Meet the 2025 Healthcare Immersion Program Coordinators: Rachel Chen and Sheila Teker

We’re excited to announce that two inspiring alumni of our Healthcare Immersion Program (HIP), Rachel Chen and Sheila Teker, will serve as this year’s program coordinators!

Both Rachel and Sheila bring deep curiosity, compassion, and leadership to their roles—and they know firsthand what it’s like to walk in the shoes of HIP students.

• Rachel Chen is an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, majoring in Microbial Biology with an emphasis on Host and Pathogen Interactions and minoring in Music. She joined HIP in 2024 after an ACL injury during college volleyball sparked her interest in orthopedics. Since then, Rachel has immersed herself in orthopedic, breast cancer, and environmental research.
  
  She also serves as a volunteer interpreter and coordinator with the UC Berkeley Volunteer Health Interpreters Organization. We love how she blends science and service—and even makes room for music in the mix.
  
  
• Sheila Teker, also at UC Berkeley, is a third-year Molecular and Cell Biology major with an emphasis in Medical Biology and Physiology. She’s also pursuing a minor in Global Poverty and Practice to support her passion for working with underserved communities. Sheila is currently engaged in research at UCSF studying metabolic liver disease and lipid metabolism, and she assists Dr. Hasan—one of her former HIP preceptors—with clinical research.
  
  Sheila will be applying to MD-PhD programs this year and is eager to mentor others interested in combining research and clinical care.
  
  

Together, Rachel and Sheila will guide the next class of HIP students through a transformative summer of hands-on learning, mentorship, and exploration of orthopedic and musculoskeletal healthcare.

About the program

Sheila Teker and Rachel Chen with 2024 HIP coordinators Roxie Wiblin and Sonal Mehta

The Healthcare Immersion Program (HIP) at Jackson Orthopedic Foundation offers college students a unique opportunity to explore careers in healthcare through hands-on clinical shadowing. Over the course of four flexible weeks in the summer, students observe healthcare professionals—including physicians, nurses, PAs, and therapists—as they care for patients across a variety of settings.

The program is designed to accommodate students' work or school commitments, with shadowing typically scheduled in 4-hour weekday blocks. Most participants log between 80 and 100 hours, gaining valuable insights and experience that help clarify their future career paths.

To be eligible, students must have completed at least one year of college and express a clear interest in a medical or healthcare career. The program fee is $500, with need-based scholarships available. Applications for the 2025 program close on Monday, June 16. Whether you're already set on a healthcare profession or still exploring your options, HIP is a meaningful, flexible, and career-shaping opportunity for aspiring health professionals.

Tell students you know about HIP

Know a student with a passion for medicine or healthcare?
Encourage them to apply for the 2025 Healthcare Immersion Program today! Applications are open now and due Monday, June 16.

apply for HIP