Healthcare Career Academy (HCA)
The Healthcare Career Academy (HCA) at Rady Children’s Health partners with schools, districts, community organizations, and corporate partners to connect students with meaningful career exploration and structured workplace mentorship opportunities.
Through hands-on experiences, professional mentorship, and exposure to real-world healthcare environments, students gain a better understanding of careers in both clinical and non-clinical fields while building the knowledge, confidence, and skills to prepare for their future. HCA has a special focus on creating opportunities for underserved and underrepresented communities, helping expand access to pathways into healthcare careers and inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals.
HCA offers a variety of programs, each with its own eligibility requirements, partnerships, and application processes. Programs and opportunities are subject to change as partnerships, program needs, and organizational priorities evolve. We look forward to continuing to grow HCA and expand opportunities for students across our community.
Please reach out to the HCA team to learn more about current programs and opportunities.
All HCA participants, including minor students, adult students, and staff participants, complete a comprehensive onboarding process. This ensures participants understand Rady Children’s Health’s workplace culture, policies, and expectations while becoming integrated members of the teams where they learn and contribute.
For program interest, please contact [email protected].
Orange County HCA Programs & Partners
Minor Summer Student Programs
- Career Exploration Experience (CEE)
- CEO Leadership Alliance Orange County (CLAOC)
- Program Timeline: June – July (90 hours, $500 Stipend)
- Students: OC high school juniors & seniors
- Learn more
- Career Technical Education (CTE)
- Garden Grove Unified School District
- Program Timeline: June – July (80 hours)
- Students: GGUSD high school students
- Learn more
Minor School Year Student Programs
- Cristo Rey OC Corporate Work Study Program
- Program Timeline: September – May (entire school year)
- Students: Cristo Rey freshmen to seniors
- Learn more
- High School Inc. (HSI) – Valley High School & Century High School
- Healthcare Career Fairs – Fall & Spring
- Scheduled speakers throughout the school year
- Samueli Academy
- Healthcare Career Fairs – Fall & Spring
- Career Day, Campus Tours, Healthcare Campus Club
- Healthcare Career Fairs & Workshops
- Fall & Spring Fairs
- Workshops scheduled throughout the year
- Youth Community Opportunities (Girl Scouts/ Eagle Scouts)
Adult Student Programs
- Career Exploration Experience (CEE)
- CEO Leadership Alliance Orange County (CLAOC)
- Program Timeline: June – July (90 hours, $500 Stipend)
- Students: 1st & 2nd year OC college
- Learn more
- College Career Experience (CCE)
- CEO Leadership Alliance Orange County (CLAOC)
- Program Timeline: June – July (60 hours, $20 per hour)
- Students: 3rd & 4th year OC college students
- Learn more
- Healthcare Coalition (HCC)
- CEO Leadership Alliance Orange County (CLAOC) & Health Career Connection
- Program Timeline: October 2025 – October 2028
- Pathway Focus: Surgical Technician
Neurodiverse Student Programs:
- Gillman E.L.E.V.A.T.E. Options
- Goodwill of Orange County, OC Regional Center
- Referral from OC Regional Center; please see the OC Regional Center coordinator for more information on eligibility and the application process
- Program Timeline: Santiago Canyon College (SCC) school year for Fall 2027
- Paid Internship Program (PIP)
- Goodwill of Orange County, OC Regional Center
- Program Timeline: Ongoing (1,040 hours/ up to one year)
- Participating Departments: Materials Management, Environmental Services, Thompson Autism & Neurodevelopment Center (TANC), Mission Viejo Campus
- Departments subject to change based on student career interest
San Diego Campus
As of July 1, 2026, the San Diego team joined HR Future Workforce Development & Community Partnerships under the Healthcare Career Academy (HCA). This brings together the incredible workforce development work happening across San Diego with the programs already established in Orange County. The Orange County and San Diego teams are aligning best practices, learning from one another, and continuing to grow workforce initiatives that support and inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals.
FACES for the Future San Diego
FACES for the Future San Diego is a three-year health careers pathway program launched by Rady Children’s Hospital in 2009. The program supports high school students from the City Heights community beginning in their sophomore year through high school graduation, preparing students for careers in healthcare and other fields that offer competitive wages and opportunities for upward mobility.
Rady Children’s provides hospital-based job shadow rotations, community-based career experiences, and school-based support throughout the program. FACES San Diego has continued to expand its reach, including expansion to a third high school in 2018. Support continues beyond high school graduation through career development events, professional opportunities, and continued connection with FACES alumni as they progress through college and transition into the workforce.
Click here to learn more from the SD website (updates coming soon!)
Summer Medical Academy
Summer Medical Academy provides students with an immersive introduction to healthcare careers through hands-on learning and exposure to a hospital environment. Students have the opportunity to learn about a variety of clinical and non-clinical healthcare careers while connecting with healthcare professionals and exploring potential career pathways. The program is designed to give students practical exposure to healthcare and help them better understand the education, training, and experiences needed to pursue careers in the field. Learn more.
Weekend Medical Academy
Weekend Medical Academy provides students with healthcare career exploration and learning opportunities throughout the academic year. The program combines educational sessions, hands-on activities, and exposure to different healthcare professions to help students build knowledge and confidence as they explore future careers. Through the program, students have opportunities to engage with Rady Children’s staff and learn more about the different roles and career pathways available within a healthcare organization. Learn more.
Participating Departments
- Laboratory
- Business Continuity & Emergency Management
- Pharmacy
- Community Education
- Primary Care Clinics
- Information Technology
- Restorative Care — Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech & Language Pathology
- Government Affairs
- Research
- Patient & Family Experience
- Human Resources
- Respiratory
- Nursing Research & Innovation
- Social Services
- Urgent Care
- Population Health
- RCH Mission — Clinical Rotations
- Materials Management
- Outpatient Specialty Clinics — Clinical Rotations
- Quality & Risk
- Environmental Services
Frequently Asked Questions
All HCA participants complete a comprehensive onboarding process before beginning their program. Requirements may include medical clearance, a urine drug screen, a background check for participants 18 and older, required documentation such as parental consent and confidentiality/HIPAA agreements, online training, orientation, and additional requirements based on the program and department. This process ensures students are fully cleared to participate and integrated into our organization, while being expected to follow the same workplace policies and expectations as members of our organization.
Patient interaction varies by program, department, and role. Some opportunities may include direct patient interaction and observation, while others focus on behind-the-scenes operations, administrative work, research, or other non-clinical areas. HCA experiences are designed to provide meaningful career exposure and workplace mentorship based on the student’s program and level of experience.
Please note that HCA programs are not shadowing opportunities and do not provide clinical hours for professional rotations or required hours for program completion.
HCA welcomes students from a wide variety of backgrounds, schools, communities, and educational experiences, with interests spanning the many career paths within healthcare — from information technology and business to nursing and other clinical professions. Our students range in age from 14 to 35+, and we welcome learners at different stages of their education and career exploration.
We meet students where they are, taking into account their individual goals, experiences, and needs to help create a successful and meaningful program experience. Students have the opportunity to learn from the amazing professionals at Rady Children’s Health, explore different areas of healthcare, and gain meaningful workplace experience. We also love welcoming students back to explore new departments and programs as their interests and career goals evolve.
As HCA continues to grow, we are expanding our partnerships with local schools, colleges, and universities to create opportunities that align with students’ interests and prepare them for future careers — whether at Rady Children’s Health or within the broader healthcare community in Orange County.
Our neurodiverse workforce programs are specifically designed for participants referred through the Orange County Regional Center. Our neurodiverse programs support adult students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including many individuals who are on the autism spectrum, as they develop professional skills, workplace confidence, and greater independence.
Through these programs, Goodwill of Orange County provides workshops and supportive staff throughout the experience, while participants gain hands-on experience in a healthcare workplace. Participants may also earn college credit through Santiago Canyon College.
Please email [email protected] and include your name, grade or year in school, school or college, and any HCA programs you may be interested in. Our team will review your information and help connect you with opportunities that may be a good fit for your interests and goals.