Updated December 1, 2022
Introduction
The Summit Health Primary Care Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Fellowship is a 12-month post-graduate program eligible to new graduate Advanced Practice Nurses (Nurse Practitioners) and Physician Assistants (PAs) as well as APPs wishing to change specialties or expand clinical knowledge. The program focuses on further strengthening and developing skills in a variety of domains that are critical for APPs to successfully transition to practice. Summit Health’s APP Fellow is a full-time, benefit eligible position.
Program Mission and Overview
The mission of the Summit Health’s Advanced Practice Provider (APP) fellowship program is to enrich the newly licensed APP by strengthening and further developing skills that leads to competence and confidence in a highly collaborative, interprofessional setting through the power of connection.
We strive to provide the APP Fellow with a variety of clinical and didactic experiences, mentoring, and feedback focused on clinical complexity, evidence-based decision making, patient safety, compassionate patient/family centered care to improve health outcomes for the patients they care for.
This program will build on the APP’s graduate academic training to further strengthen their practice in a variety of domains critical to successful transition to practice with the ability to excel in their specialty.
The Summit Health APP Fellowship Program prepares the APP to become a versatile provider, leader, and asset to the Primary Care health care team. Throughout the program, fellows will have the opportunity to rotate through core and supplemental rotations aimed to expand knowledge and improve patient outcomes. Fellows will participate in weekly didactics, synchronous Q&A discussions, hands-on skills labs, journal clubs and develop leadership skills through presentations and participate in a quality improvement project. In addition, this unique fellowship will also include training around value-based care and population health, an essential component to the future of APP's practice. Each graduate from the program will be equipped with vital experiences to confidently deliver exceptional patient care.
Program Goals and Benefits
Goals of the Fellowship
- Increase clinical competencies, expertise, and skillsets amongst APPs and optimize opportunities to practice autonomously.
- Provide fellows exposure to a variety of clinical practice settings and styles with diverse patient populations.
- Development of the fellow’s individual practice style through varied exposure, experienced APP mentorship, and continuous feedback from physician preceptors.
- Strengthened resiliency in practice, with the skills and tools necessary to identify and manage burnout.
Core Didactic Curriculum
Based upon an intake assessment which measures the fellow’s clinical competencies and past educational experiences, some fellows may be required to participate in additional didactics or learning opportunities to further develop their knowledge and expertise. Summit Health’s curriculum includes important topics that support the overall mission of modern healthcare, which aims to improve the quality and accessibility of care. This includes modules on population health, value-based care, and leadership development.
Quality Improvement Project
Supplementing core didactics, fellows will also complete a quality improvement project that includes a formal poster presentation. Before completion of the program, fellows will conduct a poster presentation highlighting the improvement opportunity they identified, their analysis, and proposed solution. This project provides fellows the opportunity to become involved with quality and outcomes improvement throughout the fellowship and helps foster future leaders in improving patient care throughout their careers.
Reflective Presentation
Fellows will maintain a self-reflective journal throughout the duration of the program aimed to record their experiences to show personal growth throughout the 12-month fellowship. The journal entries will include the Fellows’ experiences, self-evaluations, successes, struggles, meetings with their preceptors, as well as leadership interviews with key leaders from Summit Health. The journal entries and other assignments completed during the fellowship will serve as an opportunity for fellows to build a strong personal portfolio that highlights their skills, competencies, and experiences.
Journal Club
Throughout the fellowship program, participants will also engage in an academic journal club. On a rotating basis fellows will all be asked to read the same academic article that relates to curriculum covered during the fellowship. One fellow will then be asked to summarize and lead a Grand Rounds style discussion regarding the selected article. Leaders and other providers within Summit Health may participate in the journal club further strengthening fellow’s confidence in their competencies and integration within the Summit Health team.
Autonomous and Precepted Practice
Throughout the APP Fellowship Program, fellows will have the opportunity to participate in autonomous and precepted practice time at a minimum of three days per week. This structure allows fellows the opportunity to develop the practice style and slowly transition to full autonomous practice all while still receiving continuous feedback and input from experiences providers.
Skills Labs
Fellows will take part in Skills Labs where they will participate in hands-on learning with experienced providers. Three separate Skills Labs will be conducted quarters one and two of the program. Fellows will learn skills and common procedures related to women’s health, orthopedics, wound care, ophthalmology, dermatology, podiatry and more.
Including but not limited to:
- Laceration repair
- Incision and Drainage
- Simple biopsy
- Foreign body removal
- Long-term birth control insertion
- Orthopedic therapeutics
Specialty Rotations
The Summit Health APP Fellowship Program provides the opportunity for fellows to rotate in specialty clinics providing exposure to complex disease processes often co-managed within the Primary Care setting. Fellows will have the opportunity to complete rotations in six core specialties and nine supplemental specialties.
Core Rotations:
- Endocrinology
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Gastroenterology
- Neurology
- Psychology
Supplemental Rotations:
- Nephrology
- Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose, and Throat [ENT])
- Pulmonology
- Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN)
- Urology
- Hematology/Oncology
- Orthopedics
- Rheumatology
How to Apply
Eligibility
- Completion of an accredited Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) or Physician Assistant program
- Hold National Board Certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) or Physician Assistant
- Have current New Jersey State Licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) or Physician Assistant or have it prior to interview date
Application Requirements
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
- Two Essay Questions
- Official APP Program Transcript that shows completion of degree conferred or will be completed before the start of the fellowship program
- Two Letters of Recommendation/References – should include one academic and one professional reference
Application Process
All applications to the primary care APP Fellowship Program will be reviewed after the application close date. Candidates will submit an initial CV and upon review will be sent supplemental application materials to complete. Candidates selected to move forward to the interview process will be notified via email for scheduling. The number of fellows accepted into the APP Fellowship shall be determined solely by Summit Health.
Apply Here PA Fellowship Apply Here NP Fellowship
Interview Selection Timeline
2023 – 2024 Cohort Timeline
- January 3, 2023 – Application opens
- March 17, 2023 – Application closes
- April 2023 – Interviews, final selection & acceptance
- May – August 2023 – Clearance & credentialing
- September 2023 – APP Fellowship begins
Frequently Asked Questions
The application for the primary care APP Fellowship Program opens in January and closes mid-March. Check the Cohort Timeline section for specific dates.
Applications submitted after the deadline will be accepted for the APP Fellowship Program; however, we cannot guarantee consideration. Completing the application on time is highly advised and increases your chances for consideration.
Fellows must become nationally board-certified to participate in the APP Fellowship Program.
Incoming fellows must be fully licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse and certified as an Advanced Practice Nurse or licensed as a Physician Assistant in the state of New Jersey.
The APP Fellowship Program is 12 months.
Credentialing can take anywhere from 30-90 days.
One of the goals of the APP Fellowship Program is to have the APN/PA fellow join Summit Health as a provider. Completing this fellowship will prepare fellows to work autonomously as fully licensed and credentialed team member at Summit Health. You will re-interview to join Summit Health as a provider after the fellowship.
Yes, the 12-month primary care fellowship is a full-time, benefit eligible position.
The fellowship will take place in New Jersey practices in Essex and Passaic County and the Westfield area.