Ninety-five Caymanian high school and college students have taken part in the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority’s (HSA) summer internship programme, after a record 332 applied.

The programme runs from June to September and places students across HSA departments for four to six weeks. It is designed to give participants practical experience, connect academic learning with day-to-day work and introduce them to professionals across healthcare and support services.

For many students, the placement also offered an opportunity to test whether a career interest suited them in practice.

During orientation, students received training in fire safety, hand hygiene, customer service and CPR, and were awarded certificates after completing the sessions. The HSA said the training formed part of its efforts to prepare students for the workplace and reinforce basic standards expected in healthcare.

Students explored potential career paths

For laboratory intern Madison Douglas, the internship offered a closer look at the workplace where she hoped to build a career.

"I was very interested in science during high school, so I decided to pursue a career path in the lab," she said.

Douglas said the experience would help her decide "whether or not this is something I can see myself doing in the future".

Nursing intern Shayla Ebanks said she chose the HSA because it was one of the major hospitals in Cayman.

"This chance will increase my interest in working with patients," she said.

Behavioural health intern Kheara Ramsahoi said she was drawn to the HSA because of its tertiary-level healthcare services and the direction it could offer her career in psychology.

"I’ve always had a ground-level knowledge of what healthcare looks like, but with the HSA I can get more direction and network in a hospital where I could work in the future," she said.

Not all students were aiming for direct clinical roles. Finance intern Joshua Elliott said his placement showed him the importance of support services to the delivery of care.

"While I might not be dealing with direct patient care like a doctor or nurse, finance is important to keeping healthcare services running effectively," he said.

Record 332 applications for 95 places

The HSA said the 2026 intake attracted a record 332 applicants for 95 internship places.

Samantha Bennett, the HSA’s Chief Human Resources Officer, said the authority viewed the programme as part of its wider responsibility to invest in local talent.

"We are contributing to the development of future generations of business and medical leaders in our islands by introducing talented Caymanian students to highly qualified medical professionals," she said.

The HSA did not say how many interns went on to further work with the authority, whether placements led to job offers or how it measured the programme’s longer-term impact.

Building a pathway from school to work

The programme runs annually from June to September, giving participants four to six weeks inside the organisation to work alongside staff, observe daily operations and gain early exposure to potential careers.

For students, the experience provides an opportunity to better understand the skills and expectations of the workplace before making longer-term career decisions. For the HSA, the programme forms part of its investment in developing Caymanian talent for the local workforce.