This page features one specific pathway to exploring and gaining experience in healthcare fields. Check out the Gaining Experience sections of our website for even more ideas!
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 2025 will take place Monday, July 28th – Friday, August 8th. Applications for HPSP 2025 closed in February.
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.
Apply to HPSP!
The 2025 Program application is closed. The 2026 application will open in December 2025.
Questions? Reach out: questions@prehealth.wisc.edu.
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!
Capacity building through campus & community partnerships: Please know that we are always seeking additional clinical partners and additional funding opportunities, both of which are necessary to increasing program capacity. If you are interested in learning more about supporting HPSP or other professional development programming, please contact Molly Reinhard at molly.reinhard@wisc.edu.
Program Structure
The two-week program offers students a variety of experiences:
- Network with a wide range of healthcare professionals, including physicians, faculty, current students, and a wide range of health professionals from the UW SMPH
- Professional development workshops put on by CPHA, UW-Madison campus partners, and community partners
- Panels with current professional program students and professional program admissions representatives (M.D., PA, MPH, PT, O.T., PharmD, etc.)
- Learn about current trends in healthcare and increase understanding of health disparities of both rural and urban communities in Wisconsin
- Continued advising and resources provided by the Center for Pre-Health Advising and the SMPH Pathways Programs
Other activities may include:
- Workshops to strengthen communication skills among peers, patients, and providers
- Visiting a charitable pharmacy
- Engaging with local community organizations
Participants
Typically 15-20 students participate in each HPSP cohort. Almost 100 students have participated in the program since its inception in 2016.
Program Costs
Program costs are fully sponsored by CPHA, UW SMPH, and other campus/community partners. We work with participants to coordinate transportation, on-campus housing, tech, or meal needs during the duration of the program.
The only potential cost participants will need to budget for is purchasing business attire if they do not own any already. Please feel free to utilize the SuccessWorks Career Closet if needed!
Shadowing
In typical years, students shadow a variety of healthcare professionals at UW Hospital and other area affiliated hospitals and clinics:
Are you a healthcare provider interested in hosting an HPSP learner? We invite you to fill out our interest form below. We’d love to connect and talk more about how we can collaborate!
Eligibility & Selections Considerations
- Interest in pursuing professional healthcare programs.
- Commitment to working towards greater equity in healthcare.
- Understanding and appreciation of the importance of a diversity of perspectives in healthcare teams (via lived experiences, identities, educational, and professional backgrounds).
- Applicants must be currently enrolled as *degree-seeking* UW-Madison students in good academic and non-academic standing on the application deadline and at the time of participation (i.e. enrolled in spring, enrolled for fall, 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.
- Priority will be given to applicants who will significantly benefit from gaining more exposure to health career fields and building related professional networks.
How to Apply
Applications open every December and are typically due in early to mid-February. The application process includes an application form and submission of a recorded interview. Finalists will be invited to complete live interviews with the program selections committee.
The HPSP 2025 application process has closed. HPSP 2026 applications will open in December 2025.
HPSP Highlights
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can international students apply to HPSP?
Unfortunately, HPSP is unable to consider international students at this time. Due to partnership and funding restrictions, participants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients. However, we welcome and encourage international students to use all other resources from the Center for Pre-Health Advising.
If I am an incoming freshman, may I apply?
We’re excited for you to start your time at UW-Madison! However, only currently enrolled students who have completed two semesters of coursework at UW-Madison (or transfer students) can apply for HPSP.
Can I continue working at my job during the program?
Students must participate in all scheduled programming, which begins around 8:00 AM and concludes between 4:00 – 7:00 PM Monday – Friday. Students may spend some evenings working on their final projects. Since we do not have scheduled programming on weekends, students can use that time however they would like.
Can I take summer classes during the program?
We understand that HPSP runs during the same time as many summer classes and acknowledge the importance of both. If a student were to be interested in taking a summer class during HPSP, they will need to work with the HPSP director to create a plan of action to ensure success in both areas.
Will I be shadowing the same provider the whole time?
In typical years, each student is paired with a different provider each day and will gain over 30 hours of shadowing experience over the course of eight days. We ask for student preferences but cannot guarantee placement. However, we believe that exploring a variety of professions will help you understand career options in healthcare and develop a better understanding of how the system operates overall.