Immerse yourself in the field of public healthcare!
You don’t have to wait until graduation to support healthcare in Boston. Through PKG: IAP Health, you can support local medical efforts by collaborating with practitioners in the field. You’ll provide meaningful public service, implement specific projects, and learn about policy and practice in the United States. This program is open to MIT undergraduates only.
PKG: IAP Health applications open on August 18th, and close on October 3rd!
Schedule a 1:1 meeting to learn more about our program
IAP Health host sites
Curious about how a public safety net hospital addresses health equity issues faced by families and individuals with Autism? Check out the Boston Medical Center host site!
Interested in exploring research within the context of healthcare in a national federal system? Check out the Boston VA host site!
Motivated to research and develop technological innovations to satisfy unmet needs within the healthcare field? Check out the Catalyst host site!
Schedule a 1:1 with the Catalyst Program Director here
Note: Applications will close on Friday, October 3rd
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IAP Health?
You’ll be spending four weeks in January 2026 through a full-time, hybrid work model. PKG IAP: Health pairs you with healthcare practitioners and professionals at Boston Medical Center Autism Program, VA Boston Healthcare System, or the MIT Catalyst Program. Our partners seek students with a wide variety of skills; you will work with professionals, collaborate with fellow students to serve clients, and work on specifically assigned projects based on your skills and the needs of the host organization. You attend workshops in the Fall semester to prepare you to consult with your host and implement your project. During IAP, you’ll participate in weekly community dinners with your cohort of MIT students to share and process your experience in the field. At the end of IAP, students will create final presentations to share their experiences.This experience is open to students across courses at MIT with an interest in the health field broadly. We pay your travel expenses, provide a stipend, and help with the cost of materials.
Dates & Deadlines
PKG: IAP Health applications open on August 18th, and close on October 3rd!
What are the benefits?
- You and our community partners benefit from your passion for learning and service
- Practitioners benefit from your energy, insights and projects
- You benefit from the opportunity to develop your project-implementation and client-based skills while learning firsthand about the challenges facing the US healthcare system.
Will I be paid?
You will be provided with a stipend and with MBTA passes for transportation during IAP.
Can I expect this to be a clinical experience?
No. This is not a clinical experience. Some host sites might be able to incorporate shadowing experiences during the duration of IAP, and some sites might have direct patient contact.
The host sites at a glance
| Boston Medical Center Autism Program | Boston VA | Catalyst | |
| Innovation | X | X | |
| Interpersonal Skills | X | X | X |
| Public safety net hospital | X | ||
| Federal healthcare system | X | ||
| Addressing community informed unmet medical needs | X | ||
| Develop research methodology skills | X | X | |
| Exploring community resource | X | X | |
| Working with specialized populations | X | X | |
| Biotechnology/medical technology | X | ||
| Research in the context of healthcare | X | X | |
| Direct patient outreach and support | X | ||
| Developing patient-focused resources | X | ||
| Interactions with healthcare practitioners | X | X | X |
| Reflect with other change-makers | X | X | X |
| Explore complexities of US healthcare system | X | X | X |
Looking for inspiration?
See how other MIT students reflect on their PKG IAP:Health experience:
To learn more about IAP: Health, check our IAP: Health blog content, featuring student reflections on their experiences going through this program!
Talk to us about IAP Health
Questions? Email: pkgcenter@mit.edu