A variety of career development opportunities exist for UCSF and HDFCCC Employees. If you are interested in going back to school to further your career, the Bay Area offers many healthcare professional programs. See below for common healthcare careers, local programs, and funding opportunities.

CREST Program

A series of events that provide mentoring and resources to HDFCCC staff who are interested in becoming nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians. The Program has 2 tracks:

• Career Exploration Track - All HDFCCC staff are eligible to participate. Geared toward people who are still deciding between the NP, PA, and MD fields. Staff in this track will have access to the following program components:
  • Career Panel (NPs, PAs, MDs)
  • Finding Research Opportunities as a CRC - A panel of CRCs who have found ways to conduct research through their current positions
  • Seminar series  - Current HDFCCC NPs, PAs, and MDs will give presentations on their disease areas and career paths
  • Nuts & Bolts of Applying for an NP/PA/MD Program - A panel of CRCs who have recently gone through the process
  • Characteristics of Successful Applicants - A panel of admission office representatives from Nursing, PA, and MD programs around California 
• Application Track - Open to HDFCCC staff who are applying to NP, PA, or MD programs within the next year. Space in this track is limited, and participants are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Staff in this track will have access to all the Career Exploration resources above, plus the following:
  • Application essay mentoring  - Provides mentoring for those who are completing their application essays. Participants receive 1x1 mentoring from April to June each year. They will also be organized into small working groups to work on their essays together and give each other feedback. Applications open in January/February each year.
  • Mock interviews - Provided for those interested in medical school, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant programs. Interviewers are current UCSF faculty, fellows, and NPs or PAs. Applications open in May/June each year.

Program timeline:

• October/November
  • Career panel
• December
  • Seminar Series begins
• February
  • CRC panel – finding research opportunities as a CRC
• March
  • Nuts & Bolts of Applying Panel
• April
  • CRC retreat
• April – June
  • Application Essay mentoring (application opens in January/February 2026)
• June
  • Characteristics of Successful Applicants Panel
• August
  • Mock interviews (application opens in May/June 2026)

Other Staff Resources