We are happy to announce that the Healthcare Career Exploration Program for high school students will be returning in Summer 2026! Below you will find information regarding the program outline and eligibility requirements, as well as how to apply.
The Healthcare Career Exploration Program (HCEP) is an in-person immersive experience designed for high school students with an interest in a career in healthcare. Featuring guest speakers from various areas of the hospital each week, HCEP is meant to give participants an exploratory glimpse and well-rounded perspective of careers in a healthcare setting. We encourage students to apply who are not yet certain about their future college majors, who may have felt discouraged from a career in healthcare, who may not know all the roles/responsibilities in a hospital environment.
Program Dates: Monday, July 6th through Friday, August 21st.
The program will be 7 weeks in length consisting of:
- Mandatory HCEP Information Session with parents on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 5:30-7pm
- Mandatory In-Person Welcome Session/Orientation on Thursday, June 25th from 3-6pm.
- Seven 90-minute Career Exploration/Medical Innovation Sessions on Thursdays from 11-2pm (unless otherwise specified).
- In-person Volunteer Shifts weekly.
- A Finale Session on Friday, August 21st from 1-4pm certificates and light refreshments will be served.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a rising high school Junior/Senior, or a 2026 high school graduate. (no exceptions)
- Must be at least 16 years old.
- Must be able to attend 6 out of 7 weeks of the program 9 (Minimum of 22 hours total)
Program Outline
Career Exploration/Medical Innovation Sessions
Volunteers must attend 6/7 sessions. They will be held on Thursdays, with the exception of the first session which will be held Wednesday, July 8th.
- Wednesday, July 8th from 11:00am-2:00pm
- Thursday, July 16th from 11:00am-2:00pm
- Thursday, July 23rd from 11:00am-2:00pm
- Thursday, July 30th from 11:00am-2:00pm
- Thursday, August 6th from 11:00am-2:00pm
- Thursday, August 13th from 11:00am-2:00pm
Volunteer Shifts
Volunteers must complete 1-2 volunteer shifts per week. Students can choose either Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday:
In July: Central Transport Services (CTS) Shifts
In August: Patient Access Services (PAS) Shifts
- As well as a 1-hour PAS Training shift before starting. Note: any volunteers who do not complete the PAS training will not be able to move onto PAS in August and will remain in CTS.
How to apply
We are now accepting volunteer applications through Volgistics (click here to apply).
Once you have filled out the online application, please use this link to sign up for an in-person group interview slot: HCEP Group Interviews. The interview period will be from Monday, April 13th through Friday, May 1st. During this interview, we will go over more specifics about the program, the onboarding process, as well as get to know each of the applicants.
Please keep in mind, there is a limited capacity for the program so not everyone will be selected; however, we will send out an email with our decision by Friday, May 8th.
If you have any questions, you can contact Volunteer Services through by email (bwhvcas@partners.org) or you can give the Volunteer Coordinator, Amy Depina Almeida, a call at 617-525-6028.
