Arizona Health Opportunities Pathways to Excellence (AZ-HOPE)
AZ-HOPE is a collaboration between academic and community partners to promote and support the pathway of health professionals in the state of Arizona.
AZ-HOPE is recruiting students who have an interest in strengthening their competitiveness for the successful admission to and completion of health professional degrees. The program is provided free to students and is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Individuals who are interested in applying to any Arizona health professions program are eligible to apply.
Who should apply?
- Rising high school junior and senior students
- Health professions degree students
- Community college students, particularly those with an expressed interest in transferring to a four-year pre-health or health professions program
- Undergraduate students pursuing careers in health care
- Adult, nontraditional learners
- Advanced health professions degree students (including conditional admissions postbaccalaureate programs)
AZ-HOPE Ambassadors is an innovative, multiyear, longitudinal academic development program for students at various stages along the continuum of development in the health professions pathway. The competitive program provides learning support services, mentoring, counseling, academic advising and stipends to individuals selected for participation.
We require AZ-HOPE Ambassadors to connect with a learning specialist a minimum of two times a semester (preferably at the beginning and end of the semester), attend monthly meetings, and complete hands-on learning activities or clinical experiences. During this meeting, students will develop an academic/career plan with the learning specialists. Additionally, AZ-HOPE Ambassadors will connect with a case manager regularly throughout each semester.
Requirements
- Transcripts
- Essay: 250 to 500 words (one page or less), describe why participating in this program interests you, what you expect to gain or learn, and how you hope it will contribute to your long-term career goals.
- Short answer prompt: In 100 words or less, describe how you learned about the AZ-HOPE Ambassadors program.
- One letter of recommendation from a professional who can attest to your abilities.
Eligibility
- Undergraduate students
- Community college students
- Graduate or professional students
Stipend
$1,200
AZ-HOPE has scholarships valued at $1,500 to $5,000 available for community college, undergraduate and graduate students.
Requirements
- Transcripts
- Essay: 250 to 500 words (one page or less), describe why participating in this program interests you, what you expect to gain or learn, and how you hope it will contribute to your long-term career goals.
- Short answer prompt: In 100 words or less, describe how you learned about the AZ-HOPE scholarship program.
- One letter of recommendation from a professional who can attest to your abilities.
Eligibility & Funding
Community college students: $1,200
Undergraduate students: $3,000
Graduate or professional students: $5,000
AZ-HOPE Bridge is a five-week college transition program for students interested in health sciences who have been newly admitted to the University of Arizona. Eligible students include transfer students and incoming freshmen. Ten participants are selected and receive college credits, mentoring, certifications and health sciences networking opportunities.
Students receive 3 college credits for completing three courses: AED 195, EDL 297 and HPS 495. Students also complete a video project and attend the following workshops:
Professional Readiness and Academic Skills Workshops
- Financial literacy
- Resume building and cover letters
- Wellness and balance
- Key study skills, test taking and stress management
- Personal statements
- Speed reading and note taking
- Research 101
Clinical Trainings and Seminars
- Mental health first aid training
- Mobile health unit training
- Suturing and knots seminar
- Medical terminology seminar
We advise students not to have a job or plan to attend additional summer programs while in the AZ-HOPE Summer Bridge program. The program will run for six hours a day (i.e. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.), Monday through Friday.
Requirements
- Transcripts
- One letter of recommendation from a professional who can attest to your abilities
Eligibility
- Undergraduate students and Incoming first-year students
Stipend Fund
$1,500
The Med-Start Health Career Program is a six-week residential summer academic enrichment and health career exploration program for high school juniors and seniors. Students experience college life at U of A dorms, take college credit courses and learn about health professions from practitioners. The program is free to selected participants who meet eligibility guidelines.
The JTED summer program is targeted at JTED high school seniors on their pathway to future health care fields. Students must be enrolled in JTED programs to participate in this opportunity. Students receive a $500 stipend.
The Focusing Research on the Border Area (FRONTERA) summer internship is a cutting-edge, 10-week undergraduate research experience that provides an extraordinary laboratory training opportunity, pairing junior- and senior-level scholars with preeminent U of A Health Sciences researchers. This is a premier research experience for undergraduate students, arming them with skills to make them competitive and successful in pursuing post-secondary education and research.
Participants are matched with faculty mentors engaged in biomedical and public health research and engage in service-learning activities. Concurrently, participants develop an in-depth understanding of the pathways to medical school and health careers, including study and test-taking skills, preparations for the MCAT and GRE, and drafting a personal statement. In the final week, participants present the outcome of their research in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Consortium poster session.
Who should apply?
All students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Undergraduates (juniors and seniors) and recent graduate students interested in health professions.
At a minimum, applicants should have completed one year of biology and general chemistry courses with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
This is a full-time program. Students should not seek concurrent employment that may conflict with the program schedule. Students are expected to commit to the program and attend all virtual and in-person events.
Program Highlights
- Mentorship by a U of A biomedical researcher or medical scientist working on translational research.
- Master the medical and graduate application process.
- Participation in prep courses at no cost on GRE or MCAT to make students more competitive.
- Travel to the border or rural areas in Arizona to learn about local communities.
- Create and present a research poster at UROC.
- Share experiences with students who are pursuing similar goals and objectives
- Receive a $3,000 stipend for the summer.
For additional information, contact Director Alejandra Zapien-Hidalgo, MD, MPH, at azapien8@arizona.edu.
Pre-Medical Summer School is a three-month pathway program targeting undergraduate and graduate students residing in Phoenix, Arizona. The program prepares students to become competitive medical school applicants by participating in application workshops, seminars and panels. They will also participate in hands-on experiences such as volunteering, shadowing and educational clinics. Students receive a $1,000 stipend.
Deadline: The fall deadline for the AZ-HOPE scholarships and ambassador program is generally in November. The AZ-HOPE summer program has various deadlines throughout the spring semester.
AZ-HOPE is largely supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under grant no. D18HP32129, Health Careers Opportunity Program, as part of an award 100% financed with nongovernmental sources. The content of this website reflects the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.