Application Instructions
The HPSP application process includes two parts: 1. This application form, which includes 3 short essays (5500 character limit, total, including spaces), and 2. a separate recorded interview component via Kaltura. Applications will be reviewed by a selections team and assessed based on:
Alignment with program goals and priorities
Readiness to fully engage in all program components
Need for the specific professional development experiences offered through HPSP.
Applications (this Qualtrics application and the Kaltura Interview) are due Sunday, February 9th at 11:59pm CT. Late applications will not be accepted.
Selected applicants will be invited to a final interview in late early March. All applicants will receive communication of decisions by Monday, March 31st.
About HPSP: Please read thoroughly
The Health Professions Shadowing Program (HPSP) is an intensive, two-week shadowing and professional development experience designed to help increase access and equity in healthcare.
HPSP is jointly administered by the UW-Madison Center for Pre-Health Advising (CPHA) and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) Office of Multicultural Affairs, and includes a wide variety of opportunities to shadow and network with health care providers, explore potential career paths, think critically about health equity, experience clinical settings, and grow as future leaders in healthcare. The program supports and requires significant personal and professional growth and commitment.
There are no costs to students associated with participation in this program! We will work with participants to coordinate transportation, tech, meal, and housing needs. For example, optional on-campus housing will be provided, and (in addition to a number of catered meals), a supplemental food stipend will be provided via participant Wiscards. After the summer program, HPSP alumni have access to additional advising and resources from CPHA, UW SMPH, and other professional programs while continuing their pre-health journeys.
HPSP is a limited capacity program. See below for a full list of eligibility criteria and selections considerations. We welcome applications from all interested students!
Schedule and Participation Expectations
HPSP 2025 will be held from Monday, July 28th – Friday, August 8th, 2025
Selected participants must provide proof of immunizations (or proof of exemption), complete a background check, and complete all required orientation processes before the end of the Spring 2025 Semester.
With the exception of an informal welcome dinner gathering at the HPSP residence hall on Sunday, July 27th, programming runs Monday-Friday. Please plan for between ~7am-6:30pm, as some days will start quite early/some may end as late as 6:30pm.
Students must be available to participate Monday-Friday for the entire two weeks (there is no required programming the weekend of August 2 & 3). The final schedule, including specific times, will be provided in July.
You are welcome to work or volunteer on the weekends, but working during the week (including evenings) has not been sustainable for most participants in the past. Again, the program is intensive.
Prior approval is required for enrollment in any coursework (including online courses) while HPSP is in session. We strongly recommend you do not plan to be enrolled in coursework during HPSP.
All participants should plan to reside in or near Madison during the program. Housing accommodations in UW-Madison residence halls will be available at no cost if needed.
Admitted students who are ultimately unable or unwilling to fully participate in HPSP or meet overall program expectations may be at risk for dismissal. Exceptions due to illness or extenuating circumstances may be made by program leadership team. We are here to help support you and your personal and professional growth!
We anticipate an in-person program in 2025. Shadowing and other experiences will continue to be shaped by both UW Health/provider requirements as well as public health policies. For example, a range of vaccinations (including and beyond COVID) are mandatory, and masks may be required in clinical programming. In the event that the program is unable to shadow or visit a clinic in-person, an alternative virtual experience will be offered. Regardless of the format, we can promise that throughout the program you'll network with a wide range of health professionals with whom you can connect for informational interviews and future in-person shadowing.
Eligibility Criteria
Interest in pursuing professional health care programs.
Commitment to working towards greater equity in health care.
Understanding and appreciation of the importance of a diversity of perspectives in healthcare teams (via lived experiences, identities, educational backgrounds).
Priority will be given to applicants who will significantly benefit from gaining more exposure to health career fields and building related professional networks.
Applicants must be currently enrolled UW-Madison students in good academic and non-academic standing at time of application and participation (i.e. enrolled in fall 2024, enrolled for spring 2025, minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, etc).
Applicants must have completed at least one semester of degree-seeking coursework on the UW-Madison campus by the program's start. Incoming first-year students will not be selected.
Students may not apply if they will be applying to a professional program in 2025 (medical school, PA school, etc.)
Participants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients.
No previous shadowing experience is necessary! However, the most successful applicants in previous years have started to gain some initial health-related experience through volunteering, student organizations, etc., prior to admission.
We welcome applications from all interested students! Students who come from groups underrepresented and underserved in healthcare are highly encouraged to apply, including but not limited to students from rural or socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, students with disabilities, BIPOC students*, and LGBTQIA+ students.
*AAMC specifically defines underrepresented in medicine as racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population. HPSP priority selections considerations expand upon this definition in order to align with our program goals of helping to increase access and equity in healthcare.
See the American Association of Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) compilation of resources for examples of related efforts at the professional school level.
Questions?
Thank you for your interest in the Health Professions Shadowing Program. We look forward to reviewing your application! If you have any questions, please email Dua Ci Khang (dkhang@wisc.edu).
Health Professions Shadowing Program (HPSP)
Application Instructions
The HPSP application process includes two parts: 1. This application form, which includes 3 short essays (5500 character limit, total, including spaces), and 2. a separate recorded interview component via Kaltura. Applications will be reviewed by a selections team and assessed based on:
Alignment with program goals and priorities
Readiness to fully engage in all program components
Need for the specific professional development experiences offered through HPSP.
Applications (this Qualtrics application and the Kaltura Interview) are due Sunday, February 9th at 11:59pm CT. Late applications will not be accepted.
Selected applicants will be invited to a final interview in late early March. All applicants will receive communication of decisions by Monday, March 31st.
About HPSP: Please read thoroughly
The Health Professions Shadowing Program (HPSP) is an intensive, two-week shadowing and professional development experience designed to help increase access and equity in healthcare.
HPSP is jointly administered by the UW-Madison Center for Pre-Health Advising (CPHA) and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) Office of Multicultural Affairs, and includes a wide variety of opportunities to shadow and network with health care providers, explore potential career paths, think critically about health equity, experience clinical settings, and grow as future leaders in healthcare. The program supports and requires significant personal and professional growth and commitment.
There are no costs to students associated with participation in this program! We will work with participants to coordinate transportation, tech, meal, and housing needs. For example, optional on-campus housing will be provided, and (in addition to a number of catered meals), a supplemental food stipend will be provided via participant Wiscards. After the summer program, HPSP alumni have access to additional advising and resources from CPHA, UW SMPH, and other professional programs while continuing their pre-health journeys.
HPSP is a limited capacity program. See below for a full list of eligibility criteria and selections considerations. We welcome applications from all interested students!
Schedule and Participation Expectations
HPSP 2025 will be held from Monday, July 28th – Friday, August 8th, 2025
Selected participants must provide proof of immunizations (or proof of exemption), complete a background check, and complete all required orientation processes before the end of the Spring 2025 Semester.
With the exception of an informal welcome dinner gathering at the HPSP residence hall on Sunday, July 27th, programming runs Monday-Friday. Please plan for between ~7am-6:30pm, as some days will start quite early/some may end as late as 6:30pm.
Students must be available to participate Monday-Friday for the entire two weeks (there is no required programming the weekend of August 2 & 3). The final schedule, including specific times, will be provided in July.
You are welcome to work or volunteer on the weekends, but working during the week (including evenings) has not been sustainable for most participants in the past. Again, the program is intensive.
Prior approval is required for enrollment in any coursework (including online courses) while HPSP is in session. We strongly recommend you do not plan to be enrolled in coursework during HPSP.
All participants should plan to reside in or near Madison during the program. Housing accommodations in UW-Madison residence halls will be available at no cost if needed.
Admitted students who are ultimately unable or unwilling to fully participate in HPSP or meet overall program expectations may be at risk for dismissal. Exceptions due to illness or extenuating circumstances may be made by program leadership team. We are here to help support you and your personal and professional growth!
We anticipate an in-person program in 2025. Shadowing and other experiences will continue to be shaped by both UW Health/provider requirements as well as public health policies. For example, a range of vaccinations (including and beyond COVID) are mandatory, and masks may be required in clinical programming. In the event that the program is unable to shadow or visit a clinic in-person, an alternative virtual experience will be offered. Regardless of the format, we can promise that throughout the program you'll network with a wide range of health professionals with whom you can connect for informational interviews and future in-person shadowing.
Eligibility Criteria
Interest in pursuing professional health care programs.
Commitment to working towards greater equity in health care.
Understanding and appreciation of the importance of a diversity of perspectives in healthcare teams (via lived experiences, identities, educational backgrounds).
Priority will be given to applicants who will significantly benefit from gaining more exposure to health career fields and building related professional networks.
Applicants must be currently enrolled UW-Madison students in good academic and non-academic standing at time of application and participation (i.e. enrolled in fall 2024, enrolled for spring 2025, minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, etc).
Applicants must have completed at least one semester of degree-seeking coursework on the UW-Madison campus by the program's start. Incoming first-year students will not be selected.
Students may not apply if they will be applying to a professional program in 2025 (medical school, PA school, etc.)
Participants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients.
No previous shadowing experience is necessary! However, the most successful applicants in previous years have started to gain some initial health-related experience through volunteering, student organizations, etc., prior to admission.
We welcome applications from all interested students! Students who come from groups underrepresented and underserved in healthcare are highly encouraged to apply, including but not limited to students from rural or socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, students with disabilities, BIPOC students*, and LGBTQIA+ students.
*AAMC specifically defines underrepresented in medicine as racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population. HPSP priority selections considerations expand upon this definition in order to align with our program goals of helping to increase access and equity in healthcare.
See the American Association of Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) compilation of resources for examples of related efforts at the professional school level.
Questions?
Thank you for your interest in the Health Professions Shadowing Program. We look forward to reviewing your application! If you have any questions, please email Dua Ci Khang (dkhang@wisc.edu).