The Health & Medicine Institute

Experience a wide variety of health and medical careers and earn certifications by learning hands-on skills with the guidance of practicing professionals.

“ The choice workshops opened up new career paths I had never considered while the passion sessions made me feel more confident in myself and my abilities in this field.

— Rory,   2023 Health & Medicine Alum

July 12th - July 18th, 2026
@ University of Vermont

Photos from Recent Years of the Health & Medicine Institute

About the Health & Medicine Institute...

Learn the science of saving lives!

At the Health and Medicine Institute you jump into the world of health care with experiences, action, and transformative exploration. By diving into hands-on medical and health science skills, you will explore what it’s like to work in various medical careers and will be guided every step of the way by professional healthcare mentors and faculty. Each day is an adventure of discovery with options in general medicine and patient care, surgery and diagnostic imagery, respiratory health, multiple fields in nursing, emergency medicine and pre-hospital care, neuroscience and psychology, biomedical research engineering, dentistry, rehabilitation therapy, and more.

Program completers can earn credentials in CPR, Stop the Bleed, First Aid, and have the option to complete a VEFR certificate (Vermont Emergency First Responder) to kickstart your career in professional medicine.

Hosted in partnership with Northern Vermont AHEC.

Sunday, July 12th – Saturday, July 18th, 2026
Essential Introductory Virtual Sessions July 6th – July 9th, 2026
@ University of Vermont
Burlington, VT

All students who apply to this Institute can make use of our sliding scale tuition model. GIV’s sliding scale tuition essentially acts like an automatic scholarship to automatically reduce tuition costs without the need for additional paperwork or outside sources. For information regarding this Institute’s sliding scale tuition support, please click here.

Health and Medicine 2024
Health and Medicine 2024

At This Institute You Will...

  • Explore careers in health science, research, and medicine.
  • Practice hands-on medical skills like assessing vital signs and interviewing patients.
  • Receive certifications and earn credentials to kickstart a career in medicine.
  • Choose from a variety of hands-on lab activities and workshops led by health professionals and college faculty.
  • Work closely with medical students and professional advisors throughout the week.
  • Experience a life-changing adventure!

Partnership with Northern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC)

This Institute is coordinated in partnership with Northern Vermont chapter of the Area Health Education Centers Network, also known as NVTAHEC!

Northern Vermont AHEC is one of two independent not-for-profit regional AHEC centers covering all 14 counties in Vermont.  The network also includes the Vermont AHEC Program Office located at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont Office Of Primary Care.

Area Health Education Centers were created as part of a national strategy to address the shortage of health professionals in 1972. The Vermont AHEC Network works to educate and inspire students and professionals to improve the health of Vermont communities.

Learn more at https://nvtahec.org or https://www.nationalahec.org

 

Experience the vibe at Health & Medicine!

Check out this media from recent years of the Institute.

See Other GIV Institute Videos

Health & Medicine Institute Photo Album 2025 / 2024 / 2023

Attending this Institute can earn you credits, proficiencies and credentials!

How To Get High School Credit

Students who complete an Institute can often use the experience for high school credit through participating high school's flexible pathways programs. The hours and academic content at each GIV Institute often equate to a full class at most Vermont high schools.

Awarding high school credit is at the discretion of the student’s sending school.
Some high schools cannot award credit for completion due to variations in grading systems, PLPs, and credit systems.

To support the process, we recommend students make a plan with their high school guidance counselor or Flexible Pathways coordinator before attending GIV to explore credit options

For participating schools and Flexible Pathways programs, students have been able to gain credit for presenting their academic achievements at GIV through methods such as...
- Offering a formal presentation to reflect on their studies and their experience at GIV to present for counselors and/or teachers in Fall after completing an Institute.
- A showcase of a final product, which are created in the final days at most Institutes either as an individual or group project.
- A learning journal to be submitted and reviewed to share areas of learning, activities, reflections.
- Work examples to share with sending school teachers (physical or digital products, writing, videos of presentations, learning journal, etc.) to be reviewed and assessed.

To connect with someone at your school who can explore or support this process, see the current list of School Ambassadors at https://giv.org/resources-for-students (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Curriculum Format

Partnership with the Northern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
1-week intensive
Online introduction for certification opportunities
Student split into two groups that alternate between sessions
Every student gets paired with a professional or graduate medical advisor
Field trips to area hospitals, SimLabs, and guest presenters
Dormitories and roommates
8:1 student-to-staff ratio

Sample Curriculum Topics

Patient assessment & triage
Emergency services
Anatomy and dissections
Disease and microscopy
Surgical techniques
Mental health
Psychology and neurology
Orthopedics: splinting, spinal injuries, and trauma
Physiology
Mass casualty scenarios
and more!

Hours and Opportunities

70+ hours of health and medicine training
Direct support from a mentor
Resume-building
Industry-recognized credentials and certifications to kickstart careers or medical training

Certifications Offered

Vermont Emergency First Responder (VEFR)

CPR/AED

Stop the Bleed

High School Credit Recommendations

Equivalent to one semester of high school credit in 1 or more of the following:

Science - Life Sciences
Science - Engineering, Technology, and Application
Health Education

VT Proficiency Indicators

This Institute’s curriculum has been aligned with the following Vermont proficiency-based graduation requirements at the high school level.

Science
- Life Sciences: 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 4a, 4b
- Engineering Technology and Applied Science: 8b, 8c, 8i

Health Education
- Core Concepts: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e
- Analyze Influences: 2a, 2b, 2c
- Access Information: 3a, 3b
- Interpersonal Communication: 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f
- Decision Making/Goal Setting: 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g
- Self Management: 6a

Transferable Skills
- Communication: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g
- Self-Direction: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, 2i
- Problem Solving: 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h
- Citizenship: 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f
- Informed Thinking: 5a, 5b, 5f

Want To Compare Opportunities Between Institutes?

For more detail and to compare different opportunities, check out our Academic Guide!

So how does it all work?

Every day is a unique experience filled with expert-led instruction, hands-on investigation, field trips, and immersive learning. We work to build a community around our experiences and share in our passion for everything we explore.

**The schedule is slightly different each year and announced when you arrive!

GIV’s supportive Institute structure is endlessly enriching, empowering, and engaging.

An Example of a Day at the Health & Medicine Institute

7:30 AM: Breakfast
8:30 AM: Morning Medical Activity
10:00 AM: Project Exploration
12:00 PM: Lunch and Free Time
1:00 PM: Afternoon Activity and Recreation
3:00 PM: Project Exploration
5:00 PM: Dinner
6:00 PM: Evening Social Activity
7:00 PM: Evening Workshops
8:00 PM: Game and Free Time
10:00 PM: End of Day

What do alumni have to say?

Check out this video from GIV Alum (and now faculty!) Thomas Halligan as he shares some of his experiences at GIV and his work as an Advanced EMT in rural communities in NH and VT.

2026 Health & Medicine Faculty

Bryan Duff

Bryan Duff | Institute Director

Bryan Duff comes from a family of healthcare professionals. He bucked the trend by earning a doctorate in education, but his family still talks to him. They share stories about lifesaving, listening, and laparoscopes. In return, Bryan tells tales about big and little moments that make teaching so personally fulfilling and societally important. See why Dr. D is so psyched to join us at the Health and Medicine Institute!

Thank you to our Institute Supporters!

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