VA Quality Scholars Fellowship Program

Our Mission:

The mission of this advanced fellowship program is to offer scholars opportunities to be leaders who can accomplish the following:  

  • Apply knowledge and methods of health care improvement to the care of veterans  
  • Innovate and continually improve health care  
  • Teach health professionals about health care improvement  
  • Perform research and develop new knowledge for the ongoing improvement of the quality and value of health care services 

This two-year fellowship is sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and includes 11 sites across the United States. Each site in the U.S. is a partnership between a VA hospital and an academic institution, including Vanderbilt. 

Upon completing this advanced program, fellows will be able to demonstrate competence in:  

  • Designing and creating change for the improvement of healthcare  
  • Designing, conducting and writing/publishing a research project on healthcare improvement efforts  
  • Leading healthcare professionals in improvement efforts

Learn more at the VA website here 

  • Completion of an ACGME accredited postgraduate medical residency  
  • The desire to pursue a medical career with a focus on quality improvement, health services research or medical administration  
  • The ability to appreciate and leverage the benefits of coordination of clinical medicine, research and administration  
  • The desire to help lead the VA in the 21st century as a change agent  
  • The capacity for interactive skills necessary to create change in institutions  
  • Board certification or eligibility and an active, unrestricted license to practice in the U.S. 

Physician applicants must have a strong desire to lead the study of health care improvement. Applicants must be board eligible (any specialty is welcome), hold a valid, unrestricted state medical license, and have U.S. citizenship.

Nurse applicants must be accepted into a DNP, PhD or postdoctoral training program and have a desire to learn how to do, lead, or study health care improvement. Applicants must hold an active, unrestricted license to practice and have US citizenship. 

Contact us

Robert Dittus, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine
Program Director, VA Quality Scholars Fellowship Program
robert.dittus@vumc.org

Program Leadership


Robert Dittus, MD, MPH

Professor of Medicine
Program Director, VA Quality Scholars Fellowship Program