NFPS Clinical Scholars Program
A paid, full-time gap year for post-baccalaureate students preparing to apply to medical school, physician assistant school, or other post-graduate professional programs. Gain hands-on clinical experience in one of the most advanced and specialized medical environments available to pre-professional students in North Florida — an interventional pain management practice with fellowship-level physician leadership and a full scope of neuromodulation and minimally invasive procedures.
The NFPS Clinical Scholars Program is a structured, paid gap year designed for students who have completed their undergraduate degree and are in the process of applying to medical school, physician assistant school, or other post-graduate professional programs. The program places scholars in a working interventional pain management practice — gaining direct, supervised clinical exposure to procedures, patient care, and the day-to-day practice of specialty medicine at a level that classroom and volunteer experience simply cannot replicate.
Scholars function as clinical assistants under the supervision of our physician and clinical staff — learning patient intake and workup, procedural preparation and assistance, documentation, and the clinical decision-making framework that guides evidence-based interventional pain management. This experience is designed to produce stronger medical school, PA school, and post-graduate professional program applicants, more clinically confident future providers, and a deeper understanding of what specialty medicine actually looks like in practice.
This program is open to post-baccalaureate students from all institutions. We welcome applications from graduates of Florida State University, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee State College, and universities across the country. If you have completed your degree and are taking a gap year to strengthen your medical school, PA school, or other professional program application, this program was built for you.
Direct Patient Care
Scholars participate in patient intake, vital signs, history review, and pre-procedure preparation — developing the clinical workflow fluency that medical and PA schools look for in competitive applicants.
Procedural Exposure
Observe and assist with a full range of interventional procedures — from epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks to spinal cord stimulation, kyphoplasty, and radiofrequency ablation — under physician and clinical team supervision.
Clinical Mentorship
Work alongside our physician and clinical team. Gain insight into clinical reasoning, patient communication, and the practice of evidence-based specialty medicine across a range of providers and care settings.
Specialty Medicine Immersion
Develop a working understanding of interventional pain management — a rapidly growing specialty that intersects neurology, orthopedics, sports medicine, oncology, spine surgery, regenerative medicine, and anesthesiology — giving you a clinical knowledge base that sets you apart in interviews.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Completed a bachelor’s degree
- Planning to apply to medical, PA, or other post-graduate professional programs
- Available for full-time, one-year commitment
- Strong academic record and professionalism
- Genuine interest in clinical medicine
- Not currently enrolled in graduate school
Program positions typically begin in the summer. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year, and candidates outside the standard start window may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Space is limited — early applications are strongly encouraged.
Ready to Apply?
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Space is limited and the program fills quickly. Early applications are strongly encouraged.