Top schools for recruiting healthcare interns and other early career candidates

When you’re recruiting students for internships or recent grads for early career healthcare jobs, which are your favorite schools to recruit from and why? Here is what eight thought leaders have to say.

• Prefer Cal State for Open-Minded Grads
• Seek Community-Engaged Institution Graduates
• UCSF for Healthcare Innovation and Teamwork
• Focus on Hands-On Educational Experience
• Target Top Healthcare Academic Programs
• Value Clinical and Humanistic Psychology Training
• Diverse UK University Graduates Excel
• Respect Architectural Studies from Illinois

Prefer Cal State for Open-Minded Grads

Compared to bigger universities in California, Cal State grads seem more open-minded and willing to listen.

Since our operations are based in California, it’s no surprise that a majority of our staff and new hires have also studied here. Personally, I have a soft spot for individuals from California State University, since it happens to be my alma mater as well.

I appreciate their grounded nature, combined with their ability to pick up on things quite quickly. It’s clear that many of these students are smart and hard-working, but for me, they also bring a diverse range of skills and perspectives that enrich our team. In addition, compared to other bigger universities in CA, Cal State grads seem more open-minded and willing to listen—which is very important to me.

Sean Clough, President, Harmony Lab

Seek Community-Engaged Institution Graduates

I gravitate toward institutions prioritizing community engagement and service-learning when recruiting students for internships and early-career healthcare positions. These institutions offer students invaluable opportunities to apply their skills in real-world healthcare settings. 

By recruiting graduates from these schools, we uphold our organization’s commitment to community service and ensure that our interns and early-career hires embody compassion and patient-centeredness in their approach to healthcare. 

I’ve learned that recruiting from schools with strong community engagement initiatives enriches our talent pool and fosters a culture of empathy and dedication to patient care within our organization. My advice for readers is to prioritize candidates from institutions with similar values, as they are more likely to bring a compassionate and community-minded perspective to their roles in healthcare.

Brian Staver, CEO, Net Pay Advance

UCSF for Healthcare Innovation and Teamwork

My favorite university to recruit from when it comes to internships and entry-level healthcare positions is UCSF. Their healthcare programs are well-known for their demanding coursework, focus on clinical skills, and state-of-the-art research. 

The recent UCSF grads that I have employed have consistently shown a solid background in healthcare and a drive to improve patient care. UCSF is a great place to find outstanding healthcare personnel because of its dedication to innovation and teamwork, which perfectly fits the changing demands of the healthcare sector.

Aqsa Tabassam, PR and Brand Manager, RevenueGeeks

Focus on Hands-On Educational Experience

When recruiting for internships or early-career positions in healthcare, I focus on the quality of the candidates’ educational experiences rather than the prestige of their institutions. I look for programs that emphasize hands-on training, ethical practice, and innovative research. 

It’s crucial to find individuals who not only possess strong academic foundations but also demonstrate a deep commitment to advancing patient care. This approach allows us to tap into a diverse pool of talent, rich in dedication and fresh perspectives.

David Hill, MD, Plastic Surgeon and Medical Director, Fulcrum Aesthetics & Surgery

Target Top Healthcare Academic Programs

When recruiting students for internships or recent graduates for early-career healthcare jobs, we target institutions known for their excellent healthcare programs. Schools like Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, and the University of California, San Francisco stand out due to their rigorous academic training, cutting-edge research facilities, and extensive clinical exposure provided to students.

These institutions are renowned for producing highly skilled healthcare professionals equipped with the latest knowledge and techniques in medicine and healthcare. Their curricula often include hands-on clinical practice and internships in top medical facilities, ensuring that students graduate with practical experience and a deep understanding of patient care. 

This combination of theoretical knowledge and practical training makes graduates from these schools highly desirable for positions that require immediate competence and a high level of expertise in the healthcare field.

Bhavik Sarkhedi, CMO, Write Right

Value Clinical and Humanistic Psychology Training

As a psychotherapist, when it comes to recruiting students for internships or recent graduates for early-career healthcare jobs, I tend to favor schools that have a strong emphasis on both the clinical and the humanistic aspects of psychology. 

Universities such as Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, and the University of Chicago rank high on my list due to their comprehensive curriculum that covers a wide range of psychological theories and practices, including the latest in mental health research.

These schools not only provide robust clinical training but also encourage a deep understanding of the ethical considerations in therapy, empathy, cultural competency, and communication skills. 

This blend of rigorous academic preparation and a strong focus on developing empathetic, client-centered therapists is crucial for the kind of work we do, making graduates from these institutions highly appealing candidates for positions in my practice.

Ronnie Adamowicz, Psychotherapist, RonnieAdamowicz

Diverse UK University Graduates Excel

We’ve interviewed many thousands of people for our healthcare startup, Second Nature, and hired over 300 people over the last 10 years. If I look back over the years and think about our absolute superstars/rock stars in the business who we hired as either interns or new grads, then they’ve come from a wide range of UK universities, but typically some of the higher-ranking ones: Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, York, Bristol, and Birmingham.

While going to these schools/universities is a helpful signal about somebody’s academic ability and their work ethic, it certainly isn’t the be-all and end-all of hiring for a healthcare company. We’ve hired some absolutely fantastic people who didn’t go to university; so ultimately, it forms one data point as part of the hiring process.

Mike Gibbs, Co-Founder and COO, Second Nature

Respect Architectural Studies from Illinois

As the leader of Your IAQ, I have great respect for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and their Architectural Studies program, which has an Architectural Environment concentration. 

Students from this program develop deep expertise in building science principles, energy-modeling software, and creating high-performance building envelopes—all key factors influencing indoor air quality. 

Their project-based learning approach cultivates the critical thinking and real-world problem-solving abilities we value at our firm.

Gideon Ruben, CEO, Your IAQ