Special Studies

Special Studies experiences are designed to support individualized scholarly or project-based engagement that falls outside the structure of a standard program pathway. These experiences are shaped by the student's goals, available mentorship, and project needs — making them flexible by design.

A Special Studies experience is typically developed collaboratively between the student, their school, and the supervising team. Within Cook Children's, this may involve project participation, scholarly activity, research-related learning, or other defined work that aligns with the student's academic goals and available supervision.

Unlike structured program tracks, Special Studies experiences are not tied to a fixed curriculum or cohort model. They are built around the individual student's situation — which makes them well-suited for students with a specific project interest, a unique scheduling need, or a goal that doesn't fit neatly into an existing pathway.

Because Special Studies experiences are individualized, successful placement depends on clear goals, realistic scope, and strong alignment with an available mentor or project. PRTP can help assess whether a Special Studies experience at Cook Children's is feasible and appropriate for a given student's situation.

This pathway may be appropriate for medical students who have a specific scholarly interest or project goal that is not served by an existing structured pathway, and who have the initiative and self-direction to engage productively in a less prescribed format. Availability depends on project fit and supervision capacity.

Students, mentors, or departments interested in exploring a Special Studies experience at Cook Children's can contact the PRTP team to discuss goals, fit, and next steps at prtp@cookchildrens.org.