APC Fellowships are structured post-graduate programs for licensed PAs and NPs that provide clinical and didactic training, as well as professional development experiences, for APCs who are new to a particular specialty and are seeking high-level specialty training.  

Post-graduate fellowship training allows APCs to refine their clinical knowledge and skills in a chosen specialty, engage in professional development opportunities, develop confidence, and integrate into their specialty at an accelerated rate compared to on-the-job training. Ensuring a strong clinical foundation while transitioning into practice or a new specialty helps APCs work at the top of their licensures, improving job satisfaction, career sustainability, and professional advancement. 

APC fellows are licensed PAs and NPs, who are fully credentialed to operate within their scope of practice as a novice APC. APC fellows can perform patient evaluations, physical exams, write orders, and formulate plans of care in collaboration with their supervising APC or physician. If the specialty includes procedures, those can be done under direct supervision until competency has been achieved. APC fellows start off with a small patient load, which incrementally increases in both amount and level of acuity as the APC fellow’s competence and confidence grow. The goal is that by the end of the fellowship, the APC fellow can practice in their full clinical scope and transition into an autonomous staff APC role without any additional training.  

HealthPartners is a leader in postgraduate APC training with our first program starting in 2008, making us well-versed in providing structured and comprehensive training experiences for APCs that want to optimize their clinical expertise and prepare to work at the top of their licensure. Graduating APC fellows consistently report the fellowship helped prepare them well for their career, that they would recommend the fellowship to a similar clinician, and that they would recommend HealthPartners as a good place to work. This is reflected in our impressive retention rates – over 75% of APC fellows have been hired upon graduation, and of those, nearly 90% have remained at HealthPartners for at least 5 years.  

We look for candidates that are excited to continue learning and growing professionally, as well as exhibit a passion and dedication to the specialty area they are applying to. Being able to demonstrate the ability to excel clinically through letters of recommendation, grades and/or personal statement also makes candidates more competitive. Prior clinical rotations or work experience in a chosen specialty are helpful but not required.  

Applications open approximately 6 months prior to the anticipated start date with offers going out 3 months prior to allow enough time for credentialing and privileging. Most cohorts start January or June, though there are some exceptions to that (Emergency Medicine starts March and June; Acute Care Surgery starts in May). Some programs must stick to the set dates due to their cohort size, whereas others may be able to allow some flexibility. You can find more information on the individual program pages or by reaching out to the central fellowship team. 

We do not set a specific application deadline as this varies by the program. Generally speaking, applications that are fully complete need to be received a minimum of 4 months prior to the anticipated start date to allow enough time for interviews, credentialing and privileging.  

Yes, we welcome students in their final months of their program to apply. Keep in mind that you must have taken your board exam and received your PA/NP license at least 3 months prior to the start date.  

This depends on the program/specialty. Please visit the individual program page for more information

Yes, we recognize that APCs may have interest in more than one specialty. It is important to demonstrate a passion for each specialty that you are applying to and be able to explain why you are applying to more than one program.  

Personal statements should address why you want to want to work in that specialty and why you are interested in fellowship training.  

At least one letter of recommendation must be from an APC or physician (typically a preceptor) who can speak to your clinical knowledge and skills. Other common references are professors and supervisors.   

Please send to Abby Ward, APC Fellowship Central Coordinator, at Abigail.L.Ward@HealthPartners.com 

Yes, fellowship positions are limited and we can’t always offer strong candidates a spot, so we welcome you to apply again.  

No, we also accept APCs who are transitioning into a new specialty. 

If you are selected for an interview based on your complete application, it will start with a phone interview with the program director. If you are selected to move forward, there will be an in-person or virtual interview(s) with the program director, medical director and various leaders and/or clinicians from the department.  

APC fellows are paid the same as physician residents at our organization, which is currently $72,401. Salaries are updated every year in July. APC fellows also receive medical and dental benefits, a generous PTO and CME day package, and a CME stipend.   

Given the fellowship is a full-time job, we advise against working an additional job to ensure you can be successful in the program. That being said, we recognize that some APC fellows might still wish or need to do so. If that’s the case, we require disclosure to your program director and prioritization of the APC fellowship responsibilities.     

This varies by the program/specialty. Please visit the Program Pages to learn more.

Upon completion of the fellowship, APC fellows will be well-positioned for a successful career in their respective specialty. They receive a certificate of completion from HealthPartners Institute.  

While we have been able to hire over 75% of graduated APC fellows at HealthPartners, a job is not guaranteed. We also do not require a commitment from the APC fellow to work for HealthPartners upon graduation.