Health-Related Experiences

The Health-Related Experiences (HRE) Program, managed by the UC Davis Career Center, provides UC Davis undergraduate students with opportunities to participate in entry-level volunteer and internship roles at local health clinics, hospitals and human services organizations. Students are guided, supervised and evaluated by health industry professionals. Through HREs, students can explore various specialties in human health, gain exposure to professional healthcare environments, develop practical skills and make industry contacts.

The Career Center maintains an online database, called the HRE Portal, and helps place students in over 1,000 health-related experiences each year at over 50 sites located in the Yolo, Sacramento, Solano, and Placer county regions. These sites include UC Davis Health in Sacramento, dental, optometry, physical therapy offices, nutrition sites, pharmacies, public health nonprofits and more. HREs are offered every quarter, including summer.  For summer participation, students must be available during both summer sessions. 

HREs require a minimum 4-hour time commitment per week for a ten-week duration, for a minimum of 40 hours total per quarter. While some HREs are located in  Davis, many of them are in Sacramento, Woodland and surrounding areas. Select experiences require a 2-quarter commitment. 

Students must provide their own transportation to HRE sites. Undergraduates in HRE slots at the UC Davis Health campus in Sacramento ride the Causeway Connection bus that runs hourly between Davis and Sacramento, Monday-Friday from ~7 AM-8 PM. Parking at UC Davis Health is extremely limited. Select UC Davis Health slots are located at clinics beyond the main health campus, requiring driving as they may not be easily accessible by public transportation. 

HREs are unpaid. Students in HREs submit and receive transcript notation (TN) for each quarter they participate. 

Although resumes, cover letters and interviews are not required to register for an HRE, students must agree to and adhere to the HRE Participation Agreements. Violating these agreements can result in a two-quarter suspension from using the HRE Portal. This suspension does not appear on a student’s official UC Davis records.

HRE Registration and Scheduling 

HRE Portal and Profiles

Registration for Health-Related Experiences (HRE) takes place on the online HRE Portal. Students must create a profile on the HRE Portal, which can be done at any time. HRE Profile details do not automatically update, so students should update their name, year in school and major as needed. 

HRE registration occurs once per quarter during a 1-2 week period. This usually takes place after students complete their Pass 1 registration in Schedule Builder, as most HRE slots have specific days and times assigned. Students must choose HRE options that do not conflict with their class schedule and other commitments, factoring in necessary travel time when planning their schedules.

Log in to HRE Portal

HRE Registration Schedule for Upcoming Quarters

  • Fall 2024 - August 12, 2024
  • Winter 2025 - November 12, 2024
  • Spring 2025 - February 11, 2025
  • Summer 2025 - May 12, 2025

When the HRE Portal opens for registration, students must first request an HRE pass time. It’s important to note that registration in the HRE Portal works differently from Schedule Builder. 

  • Randomized Pass Times: All pass times in the HRE Portal are randomly generated, so requesting a pass time early does not guarantee an early pass time.
  • One Pass Time per Quarter: Each student receives one pass time per quarter. Once that pass time begins, students can make changes until the end of the registration period.
  • Waitlists: Waitlists are not tied to specific slots. Instead, students can join a waitlist for a general interest area, such as “UC Davis Health,” “Dental,” “Optometry,” etc.

Reviewing Experience and Slot Offerings

After requesting a pass time, students can browse the available experiences and slots for the upcoming term. It’s recommended that students identify multiple options that align with their interests and availability. Students should also consider registering for an HRE waitlist, which is organized by interest area.

HRE Availability

HREs are in high demand, and in most quarters, the number of students requesting a pass time exceeds the number of available slots. If students cannot secure a slot when their pass time begins, they can join a waitlist or check back during open registration as slots may become available. To improve their chances, students are encouraged to request an HRE pass time over multiple quarters.

Course Scheduling and HREs

Most HREs occur during standard business hours, which often overlap with academic courses. When planning a course schedule, students should aim to leave at least one 5-6 hour block open between 8 AM-5 PM to accommodate participation in an HRE. A small portion of HREs are offered in the evenings and on weekends. 

HRE Waitlist Process

If the desired HRE slots are full, students can join a waitlist. To stay on the waitlist, students must complete the Career Center Asynchronous HRE Orientation on Canvas, which includes a module on waitlist dates and procedures. Students who do not complete the orientation will be dropped from the waitlist. Available slots for waitlisted students open for one day of enrollment and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Placement is restricted to the relevant waitlist category (e.g., dental waitlist students can only register for dental slots, not UC Davis Health slots). Please note that placement in an HRE is not guaranteed.

HRE Orientations (Onboarding and Medical Clearances) - AKA Maintaining Your HRE Slot 

After students successfully register for an HRE slot or HRE waitlist, they need to complete the HRE Orientation process to maintain registration. 

Step 1 - Career Center HRE Asynchronous Orientation 

After the registration period ends, all students assigned an HRE slot or waitlist must complete the Career Center Asynchronous HRE Orientation on Canvas. This orientation consists of video modules covering general HRE information, while site-specific details will be provided through the HRE Portal, email and the synchronous orientation (see Step 2). Students must achieve 100% on all quiz questions in the Canvas modules. Students who do not complete the asynchronous orientation by the deadline are dropped from their slot or waitlist without any penalty. If students are unsure of their ability to commit to their HRE or meet site-specific requirements, including medical clearances, they are strongly encouraged to drop their slot during this period. This gives students on the waitlist a chance to register. 

Step 2 - Career Center HRE Synchronous Orientation 

Following the asynchronous orientation, registered students, including students who obtain a specific slot via a waitlist, must attend a live Career Center HRE Synchronous Orientation via Zoom. The date and time are provided in the HRE Portal. During this session, site-specific details are covered. Attendance is mandatory for the entire session, and students must remain engaged and logged in. Those who do not fully attend the synchronous orientation will be dropped from their slot without penalty. Students on an HRE waitlist who did not secure a slot do not attend this synchronous orientation.

Step 3 - Site-Specific Onboarding and Medical Clearances 

Most HRE placements require medical clearances before volunteering or interning. This may include submitting immunization records or obtaining additional tests, titers, or vaccinations through your primary care provider, the UC Davis Student Health and Wellness Center, or a local pharmacy or lab. The required documentation and submission process will be detailed in the HRE Portal and during the Career Center HRE Synchronous Orientation. Each site sets its own specific deadlines and requirements for onboarding and medical clearances. Students who fail to meet these requirements or deadlines risk being dropped from their slot and may face suspension from future HRE participation.

HRE Participation Agreements and Suspension

The HRE Participation Agreements (formerly known as the Suspension Policy) outline the commitments students must adhere to participate in the program and maintain eligibility for future quarters. Unlike other opportunities, HREs do not require students to submit resumes, cover letters, participate in interviews, or sign job offer letters, which helps students with a variety of other volunteer and work experiences to participate. Also, the agreements are designed to maximize student participation and ensure that sites receive reliable and engaged volunteers who fulfill their commitments, such as showing up to shifts, completing all required hours and more.

Understanding the HRE Participation Agreements

Before registering, students should thoroughly review the HRE Participation Agreements and site-specific requirements, including medical clearance details, which are found under the "Experiences" tab on the HRE Portal. 

Suspension from the HRE Portal

Only register for an HRE if you’re able to fulfill the HRE Participation Agreements, including the site-specific requirements, by the stated deadlines. Failure to meet the agreements will result in being dropped from the HRE slot and could lead to suspension from the HRE Portal. 

When a student is suspended from the HRE Portal they are not allowed to participate in health-related experiences through the HRE Portal for two consecutive quarters following the incomplete experience. When a student is registered for an experience with a two-quarter commitment and decides to drop during the first quarter of the commitment, they will be prevented from using the HRE Portal for 3 quarters total (the second quarter of the commitment + the additional 2 quarters).