Before students choose a college major, apply to nursing school, join a rescue squad, or step into a healthcare workplace, they need something just as important: a chance to see themselves there.
Next week, 140 Vermont high school students will do exactly that at the 2026 Governor’s Institute of Vermont Health & Medicine Institute, held July 12–18 at the University of Vermont. Over the course of the week, students from across the state will explore health and medicine through hands-on learning, clinical skills training, emergency response preparation, career exploration, and direct connections with healthcare professionals, educators, and employers.
Hosted in partnership with Governor’s Institute of Vermont, the Health & Medicine Institute gives students the opportunity to experience a wide range of healthcare careers and earn certifications by learning hands-on skills with guidance from practicing professionals. Students will explore areas such as general medicine and patient care, emergency medicine and pre-hospital care, nursing, respiratory health, neuroscience and psychology, biomedical research, dentistry, rehabilitation therapy, surgery and diagnostic imagery, and more.
At a time when Vermont continues to face workforce challenges across healthcare, emergency response, mental health, public health, and rural access, programs like this matter. The Health & Medicine Institute is more than a summer learning experience. It is an early workforce pipeline opportunity that helps young Vermonters imagine, test, and pursue possible futures in healthcare before they reach college or the workforce.
Throughout the week, students will move beyond simply hearing about healthcare careers. They will practice skills, meet professionals, explore real education and training pathways, and learn about the many ways they could contribute to Vermont’s healthcare system. This year’s Institute includes hands-on activities connected to clinical skills, emergency response, public health, laboratory science, biomedical engineering, rehabilitation sciences, nursing, paramedicine, radiologic sciences, respiratory therapy, dental hygiene, and more.
Students will also participate in CPR, AED, and Stop the Bleed training, with eligible students able to pursue Vermont Emergency First Responder preparation. These experiences give students practical skills while also introducing them to pathways that can lead to volunteer, educational, and employment opportunities in healthcare and emergency response.
One of the most exciting parts of this year’s Institute is the opportunity for students to learn at UVM and take part in clinical skills and simulation-based activities, including experiences connected to the UVM Clinical Simulation Laboratory. During the week, students will practice skills such as patient assessment, stabilization, splinting, epi-pen administration, metered-dose inhaler use, Naloxone administration, and team-based medical first response.
The week will also include a College and Career Expo featuring more than 20 presenters and hands-on activity stations focused on health and medical career pathways in Vermont. Students will have the chance to meet the people, programs, and partners behind the state’s healthcare workforce and learn more about the education, training, and support available to them.
For the Vermont AHEC Network, this work connects directly to our mission: supporting and strengthening Vermont’s healthcare workforce pipeline. Early exposure matters. When students can practice skills, ask questions, meet mentors, and see themselves in these roles, healthcare careers become more than abstract possibilities. They become something students can understand, plan for, and imagine themselves pursuing.
The countdown is on, and we are proud to partner with the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont to help students move from curiosity to confidence.
We cannot wait to see what this year’s Health & Medicine Institute inspires.