Students, families, faculty, and health care partners gathered on May 8 to celebrate the latest graduating class of the UK Careers in Health care Internship Program (CHIP), a pathway program designed to introduce Kentucky high school students to careers in medicine and health care through direct clinical exposure and mentorship.
The ceremony featured 10 student graduates and marked the completion of another year of growth for the program, which is continuing to expand its reach through new partnerships across the Commonwealth.
CHIP is housed within the UK College of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine. It provides students with opportunities to observe clinical care, engage with health professionals, and learn about the educational pathways required for careers across the health care workforce. Throughout the program, students gain exposure to a variety of clinical environments and specialties while developing a clearer understanding of the day-to-day realities of patient care.
Beginning in August, CHIP will partner with Centerpoint Health to provide new clinical and observational experiences for students in Scott County schools. Students will rotate through Georgetown, Bourbon County, and Versailles Community hospitals, in addition to select experiences at UK HealthCare. CHIP has also established a new partnership with Ephraim McDowell Health, creating opportunities for students at Boyle County High School and Danville Independent as well.
These new partnerships are intended to increase access to health care career exploration opportunities for students across Kentucky while strengthening connections between local school systems and regional health care organizations. Program leaders say those partnerships are part of a broader effort to address Kentucky’s long-term workforce needs by introducing students to health care careers earlier and helping them build relationships with clinicians and institutions in their home communities.
In recent years, CHIP has continued to grow both in student participation and in the number of clinical partners involved in the program. By combining mentorship, shadowing, and structured career exploration, the program aims to help students make informed decisions about future educational and professional paths in health care.