Attention
The Volunteer Services and Shadowing office will be closed from 12/30/24 - 01/03/2025. During this time, Observership applications will not be processed. Thank you for your understanding and patience. We will open again on 01/06/25.
 

Observership Application Process

Thank you for your interest in coming to UCHealth for an Observership. We want your time with us to be a beneficial learning experience. The Observership program builds on UCHealth's commitment to educate future clinical, administrative, and research leaders in healthcare. These academic Observerships facilitate knowledge sharing, expertise in administrative and clinical care, in addition to quality and innovation in healthcare.

• Observerships are educational only and provide no hands-on experiences.
• Observers will not physically engage with any patients or advise on any cases.
• Federal regulations prohibit participants in this program from performing research. 
• This is a voluntary opportunity and cannot be used for school credit.
• Please review the Educational Experience Algorithm before submitting your application to ensure this is the right program to meet your goals. 

If any part of the steps below are not complete, the Observership will not be approved. There will be no exceptions. We are not able to facilitate experiences that are not completed and submitted on time. Any costs incurred to complete this application are the responsibility of the applicant.  

Step One: Find a Sponsor and coordinate the dates of the Observership. An Observership may last up to 30 consecutive days. 

• The Volunteer Services and Shadowing office is not able to find a Sponsor for a potential Observer. 
• It is the responsibility of the participant to arrange and confirm the dates of their Observership with their Sponsor. 
• Observership dates MUST be confirmed prior to submitting an application.

*For alternatives, consult with the Volunteer Services and Shadowing staff to review UCHealth policy and additional Observership opportunities. 

Step Two: Fill out the Observership application below.

Step Three: Click on the Observership Contract to download, print, initial and sign the sections indicated for participants. Once you have initialed and signed the correct areas, please scan and send the entire contract to your Sponsor or their administrative assistant. Your Sponsor will initial and sign their sections of the contract.  They will then send the document to the appropriate individuals for the remaining necessary signatures. The completed Observership Contract should be the first document uploaded to your application. 

• Be sure you are scanning and sending the entire contract to your Sponsor. Do not send separate pages.

• Your Sponsor is responsible for obtaining the required signatures from the Department Chair and Clinical Manager. 

• The completed contract can be uploaded to your application portal or emailed to uchshadowing@uchealth.org.

• The Observership Contract dictates the start and end dates of your observership. If the dates of your Observership change for any reason, you must notify the Volunteer Services and Shadowing office.  A new Observership Contract will need to be completed.

Step Four: Complete the three required education modules and the associated quizzes. These can be found in the portal under online training.

• Current CV or resume
  
• U.S. issued ID or passport
  
• Results of Background Check in home country
  
  • Provide a background check conducted within 6-months of start date. Background check includes:
    
    • Criminal background check  
    • Last seven years of applicable states and counties resided in and applicable name changes.  
    • Excluded parties query of the General Service Administration's List of Parties Excluded from Federal Programs (available at https://oig.hhs.gov). This website is available to the general public. 
    • National sex offender list
    • You may need to request information from multiple countries. 
  • If you are not able to complete all requirements necessary for this step, please reach out to our office. 
• Copy of Health Insurance coverage for the duration of your visit to Colorado
  
  • In the event of an onset of illness or injury during the educational experience, appropriate emergency care, as provided to employees, will be provided to the visiting individual by UCHealth. The Observer agrees to maintain insurance coverage during the observation period and the Observer will be liable for the cost of such care and obtaining appropriate follow-up care, if needed.  
• Documentation of current immunizations or titers including:
  
  • MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
    
  • TDAP or DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus)
    
  • Varicella (chicken pox)
    
  • Hepatitis B
• Results of a negative TB test taken in the last 12 months. Acceptable TB tests include: 
  • Skin test (PPD), blood test (Quantiferon Gold), Chest x-ray report
• Seasonal flu vaccination (October-May)
• A COVID-19 vaccination series is not mandatory, although it is highly encouraged. 

Be aware this is not an automatic, computerized process. Once a document is uploaded, it must be reviewed and approved by a staff member before that item will show as complete.

Step Six: Schedule an in-person appointment with Volunteer Services and Shadowing to complete onboarding and receive your UCHealth Observership badge. This may be scheduled prior to the first day or on the morning of the first day of the Observership. Onboarding must be completed prior to starting an Observership.