Students and Volunteers
A Legacy of Volunteerism
The contributions of volunteers – health care providers, community volunteers, and learners such as medical residents, interns, externs, and students – have been welcomed and valued at all levels of the organization since our beginnings as an all-volunteer run organization in 1972. We would not have the health center we do today without the interest, support, and dedication of volunteers!
How to Get Involved: Students and Volunteers
Clinical Student Learning Opportunities
Learners at our sites are considered students in Medical or Behavioral Health clinical programs including but not limited to: Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants Medical Students, Behavioral Health Interns (Social Work and Counseling programs), Medical Assistant Externs, Dental Assistant Externs, Dentistry students, Nutrition students, Dietetic interns, and Medical Residents.
CommuniCare+OLE offers a range of opportunities for learners interested in completing a clinical rotation, practicum, or internship for a health-related degree. Health professions learners are integral to our community and help facilitate important services to our patient population. We have several ongoing partnerships with local universities and health centers that allow learners to complete their clinical requirements at our sites with CommuniCare+OLE providers. We also have some, but limited, capacity to host learning opportunities for individuals not enrolled in one of our partnered institutions.
If you are a learner from a school that does not currently have an affiliation agreement or partnership with our health center, please apply by following the instructions below.
How to apply for clinical student learning opportunities:
Please use the form at the bottom of this section to submit the questions below.
Placement Request Questions:
1) What is the clinical degree/program you are currently pursuing?
2) What is the name of your school or clinical program?
3) What kind of clinical preceptor is needed for your learning experience? Does the provider need to have a certain specialty? We can only offer Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Women’s Health, and Prenatal/Midwifery related opportunities. (Example: I need to rotate with an MD Pediatrics preceptor)
4) What is your requested start and end date? Please state if flexible.
5) What is the total number of weeks you need to work at our site? What is the total number of hours needed for your experience?
6) Please elaborate on your availability for what days of the week would work for you.
7) Do you have any preferences for specific sites or preceptors? We have sites in Napa, Solano, and Yolo county. Please see our providers and locations webpage for more information.
8) What languages can you speak fluently in a medical setting?
9) Who can we contact at your school to facilitate affiliation agreements and your placement?
10) Please submit a resume or CV at the following link: Resume/CV File Upload
How to Apply for Clinical Student Learning Opportunities:
Volunteer and Non-Clinical Internship Opportunities
These are opportunities open to anyone, regardless of education level, but volunteers must be 18+
In addition to clinical learning experiences for health professional students, there are many ways to volunteer and intern at CommuniCare+OLE. Volunteers and interns assist our staff and providers at all levels of our organization, providing important support and services for our community. All of our volunteer and internship opportunities are unpaid. However, historically, many volunteers and interns have moved into our paid workforce, becoming long-term members of the CommuniCare+OLE community. Some of our volunteer and internship opportunities include:
Open Volunteer Positions: (Please click the position name to view the volunteer duties):
- Health Informatics Intern
- Information Technology Intern
- Human Resources Volunteer
- Administrative Assistant Volunteer
- SmileSavers Dental Volunteer
- Clinical Data Abstraction Intern for Medical Records Project (1-2 months)
- Safe Care Clinic Volunteer
- UC Davis Undergraduate Pre-Dental Assistant Internship (UC Davis students can apply through the UC Davis Internship and Career Center)
How to Apply for Volunteer Opportunities:
Volunteer and Student FAQ:
If you are interested in applying for a clinical or non-clinical volunteer opportunity, please select one of the applications above and submit your form. Once submitted, your application will be reviewed by the Volunteer and Student Program Supervisor.
Upon review, the Volunteer and Student Program Supervisor will share your application and resume with the position’s supervisor for further consideration.
Applicants that are chosen to move forward with an interview will be contacted via email. All applicants will undergo a screening phone call facilitated by the Volunteer and Student Program Supervisor, followed by an in-person interview (for applicable positions). Once a decision is made, the candidate will be contacted and notified of the decision.
Please allow up to 2 weeks for your application to be reviewed and processed.
All volunteers are required to provide the following:
- Record of MMR Immunization or proof of immunity (Titer)
- Record of Hepatitis B Immunization or proof of immunity (Titer)
- Record of Varicella Immunization or proof of immunity (Titer)
- Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and booster
- Negative TB Test results (dated within 12 months)
- Proof of current seasonal Flu Vaccine – during flu season Nov 1 – March 31
Additionally, upon acceptance into a volunteer position, the candidate can expect to receive an onboarding packet requiring signatures for signed agreements and policies, Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, and a CommuniCare Volunteer and Student Safety training manual and quiz.
Student learners and licensed health professionals completing a student learning experience can also expect to submit additional certification and licensure documents (if applicable). These requirements will be laid out in the onboarding packet an accepted student would receive.
All of our clinical student learning opportunities are designed for applicants already enrolled in a professional health degree academic program. If you are a student looking to complete a rotation or practicum as part of your degree’s requirements, you should apply for a clinical learning opportunity.
If you are an undergraduate student seeking clinical experiences or a student NOT enrolled in any related health professional degree program, then you should not submit a clinical student learning application.
CommuniCare Health Centers does not offer an opportunity to apply to shadow a provider in the clinic. Due to the presence of student learners and limited precepting capacity, we cannot accommodate all shadowing requests.
However, we can accommodate limited shadowing opportunities for those interested if you:
- Volunteer for a minimum of six (6) months in a relevant volunteer position, or
- Have the approval of a provider willing to let the individual shadow
Please also note that this is not a guaranteed benefit of volunteering at CommuniCare. Volunteers that have committed a substantial amount of service to CommuniCare can request the Volunteer and Student Program Supervisor to facilitate a shadowing experience with one of our clinic’s providers. Nonetheless, shadowing opportunities are dependent on preceptor capacity at that time and not guaranteed.
Learn More from Volunteers that have Transitioned to Employees Below
We are a proud certified Service Enterprise Organization!
Starting as an all-volunteer run clinic in 1972, volunteerism has always been at the core of our organization, and as we grew and our name changed, the contributions of volunteers have continued to be welcomed at all levels of the organization. Recently, as part of a re-commitment to our volunteer program, CommuniCare completed the process to earn a Service Enterprise certification. As a certified Service Enterprise, CommuniCare is among the top 11% of nonprofits, nationwide, in volunteer management and organizational performance.
A Service Enterprise is an organization that achieves operational efficiency, allowing for greater social impact, by strategically leveraging volunteers and their skills to address community needs. To earn this prestigious certification, the Volunteer Services team embarked on a three-year journey of extensive assessments, training & coaching, and the building of internal infrastructure to support a robust volunteer program capable of adapting and expanding to support the entire organization and continue to innovate and find new ways meet the needs of the community. Being certified Service Enterprise indicates that we have the capability and management expertise to strategically leverage the skills, talents, and unique experience and perspective that each volunteer uses as they contribute at all levels of the organization.
The Service Enterprise seal tells potential volunteers that personal, academic, and professional growth can be achieved through the opportunities they find at CommuiCare and that they will be able to have meaningful experiences creating positive impact on the health outcomes of some of our most vulnerable friends and neighbors, many who have not traditionally had access to the high-quality, comprehensive healthcare that CommuniCare is dedicated to providing everyone in our community.