Summer Healthcare Experience in Oncology Program
The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center’s Summer Healthcare Experience in Oncology Program provides Kentucky high school student leaders with experiences, activities, and discussions that introduce them to the incredible breadth of career and leadership opportunities in the field of oncology. A goal of the program is to increase cancer workforce capacity with an emphasis on individuals who are underrepresented in the research and clinical workforce.
Applicants must be a current sophomore, junior or senior from a Kentucky high school. Underrepresented individuals can include those who were or are homeless, were or are in the foster care system, were or are eligible for Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program, have no parent/legal guardian who completed a bachelor’s degree, were or are eligible for Federal Pell grants, received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or grew up in a rural or low-income and health professional shortage area.
Summer Healthcare Experience in Oncology Program participants will work with other students from 5 different collaborating institutions that are running their own programs. The other institutions include the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, and the University of Pennsylvania.
SUMMER HEALTHCARE
EXPERIENCE
PROGRAM PAGES
SUMMER HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCE
IN ONCOLOGY
The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center will provide:
- Two weeks of rewarding online programming featuring expert speakers and activity leaders from all facets of cancer, including cancer research, healthcare, personal development and more.
- Opportunities to work collaboratively and conduct research with students from other schools.
- Mentorship from prominent women in the field.
- Support for all students during the program – including ability to group text and email with questions, concerns, updates, technology issues, etc.
- A stipend of $500 to each participating student.
- Lab kits for any experiments and research related to the program.
Application for the Summer Healthcare Experience in Oncology Program: Apply
Program dates: July 14, 2025 to July 25, 2025
Application deadline: April 4, 2025 by 5 p.m.
Please email Holly Burke with any questions at holly.burke@uky.edu.
- Accepted students to the Summer Healthcare Experience in Oncology Program will demonstrate a desire to work in a healthcare field, have an interest in oncology, and be dedicated to uplifting voices of those underrepresented in medicine within their application.
- Acceptance emails to the program will be sent out the first week of May to 20 students. Acceptance emails must be responded to and accepted within 1 week, or the spot will defer to a student on the waitlist.
- Students will be expected to attend one introduction/training Zoom session prior to the beginning of the summer program. Students will have a choice of 2 Zoom session dates.
- During the summer program, students are expected to actively participate with cameras on and attend each meeting during the 2-week time frame (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. ET). Doctor appointments, vacations, and other activities should not be scheduled during the Summer Health Experience program. Failure to attend meetings will result in a stipend deduction.
- Due to the short nature of the program, full participation is required in order to collaborate with other students and avoid following behind in the lab experiment/case study presentations.
- In order to receive the free experiment lab kit, students must have a physical address, not a P.O. box. Lab kits will have instructions on how to care for the materials prior to the summer program beginning.
- Students will be expected to communicate via email and GroupMe for updates and questions.
- Questions and concerns can be directed to Holly Burke, holly.burke@uky.edu.
PROGRAM FUNDING
The Summer Healthcare Experience in Oncology is funded by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Additional funding is provided by the American Cancer Society. Programming is delivered in part through a partnership with eCLOSE Institute.
