is designed to help you become a leader in rural health care.

This competitive fellowship is open to candidates serving as a primary care provider—physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. However, other specialties may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Candidates must also work at a VA clinic that is considered 50% or more rural.

If you’re selected to participate in the RSF, you’ll enjoy a full-time salary and part-time patient load, allowing protected time for immersive experiences, mentorship, coursework, training and support to address the unique health care challenges faced by Veterans living in rural communities.

During the fellowship, you’ll participate in leadership training, virtual sessions in health care improvement and innovation. With the assistance of a mentor, you’ll also complete an innovation project aimed at addressing the barriers to better health care in rural facilities.

Work at VA

The next round of Rural Scholars Fellowships begin on July 1, 2024, but applications are due Nov. 17, 2023, so visit VA Careers now to learn more about the program and how you can add your skills to VA’s rural facility workforce.