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Academic Enrichments

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine offers nearly 200 academic enrichment opportunities designed for students to customize their education to meet their individual goals. Options include advanced degrees, clinical electives, global health and research experiences, selectives, and more.

Advanced degree program options

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine prepares students for every possible career aspiration. Students may combine their academic enrichment time to complete certificate programs, fellowships, or master’s degrees. Mayo Clinic offers several such programs, and students may also complete these programs at institutions external to Mayo Clinic. 

In collaboration with the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Arizona State University (ASU), and several other renowned universities worldwide, we offer a variety of advanced learning programs that offer the ability to obtain a cross-disciplinary professional degree in addition to an M.D. degree. 

Students who have completed two or three years of the M.D. program and are in good standing are eligible to participate in a complementary degree-granting academic enrichment experience. Applications to these experiences are all completed post-matriculation. 

Featured dual degree opportunities

Health System Science (M.S.)

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine student involved in the Health System Science dual degree option sitting in a meeting room.Health System Science (M.S.)
Longitudinal Dual Degree Opportunity

Health System Science is the study of systems, processes, leadership and management used to optimize health care delivery and health for all while providing students with the competencies to contribute to and lead a patient-centered, safe and cost-effective health care system.

Use our search tool to explore all Academic Enrichment Opportunities.

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Gavel laying on a desk to represent the Juris Doctor (J.D.) dual degree option at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.

Juris Doctor (J.D.)
Academic Leave of Absence Dual Degree Opportunity

Combining your M.D. degree with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at ASU will prepare you for leadership roles in a variety of health care institutions, for developing health care policies, and for careers in medicine.

Use our search tool to explore all Academic Enrichment Opportunities.

Global health study and travel opportunities 

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine is committed to providing global health opportunities with several foreign and domestic medical schools with whom MCASOM and other medical staff have faculty ties. 

Learners interested in global health issues will have an opportunity to embark on a life-altering experience by working abroad and improving healthcare delivery across the globe. Medical students will gain a deeper knowledge of global health issues through an exchange of ideas, research, and creative educational efforts and resources. 

These global health opportunities offer diverse, excellent, safe, and life-changing global health rotations and research options to medical students throughout their four years of medical school.

Featured global health opportunities

Mayo International Health Program (MIHP)

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine student in the Mayo International Health Program (MIHP) looks at a chart.Mayo International Health Program (MIHP)
1-2 Weeks or 3-8 Weeks Global Health Selective

The Mayo International Health Program (MIHP) helps Mayo learners pursue elective rotations to learn and assist in providing medical care to underserved international populations in well planned and mentored settings.

Use our search tool to explore all Academic Enrichment Opportunities.

Global Surgery: Part I

A picture of a globe to represent the Global Surgery: Part 1 academic enrichment opportunity at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.Global Surgery: Part I
Longitudinal Global Health Selective

This selective is intended to provide medical students with an understanding of the realities, opportunities, challenges, and skills associated with practicing surgery in a global setting, with an emphasis on resource-poor environments and sustainable partnership.

Use our search tool to explore all Academic Enrichment Opportunities.

Research

Along with clinical skills development and reasoning, formulating hypothesis-driven research is an integral part of advancing medical knowledge and discovery as part of a physician and scientist. At Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, research is closely knitted and integrated into your M.D. program curriculum. 

Throughout our Doctor of Medicine program, students have ample opportunities for research. Students have ready access to Mayo's extensive research resources, more than 6 million medical histories, and multiple well-staffed research core facilities and mentors from every medical and surgical subspecialty. 

This process includes: 

  • Learning the discipline and rigor of hypothesis-driven research
  • Understand the statistical methods that are commonly used in biomedical studies (FunCaTS – Fundamentals of Clinical and Translational Science module)
  • Reviewing and critically evaluating existing medical literature as a basis for composing a research proposal
  • Writing a quality proposal to justify and describe the research project that the student will complete
  • Completing the planned studies under the supervision of an experienced Mayo investigator
  • Learning the skills to present scientific data at a local or national meeting by presenting research
  • Writing a scientific paper for publication

Featured research opportunities

Statistics & Research Education

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine student in the Statistics and Research Education (ECaTS) academic enrichment opportunity conducting research in a lab.Statistics & Research Education
1-2 Weeks Research Selective

Learn important, useful concepts and skills for research endeavors in a self-paced, low-pressure way, using the online Essentials of Clinical and Translational Science (ECATS) and JMP statistical software modules. Option to meet with a Mayo statistician if you have a dataset you need help analyzing.

Use our search tool to explore all Academic Enrichment Opportunities.

Paracelsus Medical University in Austria

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine students on an academic leave of absence doing research at Paracelsus Medical University in Austria.Paracelsus Medical University in Austria
3-8 Week Academic LOA Global Health Research Opportunity

Experience research and health care in Austria! Participate in a one-to-three-month research or clinical opportunities are available at the Paracelsus Medical University in Austria.

Use our search tool to explore all Academic Enrichment Opportunities.

Distinction in Biomedical Ethics

Faculty member speaking to medical students involved in the Distinction in Biomedical Ethics Track at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.

Distinction in Biomedical Ethics
Longitudinal Distinction Track

The Distinction in Biomedical Ethics Track is designed to provide students with the opportunity to gain additional bioethics knowledge and specialized research skills in bioethics beyond the content provided in the standard curriculum.

Use our search tool to explore all Academic Enrichment Opportunities.

Selectives

Selectives are offered throughout all four years of medical school. Selectives enable students to experience the self-directed approach behind the design of the medical curriculum, emphasizing personal responsibility for the learning experience.

Selective blocks may be utilized for career exploration, working in underserved communities, remedial activities, exploration of research interests, research presentations, achieving higher-level learning objectives through reflection, enhancing clinical skills, or any activity related to medical education that is not directly provided for in the medical curriculum.

Selectives may be self-proposed or selected from a list of available clinical experiences organized through Mayo Clinic. Activities are not restricted to Mayo Clinic's campuses in Rochester, Minnesota; Scottsdale, Arizona; or Jacksonville, Florida, and may be embarked upon in Mayo Clinic Health System, or other national and international medical centers. 

Featured selectives opportunities

Street Medicine

Medical students participate in the street medicine selective at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota.Street Medicine
Longitudinal Selective in Minnesota

Street Medicine is an emerging field focused on delivering health and social services to the unsheltered homeless in their own environment, and “to engage people experiencing homelessness where they are and on their own terms to reduce or eliminate barriers to care access and follow-through.”

Use our search tool to explore all Academic Enrichment Opportunities.

Medical Spanish

Medical students participating in the Medical Spanish selective pose together for a group photo at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.

Medical Spanish
Longitudinal Global Health Selective in Arizona or Minnesota

The primary objective of the class is to enhance medical students’ ability to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients so that they can build a better relationship with their patients and put them more at ease in the provider-patient role. You will improve your medical Spanish skills through practice obtaining histories and physical exams in Spanish, as well as learning how to effectively use interpreters in the clinical setting.

Use our search tool to explore all Academic Enrichment Opportunities.

Family Medicine Clerkship Preparation

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine student meeting with a patient and their family during the Family Medicine Clerkship Preparation academic enrichment opportunity.Family Medicine Clerkship Preparation
3-8 Week Selective in Minnesota

This course is designed to facilitate a smooth transition into clinical rotations by helping learners to improve electronic health record skills, to quickly find valuable clinical information, and to solidify history and exam skills. Prerequisites required.

Use our search tool to explore all Academic Enrichment Opportunities.

Student perspectives

Here's what a few of our current students and alumni have to say about what they've loved most about selectives at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.

Radiology selective

Radiology selective

Narrative medicine selective

Narrative medicine selective

Hazelden Betty Ford addiction medicine selective

Hazelden Betty Ford addiction medicine selective

Psychiatry selective

Psychiatry selective

Additional opportunities

In addition to our main academic enrichment opportunities, there are additional opportunities you can pursue to complement your medical school training, including certificate programs, distinction track programs, and opportunities for professional development.

Certificate

Certificate programs are designed for students to develop and strengthen knowledge in a specific thematic discipline or field of study.

Distinction track

Distinction track programs are generally less rigorous than certificate programs, but allow for specialized concentration within a medical discipline, bolstering a student's knowledge base in this area.

Professional development

Students can take advantage of various opportunities through continuing education and career training fellowships. Credit towards a student's M.D. is not awarded in these circumstances.

Explore our academic enrichment options

Learn more about each of our academic enrichment opportunities using our search and filter tool.