The Touro University California Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) Academy - 2
Date Published April 20, 2026
HCOP Academy supports disadvantaged local students with mentorship, stipends and pathways into health professions careers
| The Touro University California Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) Academy is a grant-supported initiative housed at Touro University California designed to prepare and support local high school, college and post-college students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds who aspire to careers in health professions. The Academy's mission is to provide mentorship, tailored enrichment programming, experiential community-based training, and financial support pathways that improve students' readiness for health professions degree or certificate programs and increase their likelihood of enrolling and graduating from those programs. HCOP targets residents of counties north of the San Francisco Bay, specifically Solano, Napa, Contra Costa, and San Joaquin, and applicants must demonstrate interest in a health profession and meet the program's definitions of economic and/or educational disadvantage. Economic disadvantage is defined according to low-income thresholds established by the U.S. Census Bureau, with specified annual income levels tied to family size. Educational disadvantage includes indicators such as being first-generation college students, graduating from high schools with low graduation rates or low college-going rates, attending schools with low per capita funding, or attending schools where many students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. The HCOP Academy offers a suite of pathway programs to meet participants where they are in their educational journeys. The High School & College Summer Healthcare Program is a six-week immersive exploration of health careers featuring hands-on experiences, community research projects, mentoring, and support for college applications; participants in this program receive a stipend of $600 to $750. The Health Professions Bridge Program is a four-week summer session that orients and prepares students for their first academic year in Touro's professional programs, including medicine, pharmacy, and physician assistant studies, providing academic support and faculty connections and offering a $1,000 stipend. The HCOP Post-baccalaureate Enrichment Program is a year-long, one-credit course intended to enhance Touro post-baccalaureate offerings such as the Master of Science in Medical Health Sciences or the Master's in Public Health; it offers career planning, study skills, and admissions insights and provides a $500 stipend. The HCOP Ambassador Program is a year-long experience for high school and college students to navigate educational pathways and engage in a public health project, with a $1,250 stipend. For current Touro health professions students, the Touro Ambassadors Health Professions Connect program offers scholarship support, $6,500 in the first year and $4,750 in the second year, across one- or two-year experiences for DO, PharmD, and PA students. |
COM Affiliation
Funding Type
Federal Government Award
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