When Niki Chava (BSHI ‘26) walks across the graduation stage in May, she will already have a job lined up.
Over the summer, Chava, who is a senior in the University of Pittsburgh Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics (BSHI) program, completed an internship with UPMC through the IT Summer Associate Program. Now in her final year, she has already been offered a full-time position with UPMC, joining the other 94% of BSHI graduates who are employed upon graduation.
During their time in the program, BSHI students are required to complete a three-credit internship that provides them with hands-on experience across an array of relevant clinical sites.
Chava credits the Health Informatics program for preparing her for this first chapter in her career.
“The BSHI program gave me a foundation in technical, professional and communication skills,” Chava said. “It taught me how to deliver presentations at a high-stakes enterprise level, collaborate across various fields and build meaningful relationships through networking and community building. I feel very prepared to join the workforce when I graduate.”
Choosing Health Informatics
Chava has always known that she wanted to work in health care. Hailing from Northern Virginia, Chava sought out the University of Pittsburgh for its vast health care opportunities and robust academic offerings.
When first applying to Pitt, she enrolled in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences on the pre-med track. However, when she realized she wanted a degree that aligned better with her interest in technology and the non-patient facing side of health care, she found health informatics.
“When I learned about health informatics, it felt like the perfect fit for me,” Chava said. “I am very passionate about learning how the social drivers of health influence patient experiences, and health informatics has given me the tools to explore these interests. I can use technology to focus on equity and make systemic changes that will benefit everyone within the health care environment.”
Chava shared what features within the Health Informatics program influenced her to apply.
“The classes offered cover technical, administrative and business-focused concepts, which prepare us for many different career paths,” Chava said. “I also loved that HI is a two-year program with a small cohort. The cohort style makes it easier to build strong relationships with classmates and professors. It is also beneficial for networking and forming long-term connections with alumni and other professionals.”
Real-World Curriculum
During her time in the program, Chava has gained diverse knowledge on topics related to health informatics. She praises the program’s coursework and lessons for being rooted in real-world situations, which are continuously updated to mirror the changes happening in the field.
“What impressed me the most about the BSHI program was how relevant and current our coursework is,” Chava said. “We regularly discuss real world case studies, policies, laws and data analytics projects that reflect what is happening in health care technology today. These discussions and coursework topics are really important for preparing us for our future careers, especially with the huge growth of AI and digital health tools recently.”
Chava said this real-world emphasis contributed to her success in her internship with UPMC, which led to her full-time offer.
“The curriculum focuses on systems implementation, building technical skills, data governance and professional communication,” Chava said. “These topics prepared me for my internship by helping me to contribute to meetings, understand enterprise level projects and build on my skills and knowledge of workflows in a real-world health care setting.”
Connections with Faculty and Peers
Alongside her coursework, Chava also noted how impactful the BSHI faculty have been throughout her academic journey, particularly Assistant Professor Kim Peterson, who also heads the Health Informatics Student Association, where Chava serves as president.
“Kim has been such an impactful professor and mentor through the many classes we have taken with her,” Chava said. “We love discussing career plans and health informatics interests with her, as well as discussing our everyday lives and activities. Classes with her are always a bright spot.”
Similarly, Chava said that her fellow BSHI peers have made a positive impact on her during her time in the program. Alongside Chava, six other students in the Health Informatics program also interned at UPMC, and all of them were also granted full-time positions.
“Working with and getting to know the other BSHI students has been my favorite part of the program,” Chava said. “I am so grateful to be able to say that I have met some of my closest friends through this program. I am really excited that our friendships will extend past college and we can stay connected post-grad.”
Employment After Graduation
Chava said that her experience in the program and her 10-week internship with UPMC have enabled her to grow as a professional and have set her up for success to enter the workforce after graduation.
“The curriculum and community build a strong foundation in health informatics and give us more confidence in the transition to post grad,” Chava said.
For any other students considering the Health Informatics program, Chava stressed that it is integral that they are fully committed to their academic journey.
“My biggest piece of advice would be to take advantage of every opportunity the program offers and to use the resources available,” Chava said. “The program creates a supportive environment, but making the most of it requires effort to get involved, ask questions and explore opportunities beyond the classroom such as research and capstone projects. The more engaged a student is, the more they will gain from this program.”
