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Student Programs

Salinas Valley Health offers a variety of programs geared toward students of all ages to expose them to various areas of healthcare. High School and College students who wish to gain exposure to the hospital setting are encouraged to consider our Career Pathway Program and Health Explorers. If you wish for a shorter term experience, we accept a limited number of Job Shadowers. Job Shadowers must meet the same screening and orientation criteria as volunteers, completed at the Shadowers expense. Requests are approved at the discretion of the department in which the shadower wishes to observe. If you would like to learn more about the programs listed below, please call 755-0772 or email volunteer@salinasvalleyhealth.com.

Salinas Valley Health COPE Health Scholar Program

The COPE Health Scholar Program at Salinas Valley Health is the only one of its kind in the Central Coast Region of California and is one of many programs Salinas Valley Health offers to provide our diverse population with opportunities to explore a career in healthcare.

Career Pathway Program

Career Pathways Program (CPP) is our volunteer program for students 15 years and older. Students volunteer in areas such as Business Pathway/Information Desk, Retail Pathway/Gift Shop, and Clinical Pathway in various departments. After six months of continuous service, students may earn credit for community classroom/work experience credit or community service hours. Click here to fill out the application.

Health Explorers

Health Exploring at Salinas Valley Health complements our Career Pathway Program by providing enrichment programs coordinated by student leaders and presented by healthcare professionals. Learn More.

Medical Adventure Camp

This 2-week summer day camp provides 4th-6th-grade students with the opportunity to learn about Medicine in a fun format. The program includes presentations at the hospital from a variety of health professionals and field trips to sites such has Hyperbaric Chamber, US Coast Guard, Brookdale Memory Care Unit and Tech Museum of Innovation. The program fee is $200. Learn More

Summer Health Institute

This program offers local high school students who are eligible the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the hospital setting through classroom lessons, job shadowing, and team projects related to a clinical case study and a health advocacy topic. We encourage you to call early in the year as space is limited for this program. Learn More

Job Shadowing

Our Volunteer Services Department partners with Regional Occupational Program (R.O.P.) to provide job shadowing opportunities for local students. There are also a limited number of job shadowing opportunities for students enrolled in other relevant coursework. Please email volunteer@salinasvalleyhealth.com with a brief summary of your goals and objectives for the experience, including specific timelines. We will forward your request to the relevant department(s) and, if they are able to consider your request, we will forward the required application and educational referral forms.

When we receive your application and referral(s), we will schedule you for a volunteer orientation and forward you instructions on how to meet Employee Health screening requirements and a link to submit a background check request, to be completed at your expense. After the screening and orientation requirements have been met, you will receive a hospital ID badge, and the department will be notified that you are ready to be scheduled. If you have questions about the above process, please contact Volunteer Services at 831-755-0772 or volunteer@salinasvalleyhealth.com.