Health Scholars Program
The next step to your acceptance letter.
Become a standout applicant for professional schools or land your first healthcare job.
Overview
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What You'll Get:
Skills You'll Gain:
This program is designed for individuals pursuing any healthcare career, such as:
Medical School
Healthcare Administration
Nursing & PA School
Entry-level Healthcare Jobs
Population Health
Medical Technician Roles
Certificate of Completion:
Pre-licensed Clinical Care and Patient Experience
Program Requirements
- Must be 18+ years old.
- Healthcare Ethics & Compliance Training – Scholars must complete training on HIPAA, patient privacy, infection control, and workplace safety before starting.
- Basic Life Support (BLS) or CPR Certification – Some sites may require Scholars to be certified in CPR/BLS for Providers from the American Heart Association.
- Background Check & Health Screenings – Scholars must pass a background check, TB test, immunization verification, and drug screening as part of their onboarding.
- Professionalism & Conduct Standards – Participants must adhere to dress codes, behavioral expectations, and communication protocols in the healthcare setting.
- Program sites enforce substance-free learning environments, and drug testing may be required.
- Some sites may restrict concurrent enrollment for current volunteers or employees—contact admissions for site-specific policies.
Samartha Shrestha
Health Scholars Alum • Medical Student • University of Washington School of Medicine
“I found that I learned just as much from the patients as I did from the staff, the patients bring a perspective of how they live with their medical conditions. This information will give me a better understanding of how to provide care for my patients in the future.”
Sarah Smith
Health Scholars Alum • Physician Assistant Student •Yale School of Medicine
Sarah Smith gained pre-hospital patient care experience from her role as an EMT credits in tandem with her participation as a Health Scholar. She credits the program for her understanding of how hospitals truly function.
Carlos Melchor
Health Scholars Alum • MD Candidate at UC Davis School of Medicine
“Growing up as a son of Mexican immigrants in Ukiah, California, access to care can take months due to a lack of physicians in our community. In addition, there often exists a cultural and language barrier for Latino Spanish-speaking patients [in Ukiah]. Experiencing these disparities propelled me to pursue medicine.”
Benefits & Discounts
Key Dates
California
| Location | Application Deadline | Training Dates | Start Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adventist Health Bakersfield | July 15 | September 6, 13, & 20 | October 1 |
| Adventist Health Glendale | July 15 | September 7, 14, & 21 | October 1 |
| Adventist Health White Memorial | July 15 | September 6, 13, & 14 | October 1 |
| Dignity Health St. John's | July 15 | September 13, 14, & 20 | October 1 |
| Emanate Health | July 15 | September 6, 13, & 20 | October 1 |
| Hoag Memorial Presbyterian | July 15 | September 20, 21, & 27 | October 1 |
| Kaiser Permanente Anaheim | July 15 | September 6, 7, & 13 | October 1 |
| Kaiser Permanente Irvine | July 15 | September 13, 14, & 20 | October 1 |
| Kaiser Permanente Orange County | July 15 | October 1 | |
| Kaiser Permanente Riverside | July 15 | September 6, 7, & 13 | October 1 |
| Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills | July 15 | September 6, 13, & 14 | October 1 |
| Martin Luther King Community Healthcare | July 15 | October 1 | |
| Providence St. Joseph Hospital of Orange | July 15 | October 1 | |
| Riverside Community Hospital | July 15 | October 1 |
Hawaii
| Location | Application Deadline | Training Dates | Start Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adventist Health Castle | July 15 | October 1 |
Oregon
| Location | Application Deadline | Training Dates | Start Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adventist Health Portland | July 15 | September 14, 21, & 28 | October 1 |
Washington
| Location | Application Deadline | Training Dates | Start Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| MultiCare Spokane | July 15 | October 1 | |
| MultiCare Tacoma | July 15 | September 6, 7, & 13 | October 1 |
FAQ
Admissions
(Q) I am having trouble submitting my application through the web portal, what do I do?
(A) Please contact admissions@copehealthscholars.org and an admissions counselor from our team will reach out to you shortly.
(Q) I was not accepted. Can I reapply?
(A) Yes, you may re-apply. In your new application, highlight new insights or learning you have had since your last application. Please don’t re-submit the exact same application.
(Q) What can I do to increase my chances of admission?
(A) Take the application and interview process seriously. Spend time on you essay to demonstrate why you want to be in the program. Prepare for your interview and dress professionally. The career center at your college or university is a good resource for preparing for applications and interviews.
(Q) When do I need to show proof of immunizations and CPR certification?
(A) Proof of immunizations and your CPR certifications are required to be uploaded to your Scholar portal after you are admitted and enroll, but before you are permitted to attend training.
Program Specifics
(Q) Can I transfer from one site to another site?
(A) Yes, you can transfer from one site to another site, depending on space availability at the new site. There is a $145 transfer fee.
(Q) How often will I rotate into a new clinical or administrative department? Do I choose the department?
(A) Scholars rotate into new departments every three months after they complete a minimum of 48 hours in the current department. Scholars will fill out a department preference survey each rotation and are placed in new departments as space becomes available.
(Q) Why do some sites have more clinical areas than other sites? Why do some sites have only one or two clinical areas?
(A) The number of clinical areas varies based on a few factors: the length of time the site has been open, the size of the site, and the needs of the site. For new sites opened within the last two years, one to two clinical areas are typically opened every three months. For smaller sites, such as an acute care site with a relatively low number of beds, fewer areas are available because the site will have fewer clinical areas overall. The needs of the site also play a role – some sites will need more students in certain clinical areas and thus may have fewer open clinical areas.
Tuition
(Q) Do you accept scholarships from outside organizations?
(A) Yes, we do accept scholarships from outside organizations. If you have a scholarship from an outside organization, contact us at admissions@copehealthscholars.org for instructions on how to remit payment for the scholarship.
