Student Observation, Practicum & Unpaid,
Non-Credit Bearing Requests

As an academic health system, Dartmouth Health has a three-pronged mission—patient care, clinical research and education. Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Clinics supports this mission by offering learners the opportunity to explore healthcare pathways, build upon their technical skills and contribute to ground-breaking research.

Opportunities available for learners:

Prior to submitting a request, please carefully read the below descriptions and the onboarding requirements found here.

For students/minors, under 18 years old:
In accordance with Dartmouth Health policy, individuals under the age of 18 must be registered participants in a Dartmouth Health sponsored youth program to be onsite at a Dartmouth Health facility.

Offered through Workforce Development:

Observation/ Job Shadowing: An observation experience gives individuals the opportunity to accompany an employee during the normal course of their job responsibilities for career exploration or educational purposes. Typically observation experiences are no longer than one 8 hour shift. If your experience is planned over a 14 day period, you will need to be cleared by occupational medicine prior to your start date.
Note: Students wishing to observe providers must be onboarded through the Dartmouth Health Authorized Observer Program. Please work with your sponsor directly.

Practicum: A hands-on opportunity for an individual to earn credit, supplement their formal education and develop the technical/professional skills associated with their course of study. Depending on the school, these experiences may also be referred to as an internship, externship or field experience, and include non-clinical nursing capstone projects. Practicum experiences are unpaid in exchange for the greater learning benefit to the student.

Unpaid, non-credit bearing (including research opportunities): Designed for undergraduate or graduate level students looking for a hands-on experience to complement their education and gain practical work experience. The work is performed for learning purposes only and the participant is the primary beneficiary.

Offered through another organization or Dartmouth Health department:

Dartmouth College Student Observations
Nathan Smith Society Shadowing Program
Dartmouth College has a student organization, the Nathan Smith Society, which offers many resources to those undergraduates interested in health professions. One such opportunity is the shadowing program which matches D-H health care professionals with members of the Nathan Smith Society to observe clinical care. Shadowing is available in conjunction with each semester through a match program facilitated by faculty advisor, Dr. Lee Witters.
Contact: Nathan.Smith.Society@dartmouth.edu

Medical Students:
• Students associated with Geisel School of Medicine: please refer to the course catalog for more information.
• For visiting students attending an LCME accredited school interested in rotating at Geisel School of Medicine and Dartmouth-Hitchcock, please apply through the AAMC VLSO page.

International Medical School Students:  At this time, Dartmouth-Hitchcock does not offer elective rotations for international medical school students. You may request participation in the Authorized Observer Program at a Dartmouth-Hitchcock facility by emailing the Graduate Medical Education (GME) Office at gme.office@hitchcock.org to obtain a request form. Please note that GME may not be able to honor all requests if the requested department does not offer authorized observations.

GME Residents/Fellows from External Institutions:  If you are interested in rotating at Dartmouth-Hitchcock as a Visiting Resident, please email the Graduate Medical Education (GME) Office at gme.office@hitchcock.org and include your name, visa status (if applicable), institution, PGY, specialty and details concerning your proposed rotation at least 120 days prior to proposed start date. Please note that the program/GME may not be able to honor all requests.