Explore healthcare careers. Learn from real clinicians. Discover your path.
The Healthcare Immersion Program (HIP) is a four-week summer experience designed for college students who want meaningful, real-world exposure to healthcare careers. Through guided clinical shadowing and mentorship, HIP gives you the chance to see what healthcare really looks like day to day, and to explore where you might fit.
You will shadow experienced healthcare professionals as they care for patients, observe different clinical roles, and gain insight into the paths that lead to careers in nursing, medicine, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and more.
Our 2026 program runs July 7-31.
Applications are now open. Deadline to apply: Monday, June 8
"This had a profound impact on my career. It increased my passion for the medical field.

After just a few short days of shadowing a nurse practitioner, I knew that I had made the correct choice in wanting to go into the field of nursing."

- Maggie Macy, RN, BSN

What makes HIP different

HIP is not a classroom simulation. It is real clinical exposure, designed to be flexible, supportive, and accessible for students who have the opportunity to:
  • Shadow licensed clinicians in real care settings
  • Explore multiple healthcare roles, not just one path
  • Learn directly from professionals who enjoy mentoring
  • Gain clarity and confidence about their future direction
Many students describe HIP as the moment when healthcare stops being abstract and starts to feel possible.

How the program works

HIP runs for four weeks during the summer and is designed to fit around work, classes, and other commitments.
  • Shadowing typically happens in 4-hour blocks during standard weekday hours
  • Students complete at least two shadowing sessions per week, with opportunities to add more
  • Weekly clinical conferences provide guided reflection and learning
  • Surgery observation is included later in the program
  • Most students log between 80 and 100 total hours
Students share their availability at the start of the program, and schedules are coordinated accordingly.

Who can apply

HIP is open to college students who:
  • Have completed at least one year of college
  • Are interested in exploring a healthcare career
  • Are curious, reliable, and ready to learn

The program fee is $500. Scholarships are available for students with financial need.
Required info: applicants need to submit the following information:
  • High school transcripts
  • College/University transcripts to date
  • Letter(s) of recommendation
  • A personal statement
  • Copy of photo ID
  • Vaccination record. If selected for the program, students may also be required to get further vaccinations as required by our clinical partners

Learning from those who care

HIP is made possible by volunteer preceptors who open their clinics and share their experience with students. These clinicians see mentorship as a way to strengthen the profession, inspire future healthcare leaders, and reflect on their own practice.

HIP is also supported by donors who believe that early access to real-world learning helps build a stronger, more prepared healthcare workforce.

What our students are saying

Hear directly from HIP students about what they learned, how the program shaped their thinking, and how real clinical exposure helped them clarify their future in healthcare.

HIP in pictures

Questions?