BACH Fellows
For High School Students Exploring Their Career Options
Through this program, we help prepare the next generation of Baltimore’s healthcare workforce by introducing local high school students to career possibilities in the field.
Working with partner organizations, we give rising juniors and seniors exposure to the inner workings of a hospital or other healthcare institution. BACH Fellows participate in a six-week paid internship. They shadow health professionals, gain on-the-job experience in allied health occupations, learn medical technology, develop skills such as job etiquette and conflict resolution, and plan a path to college or the workplace.
Students who have participated in this program come from schools around the Baltimore area, including Bard High School Early College, Baltimore School for the Arts, City College, Cristo Rey, Edmondson, Patterson, Mervo, Notre Dame Prep, and Towson High School.
Healthcare institutions that have hosted BACH Fellows include Johns Hopkins Hospital, Hopkins Bayview, University of Maryland Medical System, and LifeBridge Sinai, in collaboration with educators from Baltimore City Community College and the Baltimore City Public School System. The host organizations may change from one year to another.
The BACH Fellows program has been replicated by nonprofits around the country.
FAQ
This program allows rising high school juniors and seniors to participate in a six-week fellowship with some of Baltimore’s premier healthcare institutions. The goal is to introduce healthcare careers and opportunities to youth who may be interested in choosing a career in healthcare.
Up to 60 Baltimore City students who are rising high school juniors and seniors are selected. Allied health program students are preferred. Student Fellows will be selected based on the quality of their application, current GPA, teacher recommendation, attendance record, and an interview.
The first week consists of an orientation for all Fellows. Over the remaining weeks, Fellows work approximately 25 hours per week at their assigned health care institutions. Although students are not allowed to administer patient care, they get valuable shadowing and on-the-job experience in the pre-allied health occupations. They also learn about healthcare culture, job etiquette, punctuality, and conflict resolution.
Each hospital site has a full-time Baltimore City CTE teacher-mentor to provide on-the-job guidance, supervision, and weekly professional development workshops for the BACH Fellows.
Fellows produce a journal that they submit at the completion of the work experience. They also work with other students on a group project that is presented at the closing ceremony.
Interested students must complete the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) Summer Work Program Application. Although dates change every year, the time to apply is usually between January and March for a five-week program that starts in late June or early July.
There is no charge to participate in this program. Fellows are only responsible for the cost of their transportation, and, if required, the cost of a uniform.
BACH Fellows are expected to attend all activities and complete all assignments. Unless otherwise indicated by the student’s assigned healthcare institution, they must wear a uniform of khaki pants, a white polo shirt and white tennis shoes. Students will also be required to meet healthcare institution and City Schools requirements related to TB testing, drug testing, and parental permission.
Yes, Fellows receive a stipend equal to the prevailing hourly minimum wage through the MOED Youthworks program.
Participating healthcare institutions include Mercy Medical Center, University of Maryland Medical Center, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Sinai Hospital, and Levindale Geriatric Center and Hospital.
The BACH Fellows program is a great way for students to learn about the field of healthcare.
There are more jobs in healthcare than in any other employment sector in Baltimore. Many of the vacant jobs are a strong match with allied health programs. And healthcare institutions offer good wages. For example, the average hourly wage for pharmacy technicians in Baltimore is $19.05 and the average hourly wage for surgical technicians is $27.81. In addition to salary, hospitals and some other healthcare institutions help employees move up the career ladder by paying the cost of their college tuition.
BACH partners with several agencies to make the Summer Fellows program a success. Baltimore City Schools (BCPS), through its Office of Career Technology Education (CTE), assists with the recruitment and selection of student Fellows, serves as the lead partner for the student orientation and hires the teacher/mentors. The Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) provides salaries for the Fellows through its Youthworks Summer Jobs Initiative. Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) provides a location for the student orientation week.