The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is now accepting applications for the 2025 session of the Arkansas Delta Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) Academy, an initiative that supports students in the Delta and South Arkansas as they pursue careers in healthcare.
Open to rising high school seniors, HCOP Academy equips students with the skills they need to gain admission to and succeed in health professional programs. The academy focuses on expanding the workforce in a variety of health care disciplines, including sonography, dietetics, health administration, medical lab technology, mental and behavioral health, occupational and physical therapy, physician assistant studies, public health, radiography, and respiratory therapy.
Students who are new to the program will meet for a six-week residential summer academy that runs from June 9-July 18 on the Southern Arkansas University campus in Magnolia. Participants will receive a stipend, academic enrichment, ACT preparation, tips for writing essays and college applications, community-based primary care experiences, leadership development, and instruction in areas such as behavioral health.
Throughout the summer academy, students will receive opportunities to meet with representatives from colleges and universities in the Delta region to discuss health-career programs and admission requirements.
HCOP Academy plans to stay engaged with its members during the 2025-26 school year by offering virtual workshops and meetings with student mentors from UAMS and its academic partner institutions. Participants’ experience in the program will culminate in summer 2026 with a four-week academy that prepares them for their postsecondary education.
Applicants must demonstrate an interest in pursuing a health career and must be enrolled at a school in the program’s 20-county service area. Those counties are Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Cleveland, Columbia, Crittenden, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Jefferson, Lee, Lincoln, Monroe, Ouachita, Phillips, Sevier, St. Francis, and Union.
The deadline to submit applications is March 14. Parents and students who would like to learn more about the program are invited to attend one of HCOP Academy’s three virtual informational sessions, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 and March 4 and 11.
To sign up for an informational session or to apply for the academy, visit partnerships.uams.edu.
HCOP Academy is operated by the UAMS Division for Academic Pathways and Workforce Partnerships with the assistance of UAMS and community collaborators.