Our Administrative Residents/Fellows Program, under the Graduate Healthcare Administration Training Program (GHATP), supplements the didactic component of health services administration graduate programs, with opportunities for applying knowledge gained through coursework.

Through this program, VA provides in-hospital experiences for students receiving, or having just received, their master's degree in health care administration (MHA), health services administration (MHSA), public health (MPH), public administration (MPA), or business administration (MBA).

All MBA and MPA candidates must have had coursework in health care administration to qualify. At VA, we offer two types of administrative training positions:

Graduate students who have completed the didactic portion of their accredited graduate program requiring practical experience for up to 12 months prior to receiving their degree.

Graduates who recently received their master's degree from an accredited program seeking advanced practical experience for up to 12 months.

To qualify, your master's program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), or the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

VA Residents/Fellows receive a salary, benefits, training, and travel. Experienced VA professionals, known as preceptors, provide intensive training.

Upon successfully completing the training program, VA Residents/Fellows are eligible for placement into a position within the VA health care system. Preceptors work with Residents/Fellows to find a position that best fits their skills, needs, and circumstances.

Each VA medical center is responsible for the recruitment of their own Resident or Fellow, so all candidates should apply directly to the HR department of the VA medical facility in which they are interested working.

Medical centers and network directors re-apply every year to become a GHATP preceptor, so the GHATP sites change annually.

Typically, recruitment begins in late November and can run through until the end of May. Once sites have been approved, they are posted online. For general information about GHATP, contact VHAGHATPPROGRAMManager@va.gov.

Please use the following link for a list of GHATP Preceptor Sites.