[hen-ui-dynamic-experience placement=”aboveTheFold” /][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]When people think of residences in the healthcare field, physician residencies usually come to mind. In these programs, doctors fresh out of medical school practice care in a hospital or clinic under the supervision of an experienced physician.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]But residencies and fellowships aren’t only for doctors. Postgraduate residency programs for nurse practitioners (NPs) have become increasingly popular since 2007. In fact, 38 of these programs were allowing newly qualified NPs to practice their profession in 2016.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]NPs can pursue these programs after they earn their master of science in nursing (MSN) or doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degrees. Although residency and fellowships programs are not a requirement for NP qualification, they can help NPs gain experience and hone in on a specialization.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]These programs are relatively new for NPs, so you may see many similarities in the way they’re described. But fellowships and residencies serve two different purposes. This guide breaks down those similarities and differences so you can choose the program best for you.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-flex gap=”xl” align=”left” direction=”column”][hen-ui-flex gap=”xs” align=”left” direction=”column”][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Popular NP Programs[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ color=”subtext”]Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-flex][hen-ui-dynamic-experience placement=”belowTheFold” /][/hen-ui-flex][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Fellowship and Residency Program Key Similarities and Differences[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Fellowship and residency programs offer postgraduate supervised training for new NPs. Residencies refer to programs where NPs can practice care within their specialization in a major field. Fellowships, on the other hand, let NPs gain even more focused knowledge and skills in a subspeciality.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Both programs include supervised work experience, and both are done in a professional setting like a hospital or private practice.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]NPs can complete both of these programs after they [hen-ui-link href=”/degrees/msn/”]complete their MSN[/hen-ui-link] or [hen-ui-link href=”/degrees/dnp//why-get-a-dnp-degree/”]DNP degrees[/hen-ui-link]. Both programs allow NPs to build on the clinical experience they developed during their graduate programs.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Fellowships and residencies are often competitive, with a limited number of openings per year. They often last 12 months, although that can vary.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Despite these similarities, the two programs are also unique in many ways.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-grid columns-md=”2″ gap=”md”] [hen-ui-card variant=”background-white” border=”stroke” padding=”lg”] [hen-ui-card-content] [hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]What Is a Fellowship Program?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]A fellowship program provides an opportunity for NPs to specialize in something beyond their graduate school concentration. Over the course of the fellowship, NPs gain expertise working within this subspecialization. For example, an NP might enroll in a gastroenterology or nephrology fellowship program.[/hen-ui-text] [/hen-ui-card-content][/hen-ui-card][hen-ui-card variant=”background-secondary” border=”shadow” rounded=”lg” padding=”lg”] [hen-ui-card-content] [hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]What Is a Residency Program?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Residencies are postgraduate programs for NPs who want to gain more clinical experience within their field. These are usually not as specialized as fellowships, but they do allow NPs to sharpen their skills.[/hen-ui-text] [/hen-ui-card-content][/hen-ui-card][/hen-ui-grid][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The two have many similarities; they’re a way for NPs to carry out their initial clinical experience in a supervised postgraduate, professional setting. But they also differ. Fellowships tend to offer more niche practice settings than residencies.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Here are some common specialties for fellowships and residencies.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Primary care and family health[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Geriatrics[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-link href=”/careers/pediatric-nurse/”]Pediatrics[/hen-ui-link][/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Neuroscience[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Dermatology[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Oncology[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Cardiology[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Emergency[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Psychiatry[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-link href=”/careers/acute-care/”]Acute care[/hen-ui-link][/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Surgery[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-link href=”/careers/palliative-care-nurse/”]Palliative care[/hen-ui-link][/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Gastroenterology and hepatology[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Rural health[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]What to Expect During Nurse Practitioner Fellowship and Residency Programs[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Since residencies and fellowships for NPs are still new in the healthcare field, you may be unsure about how these programs work. The curricula for the programs overlap but still offer distinctions.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-grid columns-md=”2″ gap=”md”] [hen-ui-card variant=”background-white” border=”stroke” padding=”lg”] [hen-ui-card-content] [hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]What Happens During a Fellowship?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]NPs in fellowships learn a specialized set of skills to carry out their jobs under the guidance of experienced professionals. These programs may include requirements in addition to clinical practice, including:[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Didactic sessions[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Specialty rotations[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Simulation trainings[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Direct patient care[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list] [/hen-ui-card-content][/hen-ui-card][hen-ui-card variant=”background-secondary” border=”shadow” rounded=”lg” padding=”lg”] [hen-ui-card-content] [hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]What Happens During a Residency?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]NPs who participate in residencies hone their skills by providing direct patient care. They experience on-the-job training with an intensity that they may not have received during their clinicals in graduate school. Residencies usually include other responsibilities too, such as:[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Speciality rotations[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Didactic sessions[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Preceptor practice[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Training with mentors[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list] [/hen-ui-card-content][/hen-ui-card][/hen-ui-grid][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Nurse Practitioner Fellowship vs. Residency: Which Program Is Right for Me?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Before choosing between a fellowship or residency, first ask yourself whether a postgraduate program is the right step for you. It can help NPs gain more supervised experience, which can be a valuable option for new nurse practitioners. Both fellowships and residencies can boost newly qualified NPs’ job prospects as they begin their careers.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]If you decide to pursue a postgraduate program, then ask yourself another key question: Do you want to gain general experience in your field, or would you rather develop an expertise in a specific area? If you prefer general experience, then consider a residency. If you’d rather pursue a subspeciality, then a fellowship might be the best option for you.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Frequently Asked Questions About Nurse Practitioner Fellowship and Residency Programs[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-separator /][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Do nurses do fellowships?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Registered nurses do not necessarily do fellowships, but NPs can participate in fellowship programs. Fellowships are not required for licensure or employment. However, an NP may choose a fellowship if they wish to undergo more supervised experience before finding a full-time position.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Which comes first: residency or fellowship?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Many nurse practitioners choose to do either a fellowship or residency, not both. However, if an NP does both, they usually begin with a residency followed by a fellowship.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]What specialties are common in residency and fellowship?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Some common specialities for residencies and fellowships include primary care, geriatrics, pediatrics, emergency care, acute care, and women’s health.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Is it worth doing a fellowship?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]That depends on your career goals. If you wish to work in a niche field within a specialization, then a NP fellowship can help you achieve your goal. If you’d rather work in a more general field, like primary care or acute care, a fellowship may not be worth it.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Is it worth doing a residency?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Examine your career goals to determine whether an NP residency is right for you. If you feel like you’d prefer more supervised clinical experience before entering the field, then an NP residency could be worth it for you.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Source[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-separator /][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Shannon F. (2016). For NPs, residency gains favor. [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/medicaleducation/59950″ target=”_blank”]https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/medicaleducation/59950[/hen-ui-link][/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Related Pages[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-article-card title=”Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP vs. Primary Care NP: Whats the Difference?” href=”https://nursejournal.org/resources/ag-acnp-vs-ag-pcnp/” size=”compact” border=”stroke”][/hen-ui-article-card][hen-ui-article-card title=”Nurse Practitioner Specialities” href=”/nurse-practitioner/specializations/” size=”compact” border=”stroke”][/hen-ui-article-card][hen-ui-article-card title=”Nurse Practitioner Subspecialty Certification Guide” href=”/nurse-practitioner/certifications-guide/” size=”compact” border=”stroke”][/hen-ui-article-card][hen-ui-article-card title=”Internships and Volunteer Opportunities for High School and Pre-Nursing Students” href=”/resources//internships-and-volunteer-opportunities/” size=”compact” border=”stroke”][/hen-ui-article-card][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ tag=”em”]Page last reviewed May 4, 2022[/hen-ui-text]