HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A new internal medicine nurse practitioner fellowship program at Marshall Health and the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine offers a unique training opportunity for nurse practitioners.

“As we work cohesively as a medical school to meet the unique health care needs of Appalachia, we recognize the important role of advanced care professionals like nurse practitioners,” said Mehiar El-Hamdani, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Internal Medicine. “In rural practices, one in every four providers is a nurse practitioner. By creating more pathways for enhanced training, Marshall can continue to help bring high quality care to more West Virginians.”

The fellowship provides one year of post-graduate training for nurse practitioners looking to transition into a new specialty or hone their skills in a specific area of practice. Fellows work closely with physicians, other nurse practitioners, pharmacists, resident physicians and internal medicine subspecialty fellows from the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine to grow professional expertise in clinical care, research, leadership, didactics and teamwork. Rotations in general internal medicine and cardiology are required. Elective rotations include endocrinology, hematology/oncology, nephrology and pulmonology.

“Residency or fellowship is not required for nurse practitioners, so post-graduate training sets these individuals apart while giving them advanced experience in internal medicine subspecialties that will benefit them throughout the course of their careers,” said Beth A. White, D.N.P., NP-C, AACC, who serves as director of the program.  

Applications are currently being accepted at https://jcesom.marshall.edu/residents-fellows/programs/nurse-practitioner-fellowship/. Eligible applicants must have a graduated from an accredited Nurse Practitioner Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) or Doctor of Nurse Practitioner (D.N.P.) program prior to the start of the fellowship on July 1, 2020. National board certification must be obtained by Sept. 1, 2020. Deadline to apply for a 2020-2021 fellowship is Feb. 29.

The program will apply for accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Commission on Accreditation following the completion of its first graduating class in July, per ANCC standards.

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Photo caption: Nurse practitioners Kati Holland, APRN, FNP-BC, (left) and Christy Gibson, APRN, FNP-BC, examine a patient. Holland and Gibson are the first fellows to participate in the internal medicine nurse practitioner fellowship program at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.  

Media Contact: Sheanna M. Spence, Director of External Affairs, School of Medicine, 304-691-1639

Date Posted: Monday, February 10, 2020