Please estimate to the best of your abilities your anticipated GPA. When grades are released, you may email us with your correct GPA, and we will update your application for that cycle.

Internship Placements include: hospitals, health systems, community health centers, policy advocacy organizations, public health departments, behavioral health agencies, biotechnology companies, and community-based organizations.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

Northern CA:

1. Lifelong Medical
2. Native American Health Center
3. Biomarin Pharmaceuticals

 

Southern CA:

1. Altamed Health Services
2. UCLA Summer Urban Health Fellowship
3. City of Hope

 

Coachella Valley:

1. Desert Oasis Healthcare
2. Borrego Health
3. FIND Food Bank

 

Central Valley

1. Central Valley Health Policy Institute
2. UCSF Fresno
3. Dignity Health Mercy Medical Center 

 

North Carolina:

1. Boys & Girls Club of Lumbee Tribe
2. Hope Clinic
3. Hoke County Health Department

 

New England:

1. Brigham & Womens Faulker Hospital
2. Tectonic Therapeutic
3. Boston Public Health Commission

 

Mid-Atlantic: 

1. American Dental Education Association
2. Baltimore City Health Department
3. Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health

 

Mid-West:

1. Detroit Health Department
2. Hennepin County Public Health
3. Northwestern Medicine

Our application generally opens in the fall for the upcoming summer. HCC staff reviews the applications and selects a number of candidates for Round 1 interviews. All applicants who apply will be notified of their status. After Round 1 interviews are conducted, finalists are selected to move forward to interview with potential host site organizations. Final placements are made by HCC staff and are based on a combination of factors to select interns based on a holistic review process. Feedback from both our sites and students are taken under consideration, but students do not select their final placement. Efforts are made to finalize placements as soon as possible. Read details on our Selection Process page.

HCC applies a comprehensive review and thoughtful consideration of an applicant’s qualifications and background.

Some key factors considered are:

• Demonstrated interest and commitment to healthcare and/or public health including but not limited to health management, policy, public health, community health, health disparities, behavioral/mental health, biotechnology and health education.
• Strong interest in addressing the health needs of their communities.
• Content and quality of short essay responses, which follow the guidelines listed in the prompt.
• Articulated reason and rationale for interest in Health Career Connection.
• Health or public health-related coursework
• Overall grade point average (no minimum GPA required) and/or rationale.
• Ability to participate full-time during the internship for 10 consecutive weeks .
• Personal background (such as first to attend college, financial barriers, veterans, and persons with disabilities.)
• Linguistic skills, and cultural and community knowledge relevant to potential internship placements.
• Prior academic and/or professional experiences relevant to the applicant’s understanding and motivation in the health professions.
• Communication, data, computer, outreach, research and other skills that can be applied to internship projects.
• Applicant location and availability of transportation.
• Professionalism and maturity sufficient to be successful in the internship.
• Quality of fit with host organization expectations and opportunities.
• Leadership and initiative (experience in student organizations, clubs, student government, community organizing, etc.)

Visit our Selection Process page for more information.

Language proficiency, other than English, is not required. However, many of our host organizations work in communities and have projects where knowing a specific language is important in being able to work with their target populations and other stakeholders. In these cases, they request or may give preference to students who can communicate in a language aligned with their needs. Common languages requested by host organizations include Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Tagalog, Russian, Cambodian, Hmong, Thai, and Vietnamese. If you can speak and/or write in these or other languages and dialects, you should mention this in your application.

HCC places interns in leading and highly reputable:

• Academic Medical Centers
• Hospitals and Health Systems
•  Community Health Clinics
•  Public Health Departments
•  Community-based Organizations
•  Medical Groups
•  Policy & Advocacy organizations
•  Health Pipeline Programs
• Government Agencies
• Behavioral/Mental Health Organizations
• Biotechnology/Biopharmaceutical Companies