Additional Opportunities

LEND - The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The LEND program at CHOP is funded by a grant from the Maternal Child Health Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  It has a mission to

support the development of exemplary expertise, skills, and competence in the care of children with neurodevelopmental and related disorders, including children from medically under-served populations; and to instill the qualities that promote interpersonal leadership in the service of improving the quality of life and outcomes for these children and their families. (LEND Trainee Handbook)

Applicants for the LEND fellowship have a particular interest in pediatrics, neurodevelopmental disability, advocacy, and underserved populations. LEND provides fellows with extra training in these areas and the opportunity to work with interdisciplinary teams and directly with community programs designed to improve care for these populations.

Fellows are chosen from fifteen different fields:

• Audiology • Dentistry • Developmental/ behavioral pediatrics • Family leadership • Genetic counseling • Healthcare administration • Nursing • Nutrition • Occupational therapy • Physical therapy • Psychology • Self advocacy • Social work • Special education • Speech-language pathology

Two or three UPenn genetic counseling students are selected as LEND fellows each year following an application and interview process in the spring of their first year. Beginning in July, the LEND fellows spend one day a week (typically Monday) at CHOP throughout their second year of training in the MSGC program. The Genetic Counseling LEND fellows receive a substantial stipend, but the amount may vary year-to-year depending on funding.

For more details about the LEND program at CHOP, visit https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/leadership-education-neurodevelopmental-disabilities-fellowship-program/fellowship

LEND has been a fantastic experience. I enjoy learning with and from students from other disciplines, such as occupational therapy, nutrition, nursing, social work, and psychology. Together, we learn how to use an interdisciplinary approach in clinic and in research by observing the Regional Autism Center (RAC), interacting with families outside of clinic, and collaborating on projects.   

- Nicole Kasatkin, LEND Fellow, Class of 2022