Two students wearing teal scrubs review imaging during their neurosurgery preceptorship in Summer 2023.

Summer Clinical Preceptorship

In partnership with Dr. Victoria A. Smith and Dr. Vernard S. Fennell, Soka University of America offers select students the opportunity to participate in a 10- to 12-week summer clinical / research preceptorship at Ochsner Medical Center in Louisiana, starting June 2nd, 2025. This is an excellent opportunity for students to gain knowledge, skills, and experience beyond what they can acquire in a classroom setting and expand their professional networks. It also provides them a unique opportunity to contribute to biomedical research and direct patient care during their undergraduate studies.

Students have the choice to apply to one of two tracks: 1) Primary Care / Population Health or 2) Neurosurgery. Students in the Primary Care / Population Health track will spend two days a week learning from Dr. Smith in her primary care clinic and will work the remainder of their time on research and advocacy projects related to population health. Students in the Neurosurgery track will spend the summer rotating in the neurosurgery operating room, clinic, and neuroanatomy research laboratory gaining exposure to direct patient care and contributing to the department’s research.

Generous donor funding supports transportation and lodging for selected students.

Summer 2025 Preceptorship Application

 Letter of Recommendation Submission Form

All submissions are due by Friday, February 7th, 2025, 23:59PT.

Clinical Neurosurgery Participants pose for a photo with Dr. Vernard S. Fennell and Jacqueline Mills
SUA students participate in a summer clinical/research preceptorship at Ochsner Medical Center

Summer 2024 Participants

Headshot of Miiru Goto

Miiru Goto (’26)

Izumi City, Osaka, Japan
Headshot of Kiarra Hoes

Kiarra Hoes (’27)

Gaithersburg, Maryland USA

Summer 2023 participants

Headshot of Oluyinka Aduloju

Oluyinka Aduloju (’24)

Akure, Nigeria
Zachary Holt Headshot

Zachary Holt (’25)

Coos Bay, Oregon USA