Paid Healthcare Internships and Career Pathways for Denver High School Students
See it. Explore it. Become it.
VISTA Pathways to Health Careers (VISTA) is a two-year Denver Health program that helps Denver metro high school students explore careers in healthcare and build a path to get there. Starting in junior year, students take part in monthly field trips and workshops, a paid internship at Denver Health, mentorship with healthcare professionals, health certifications, and individualized college and career planning. Support continues after graduation through career coaching, scholarships, and networking.
Program graduates now work as nurses, doctors, researchers, laboratory scientists, public health professionals, medical interpreters, technicians, and more. VISTA was formerly known as the Medical Career Collaborative (MC2).
Who can apply
High school sophomores in the Denver metro area
Commitment
Two years, junior and senior year, plus alumni support
Paid internship
100–120 paid hours at Denver Health during junior year
Next application
Opens mid-January 2027 for the 2027–2028 program year
The VISTA Journey
VISTA begins in junior year and continues through senior year and beyond. Select any program component below to learn more.
Junior and Senior Year
See It: Discover What’s Possible
Explore careers, settings, and opportunities across healthcare.
Field Trips & Workshops
About once a month, students attend field trips and workshops at Denver Health, other local healthcare organizations, and colleges and universities. Juniors learn about at least 10 healthcare career paths, such as emergency medicine, laboratory sciences, osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, and public health, and the education and training each one requires.
Junior Year
Explore It: Experience It Firsthand
Learn through hands-on experience alongside healthcare professionals and peers.
Paid Internship
Juniors complete a 100–120 hour paid internship in a Denver Health department during either a 12-week winter session or a 7-week summer session. Placements include both patient-facing and non-patient-facing departments, where students observe, shadow, and assist staff.
Mentoring
Each student is matched with one or more Denver Health mentors for the internship. Mentors include technicians, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), medical assistants, nurses, medical students, residents, physicians, public health professionals, social workers, therapists, and researchers.
Weekly Seminars
During the internship, VISTA staff lead a two-hour weekly seminar where students reflect on their internships, learn from peers, and build healthcare knowledge, including medical terminology.
Senior Year and Beyond
Become It: Build Your Path Forward
Get the guidance, resources, and support to reach your goals.
College & Career Planning
Seniors get individualized support planning their next step after high school, whether that is college, career and technical education, a training or certificate program, or the workforce. Workshops cover writing college and scholarship applications and navigating financial aid, along with help researching programs and gathering recommendations.
Healthcare Certifications
Seniors earn health-related certifications such as Mental Health First Aid, Bleeding Control, and Basic Life Support. Through VISTA’s internal and external partnerships, alumni can access certification programs such as certified nursing assistant (CNA), emergency medical technician (EMT), and phlebotomy, along with other education and training opportunities.
Career Coaching & Job Search Support
Alumni have continued access to career coaching as they explore options, find opportunities, search for jobs, and work toward their career goals.
Scholarships
Program-sponsored scholarships help alumni continue their education and career development.
Networking
Alumni connect with healthcare professionals and peers through networking and professional development opportunities and stay part of the VISTA community.
Coming Soon
VISTA Journey Roadmap
A step-by-step look at each stage of the VISTA program, from junior year through graduation and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers about eligibility, the application, internship schedules, pay, and more.
What Students Are Saying
This program provided me with an opportunity to experience what working in the medical field was like before even graduating high school. Such a chance is rare and helps students like me better determine what their passions are and what they want to pursue within the healthcare field.
As a first-generation student heading off to college, I thought that becoming a nurse or doctor or any other role in healthcare would be difficult, but being in this program allowed me to believe I can be who I want to be with the support of the people I have met along the way.
This program has not only helped me learn so much about medicine but has opened up so many new opportunities, goals, and support systems for me!
How to Apply to VISTA
VISTA is currently offered only at Denver Health. The program receives more than 200 applications each year for 30 spots.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants must:
- Be a current high school sophomore at the time of application
- Attend any high school in the Denver metro area
- Be legally authorized to work in the United States by the start of the program
- Be able to commit to the full two years (students planning to graduate early are not eligible)
Accepted students begin the program at the start of their junior year.
How Are Students Selected?
A selection committee reviews every application and considers:
- Essays: Interest, perspective, personal voice, impact, depth, and maturity
- Language skills: Skills that support communication and language access in healthcare
- Student need: Access to opportunity
- Recommendation: One recommendation from an adult who is not a relative
- GPA: Considered, but there is no minimum GPA requirement
Some applicants are then invited to interview.
The program cannot make exceptions to the eligibility criteria. Students who do not meet them may want to explore Denver Health’s Job Shadowing Program or other healthcare career opportunities for students.
Recruitment and Application Timeline
Applications for the 2026–2027 program year are closed. Applications for the 2027–2028 program year open in mid-January 2027. Please check back then to apply.
- Dec–FebStudent recruitment
- Mid-JanuaryApplication opens
- Early MarchApplication closes
- March–AprilApplication review
- Early MayInterviews
- Mid-MayFinal decisions
- AugustNew students start
VISTA Frequently Asked Questions
Choose a topic to jump to it, then select a question to see the answer.
About the Program
Is VISTA the same as Denver Health’s Medical Career Collaborative (MC2)?
Yes. The Medical Career Collaborative (MC2) at Denver Health is now VISTA Pathways to Health Careers. Many program components remain the same.
How long is the commitment to VISTA?
VISTA is a two-year commitment during junior and senior year of high school. After graduation, alumni are encouraged to stay connected and can continue using VISTA’s career coaching, certification, scholarship, and networking support.
What workshops, field trips, and trainings are offered?
In junior year, workshops and field trips introduce at least 10 healthcare career paths, such as emergency medicine, laboratory sciences, osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, and public health. In senior year, workshops prepare students for life after high school, including writing college and scholarship applications and learning about financial aid. Seniors also earn health-related certifications such as Mental Health First Aid, Bleeding Control, and Basic Life Support. Offerings vary by year.
How often and when do workshops take place?
Workshops, field trips, and trainings take place about once a month during junior and senior year, roughly 12 per year. Most last 60 to 90 minutes, with a few full-day trainings. During the school year, they start after school between 4:45 and 5:15 p.m. or take place on weekends. During school breaks and summer, they start during the day between 9 and 9:30 a.m.
Applying
Who is eligible to apply to VISTA?
Applicants must be current high school sophomores, attend any high school in the Denver metro area, and be authorized to work in the United States by the start of the program.
Can I apply if I am not a sophomore or plan to graduate early?
No. Applications are open only to current high school sophomores. Because VISTA requires a full two-year commitment, students who know they will graduate from high school early are not eligible.
Can I apply after the application window closes?
No. Applications are accepted only while the application window is open, typically mid-January through early March.
Do I need to be authorized to work in the United States?
Yes. VISTA includes a paid internship and prepares students for healthcare careers, so participants must be authorized to work in the United States.
Is there a minimum GPA to apply?
No. GPA is one factor the selection committee considers, but a lower GPA does not automatically disqualify an applicant from review or an interview. The committee focuses on whether a student can succeed academically and in the program. Students can share context about their GPA in an essay question or during an interview, if invited.
How many recommendations do I need?
One. Applicants name one recommender, who completes the online recommendation. The recommender can be any adult who knows the student through school, work, or the community, but cannot be a relative. Additional recommendations are not reviewed.
How competitive is VISTA?
VISTA receives more than 200 applications each year for 30 spots.
Internships
When do internships take place?
Each student completes one internship session during junior year: a 12-week winter session (usually November to February) or a 7-week summer session (usually June to July). Both sessions require the same 100 to 120 hours. Students can share a preferred session, but VISTA staff make the final placement, so students should choose the session when they have the most availability and can meet the attendance requirements.
How many hours per week is the internship?
| Detail | Winter session | Summer session |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Winter: 12 weeks, usually November to February | Summer: 7 weeks, usually June to July |
| Weekly hours | Winter: About 8 to 10 hours | Summer: About 14 to 17 hours |
| When | Winter: After school, weekends, and school breaks | Summer: Weekday business hours, plus some afternoons and weekends |
| Sample week | Winter: Two 4-hour shifts, such as Tuesday 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Summer: Two 8-hour shifts, such as Monday and Wednesday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
In both sessions, students also attend a two-hour weekly seminar and continue monthly workshops. Students set their schedules with their mentors, so hours vary by department and are confirmed after placement. Students need enough availability to match their mentor’s schedule and meet the minimum hours.
What is the internship attendance policy?
Winter interns may miss no more than two weeks, and summer interns may miss no more than one week. If another activity would require missing more time than allowed, students will need to choose between that activity and the VISTA internship.
Can I choose my internship department?
Students can share their interests, and VISTA staff make the final placement decisions. Available departments vary by session and include both patient-facing and non-patient-facing areas. Options are shared at each student’s pre-internship meeting.
What will I do during my internship?
Duties vary by department. Students observe, shadow, and assist staff as appropriate, and may be given tasks that help the department, staff, or patients.
Can I change my internship placement?
Placement changes are rare. Students are encouraged to find something to learn in every placement and to talk with VISTA staff about any concerns.
Pay, Credit & Requirements
Is the VISTA internship paid?
Yes. Students are paid for the hours they work during their internship, at no less than Colorado minimum wage. Pay applies to internship hours only.
Can I get school credit for VISTA?
Possibly. Students can arrange credit with their own high school, and VISTA will support that arrangement. Denver Public Schools (DPS) recognizes VISTA as a vetted internship program that may count for course credit. Talk with your school counselor to learn more.
What vaccinations are required?
Participants must have the same vaccinations Denver Health requires of its employees, including an annual flu vaccine or an approved exemption, because of the patient populations the hospital serves. COVID-19 vaccination is encouraged, following CDC guidelines, but is not required.
Is transportation provided?
No. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from all program activities.
Can I also volunteer at Denver Health?
Yes. Volunteering is separate from VISTA and requires its own application. Students are encouraged to wait until after they complete their internship to volunteer.
