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Summer 2026 HCC Internship Program Application

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2026 HCC Progarm Application Banner
The application for the Summer 2025 HCC Internship and Community Health Leaders Programs Application has closed. The application for the Summer 2026 HCC Internship and Community Health Leaders Programs Application will open in fall 2026. If you have a question about a previously submitted application, contact us at via our applicant support form.
Thank you for your interest in Health Career Connection (HCC)’s comprehensive paid summer internship and Community Health Leaders programs! We are dedicated to empowering students like you to discover and achieve your health career goals. Spend your summer in an experiential learning internship program designed to develop the next generation of health professionals and leaders. We look forward to reviewing your application!

You must first complete the Applicant Registration form prior to completing this application. Once completed, check your email for your unique application link in order to complete your application. 

If you run into any issues and need additional support, please submit a request via our applicant support form.

Application Deadline: Tuesday, December 9th, 2025; 11:59 PM PST

*Please note: As Denver, Tennessee and Chicago are growing regions for 2026, the application deadline for these locations has been extended to January 21st, 2026.

Thank you for your interest in Health Career Connection (HCC)’s comprehensive paid summer internship and Community Health Leaders programs! We are dedicated to empowering students like you to discover and achieve your authentic health career goals. Spend your summer in an experiential learning program designed to develop the next generation of health professionals and leaders. We look forward to receiving your application!

HCC is excited to learn more about you as a candidate, your background, experience, and interests. To complete your application, you will need to provide the following information and upload the required documentation, when prompted:
  1. Updated resume
  2. Program preferences
  3. Internship and geographic location preferences (if interested in full-time internship) 
  4. Educational background
  5. Responses to short answer prompts

Thank you for your interest in Health Career Connection (HCC)’s comprehensive paid summer internship program! We are dedicated to empowering students like you to discover and achieve your health career goals. Spend your summer in an experiential learning program designed to develop the next generation of health professionals and leaders. We look forward to receiving your application!

HCC and College Track are excited to have you apply to this special opportunity! For the past four years, HCC has provided College Track students with career-launching health internships, and we’re thrilled to continue that tradition. Please note that while the general application may appear closed, this is a unique application just for you. Our program is a 10-week, full-time summer experience designed to give you hands-on exposure to the healthcare field. We look forward to reviewing your application and supporting your journey!

Please note, Emerson Collective/College Track students placed in HCC Internships will receive a stipend of $10,000 for their 10-week internships. All internships must be in-person.

This application will ask for information about you as a candidate, your background, experience, and interests. You should be ready to provide the following information (there will be options to upload relevant documentation):
  1. Updated resume
  2. Program preferences
  3. Internship and geographic location preferences (if interested in full-time internship) 
  4. Educational background
  5. Responses to short answer prompts
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION
  • As you complete each section make sure to select "Save my progress and continue.” If you plan to leave and come back, select “save and resume later."  You will be asked to enter your email and choose a password, which you will use to resume and complete the application that you started.
  • You can use the numbered navigation buttons to quickly access a specific page of your application.
  • You may only submit your application after you have answered all required questions marked * and attached required documents.
  • Once you submit your application, you will be taken to a final confirmation page to review your responses and confirm your submission.
  • You will receive an email notification confirming that your application was successfully submitted.
  • If you don’t receive an email, please contact us via our applicant support form.
Application Deadline: Tuesday, December 9th, 2025; 11:59 PM PST
JOIN AN INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR

For more information about our application process and summer program, please join us for our upcoming informational webinar session by registering below.

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025 – 3:00 PM PST/6:00 PM EST

Please note, our webinar will not be recorded. To fully benefit from the experience and connect with presenters and peers, live participation is highly encouraged.

QUICK LINKS

CONTACT INFORMATION

Applicant Name
Please confirm the information is correct for you. This application is only to be completed by the named applicant below. If the contact information is incorrect, do not proceed with completing this application and submit a support request.

This field is read-only. If it's incorrect, contact us for the proper application link.


This field is read-only. If the information listed is incorrect, contact us for the proper application link.

Enter the name you'd like us to use when addressing you, whether it's a nickname, shortened name, or any name you identify with. Example: If your full name is "Catherine" but you go by "Cat", please enter "Cat".

Use simple phonetics or familiar words to describe the pronunciation. Example: If your name is "Siobhan", you might enter "Shi-vawn".


This field is read-only. If the information listed is incorrect, contact us for the proper application link.
Applicant Contact

This email field is read-only. We’ll use the email listed here to notify you of application decisions and next steps, so be sure it’s a reliable non-school address. If you need to change it, please submit a request using the Contact Information at the bottom of this page.

This can be a school email address or any other email that you use.

Current Address







Where do you consider your hometown to be? (City, State, Country). Your hometown is defined as where you lived primarily growing up. We know that people may have lived in many different places so you can alternatively specify  the community with which you have the strongest connection or affinity.

PROGRAM PREFERENCES

Summer Availability
HCC provides undergraduate and recent college graduates with paid summer internships in healthcare, public health, behavioral health, primary care, health management, policy and advocacy, community health, and life sciences. Interns gain valuable exposure, hands-on experience, mentorship, skill building and networking, and advance their health careers. While we do not offer pre-med clinical or lab research roles, students interested in gaining real-world exposure in the HCC internship categories described above are encouraged to apply.

To ensure that all interns receive the full benefits of HCC’s educational experience, all selected interns must be able to complete a full-time, 10-week internship. Interns learn by doing through a hands-on placement combined with HCC’s comprehensive career and professional development programming. This experience requires a full-time commitment during standard business hours, Monday through Friday, as determined by the host organization and HCC’s scheduled educational activities. Internships run for 10 consecutive weeks from the start date, with no vacations, summer classes, MCAT prep, or other work commitments during this period.



Beginning in 2020, HCC launched our virtual, part-time Community Health Leaders Program (CHLP) as an alternative to our full-time, internship program. CHLP Fellows participate in a combination of HCC virtual educational programming and experiential team project work over 8 consecutive weeks between mid-June and early August. Participant commitment each week varies based on scheduled educational activities but is approximately 20 hours per week.

 

The CHLP includes a robust series of interactive, cohort-based learning sessions, virtual workshops, leading national speakers, career exposure panels, career planning activities, graduate education preparation, and skill-based trainings. Participants build invaluable relationships, learn networking skills, develop new professional skills, and increase their knowledge of key issues and strategies to become leaders who advance community health improvement for all. CHLP fellows gain valuable knowledge of trends in community health and valuable professional and leadership skills such as working in teams, project management, data analysis, advocacy, engaging community and policy stakeholders, patient-centered care, philanthropy, and research. CHLP Fellows learn to recognize and address geographic, cultural, and social contexts that undermine health challenges for rural and urban underserved communities. Throughout the program, Fellows apply their learning through educational team-based consulting projects in partnership with health organizations seeking to advance health access and improvement.

 

Most CHLP educational virtual activities take place between 9a-1:30pm PT/12pm-4pm ET Monday – Friday, though additional workshops and meetings may be scheduled at other times. CHLP Fellows receive a $2,000 educational stipend.



Please note that CHLP fellows can have other summer commitments, as long as they can fully participate in all scheduled program activities.


INTERNSHIP PREFERENCES

Health Career Priorities and Internship Type
HCC interns work in a variety of settings, including:
  • Public Health
  • Health Care
  • Behavioral Health
  • Primary Care
  • Health Administration/Management
  • Health Policy and Advocacy
  • Community Health
  • Life Sciences
  • Health Philanthropy
  • And more...
Please select and rank the types of HCC internship experiences that best align with your interests and goals. This information helps us understand your preferences and identify opportunities that may be a good fit for you. Internship placements are based on available projects, which may vary each year. While every effort is made to align placements with your stated interests, specific matches cannot be guaranteed. Exposure to areas outside your primary interests can also provide valuable learning experiences and may lead to new and rewarding career directions. (Select a maximum of 4 options)
Preferred Type of Internship If selected "Other" type of internship, specify below:
1st Choice
2nd Choice
3rd Choice
4th Choice
Regional Preference for Internship Placement

HCC offers internships in the following regions: 
  • Northern California
  • Central Valley California
  • Central Coast California
  • Southern California
  • Coachella Valley California
  • Denver Metropolitan Area
  • Detroit
  • Greater Chicago
  • Minneapolis
  • New England
  • New York Metropolitan Area
  • North Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Washington D.C./Baltimore/Virginia
  • Remote
HCC offers regional cohort programs in the above regions and partners with host sites to offer paid internship placements. HCC staff will refer to your regional preferences when assessing where to place you for eligible internships.

*Please note: As Denver, Tennessee and Chicago are growing regions for 2026, the application deadline for these locations has been extended to January 21st, 2026.

HCC offers internships in the following regions: 
  • Northern California
  • Central Valley California
  • Central Coast California
  • Southern California
  • Coachella Valley California
  • Denver Metropolitan Area
  • Detroit
  • Greater Chicago
  • Minneapolis
  • New England
  • New York Metropolitan Area
  • North Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Washington D.C./Baltimore/Virginia
HCC offers regional cohort programs in the above regions and partners with host sites to offer paid internship placements. HCC staff will refer to your regional preferences when assessing where to place you for eligible internships.

*Please note: As Denver, Tennessee and Chicago are growing regions for 2026, the application deadline for these locations has been extended to January 21st, 2026.
Note: HCC does not offer housing or housing location assistance or cover relocation costs. HCC also does not cover transportation costs. Take into account your ability to secure housing and commute to your internship site in your chosen regions and subregions.
Please indicate the region(s) where you would be most interested and able to complete an HCC internship. If you indicate that you prefer in-person and hybrid opportunities, you must indicate at least one preference and can rank up to three total regional preferences. Only rank regions where you can reliably complete a 10 consecutive week full-time internship.

Please indicate only one region per preference. For the regions you rank, please also indicate all the sub-regions where you are interested in interning.


Placement #1

In the region you've selected, choose your preferred subregions. To add more subregions, click "Add another response" below, and a new "Subregion" section will appear for each selection. Ensure you specify the types of housing and transportation you'll utilize during your summer internship
Subregion(s)

To select multiple subregions, click on "Add another response" below.




Placement #2 (OPTIONAL)

In the region you've selected, choose your preferred subregions. To add more subregions, click "Add another response" below, and a new "Subregion" section will appear for each selection. Ensure you specify the types of housing and transportation you'll utilize during your summer internship
Subregion(s)

To select multiple subregions, click on "Add another response" below.




Placement #3 (OPTIONAL)

In the region you've selected, choose your preferred subregions. To add more subregions, click "Add another response" below, and a new "Subregion" section will appear for each selection. Ensure you specify the types of housing and transportation you'll utilize during your summer internship
Subregion(s)

To select multiple subregions, click on "Add another response" below.




ACADEMIC AND CAREER PROGRAMS

Grade Point Average


Health-Related Course Work

HCC internships typically focus on public health, health management, health policy, community health, health education, health equity, health finance, consulting, quality improvement, behavioral health, and health IT. HCC also offers internships in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

Relevant course work is offered in many different departments. Examples include:
Health Sciences, Community Health, Public Health, Social Work, Sociology, Social Welfare, Psychology, Pre-Med / Pre-Health, Pre-nursing, Business, Ethnic / Cultural Studies, Public Policy, Biomedical Engineering, American Studies, etc.

List your relevant coursework below. Include course work relevant to the type of health internship you are seeking. For example, add Business, Finance, and Accounting coursework if seeking a Health Management or Finance internship placement.
  Course Title   Institution Name   Grade
Course #1
Course #2
Course #3
Course #4
Course #5
Resume

Attach a current one-page resume which must include the following information:

  • Contact info (name, email, phone, city, state)
  • Education
  • Paid experience/internships/volunteer work
  • Student groups membership/leadership or professional affiliations
  • Relevant skills (e.g. language or technical skills)
  • Any other relevant information

Resume & Application Resources

Consult the resources at the links below if you would like more information about how to write a strong resume.

Resumes must be submitted in PDF format only. Use this filename format:
HCC2026_Firstname_Lastname_resume.pdf


PROFESSIONAL AND LANGUAGE SKILLS

HCC matches students to internship opportunities that align with their interests, backgrounds, and skills. Some host organizations are also looking for specific skills. Please list all skills that you have. Having prior skills is not required to be selected for the HCC Internship Program.
Professional and Technical Skills
Our internships are with a wide range of partners and engage in many different priority projects with host organizations. Please select up to 10 skills below that you feel you would contribute to an internship experience. To select multiple options, click "Add another response" and indicate your level of proficiency for each. You may select up to 10.


No competency level is required for this selected skill.
Language Skills
For the following questions, if you are not fluent and/or proficient in a language other than English, please select “Not Applicable". Note language proficiency beyond English is not a requirement for participation in HCC, though some host organizations may seek interns with language skills that align with their internship needs. 

Select all that apply. To select multiple options, hold down the ctrl or cmd key to select more than one option in the list.


Select all that apply. To select multiple options, hold down the ctrl or cmd key to select more than one option in the list.


Select all that apply. To select multiple options, hold down the ctrl or cmd key to select more than one option in the list.


SHORT ANSWERS

The questions below are intended to allow you to explain your interest in participating in HCC. We also hope your responses allow us to learn more about you as an applicant, including your interests, aspirations, background, and skills that may not be reflected in other parts of the application. 

Please respond to the following questions in your own authentic voice. Responses generated by AI or written by others will not be considered and may result in the rejection of your application.

NOTE: To make sure that you do not lose your work, we strongly advise drafting and saving your responses in another application (such as Microsoft Word, Notes, Notepad, etc.) first, and copying and pasting your final responses into the appropriate prompt field. 

300-word limit each









BACKGROUND INFORMATION



First generation college student is identified as an individual who is the first in their immediate family to attend a 4-year college or university or community college.


International students must be able to legally work in the United States to be eligible for the internship. If your Visa allows you to receive a stipend, you would qualify. You should check with your school’s student services or financial aid office.

Michael Drake Health Philanthropy Fellowship Program

Michael Drake Health Philanthropy Fellowship.png


HCC is partnering with The Commonwealth Fund to provide applicants with the opportunity to participate in the Michael Drake Health Philanthropy Fellowship Program. Selected fellows will complete full-time, in-person, 10-week summer placements at the Commonwealth Fund or partner philanthropic organizations in New York. Fellows will gain exposure to how philanthropic organizations work to improve health and advance health equity. They will also learn about career paths in health philanthropy and find mentors to help them advance towards their goals. Fellows will gain valuable hands-on experience working on projects and will enhance their professional development and networks through a comprehensive fellowship curriculum, including workshops and events. Fellows will learn and build valuable relationships through participation in Health Career Connection’s New York and national summer cohorts and will become part of HCC’s 5,800-plus alumni network for support throughout their careers. Program Overview:

  • Duration: The fellowship program will run for 10 weeks, from mid to late May, through early August 2026.
  • Location: Fellows will be placed at the Commonwealth Fund or partner philanthropic organizations in New York City.
  • Experience: Participants will gain hands-on exposure, work experience, receive mentorship, and support projects in health philanthropy. Participants will also benefit from HCC's comprehensive career and professional development programming.
  • Funding and Support: Each fellow will receive an educational stipend and support to attend professional development events in New York City and nearby regions. Support for transportation within New York City will be provided.
  • Eligibility: Undergraduate juniors or seniors, who have a demonstrated interest in health and/or philanthropy and want to gain exposure and experience in health philanthropy are encouraged to apply. Must be available to be a full-time fellow, in person in New York City, on a hybrid basis (at least two or three days a week) between mid to late May and early August.
Applicants who indicate their interest in being considered for the Michael Drake Health Philanthropy Fellowship below will be asked to complete a few supplemental questions before submitting their application.





COMPLETE APPLICATION

When you have completed your application, please click "Submit" for this application to be reviewed. Please make sure that you have answered all required questions and uploaded all required attachments.

If you are not yet finished with your application and would like to return to your application at a later time, do not click the "Submit" button. Instead, click the "Save my progress and resume later" link at the bottom of the page. You will be asked to enter your email address and choose a password, which you will use to resume and complete the application that you started. Only submit your application after you have answered all required questions marked * and attached your resume. 

Once submitted, you will not be able to make changes to your application. You will receive an email confirming your application has been submitted along with a copy of your application responses.

YOU MUST CONFIRM YOUR SUBMISSION BY CHECKING THE BOX ABOVE TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION.
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