Jazmeen Chisholm was on her way to reaching her dream of becoming a medical assistant in 2018 when she received a blow: The school she was studying at would be shutting down. She’d have to start over again. 

Around the same time, she became pregnant with her son. A job in the medical field, which was already extremely expensive, time-consuming, and competitive to enter, now seemed even more out of reach.

The medical profession is experiencing a talent shortage. There is a projected gap of nearly 200,000 nurses and 124,000 physicians — among other specialties — by the 2030s. A significant contributing factor is the cost and time required for training, meaning that students like Chisholm struggle to get their foot in the door. Becoming a nurse, for instance, can require up to four years of schooling, with tuition often approaching or exceeding $100,000. 

When Chisholm discovered Propel America, a program offering high school graduates tuition-free training in medical careers, hands-on externships, and guaranteed job interviews, she saw a way to achieve her dreams while addressing a critical shortage in her community. 

The result? Chisholm is now an HIV specialist with Temple Health in Philadelphia, where she grew up and first dreamed of entering health care back when she worked in fast food. 

“It was more of a financial necessity than it was a job that I felt like I could grow in,” Chisholm said about working in fast food. “It wasn’t a career path for me.”

Propel focuses on connecting talented people with more accessible pathways into jobs that require extensive training. The organization offers high school graduates tuition-free externships in medical fields, leading to guaranteed interviews with potential employers. 

Within the current health care system, the yearslong, debilitatingly expensive path to becoming a professional is detrimental to hospitals, patients, and prospective providers alike. Propel is creating a powerful mutual benefit by helping those who would otherwise struggle to enter the health care field. It’s allowing a new talent pool to pursue their dreams and lead more fulfilling lives. It’s also filling a critical gap in health care providers. 

“These hospitals, they were willing to take the risk and say, ‘OK, we know you just got out of school, but we want to be able to train you, to be able to work with you, to build you up to be the person that you need to be,’” Chisholm said.

Allowing students to follow their dreams

Propel’s model demonstrates that removing barriers and providing alternative pathways to high-demand career paths can be just as effective in preparing people for meaningful careers as traditional degree programs. The nonprofit empowers students to pursue fulfilling careers where they can thrive based on their skills and grit — instead of being limited by degree requirements.

The students aren’t the only ones benefiting. Medical employers gain access to an untapped, highly driven, and motivated talent pool, helping to address workforce challenges during the ongoing shortage. 

Additionally, by completing externships at the institutions where they plan to apply for permanent positions, students receive training tailored to those hospitals’ specific cultures and goals, creating a direct skills-to-needs match with the organization. 

"Propel America is helping [employers] build a talent pipeline of local, young adults who are responsive to the needs of our communities,” said Tina Shaffer, the chief DEI and talent strategy officer at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, one of Propel’s employer partners. “Together, we are committed to a future in which all people experience compassionate, patient-centric care."

The path to working in health care is long. Propel shortens it with flexible learning options. Chisholm’s son was almost 5 when she entered the program. Propel offered stipends for bills, living expenses, and help with child care, which allowed Chisholm to quit her job and study full time. Many of her classes were remote, which was necessary for her to be able to care for her son.

“It seemed just a great fit for my lifestyle, that work-life balance that I needed,” she said. “I was a mom who needed that balance of being able to go to school, work, and be at home.”

Over nine months, Chisholm took a combination of online and in-person classes, met with a career coach weekly who helped her prepare her resume, and participated in hands-on skills labs. After taking exams, she immediately secured an externship at one of Propel’s partner hospitals, Temple Health. 

“It was exhilarating for me,” she said. 

Propel doesn’t guarantee jobs — students earn those via their skills, intelligence, and dedication. However, the organization knocks down barriers that keep these students from developing their talents and allows them to share their skills with institutions that badly need them. 

After graduation, Chisholm, with the help of Propel’s connections and guidance, landed interviews for a full-time medical assistant position at Temple. She was hired into Temple’s comprehensive care unit, working with HIV patients, infectious diseases, weight loss management, and burn victims. 

“[Propel] really did help me just to get my foot in the door,” Chisholm said. “I had to do the rest, of course. … Those connections really helped out. A lot of us were able to get into these [challenging roles] without knowing somebody first. The hospital [sector] is a little hard to get into, especially fresh out of school.”

Most fellows in Chisholm’s cohort secured full-time jobs immediately after completing their externships, often at the institutions where they trained. This set them on new paths — toward careers that allow them to explore, hone, and use their talents, leading to more fulfilling and purpose-driven lives in medical fields. 

“[The hospitals] were willing to take a chance on us, even though we were fresh out of school,” Chisholm said. “[Students] were able to [show] their work ethic and how they were able to listen and comprehend and be coached.”

What it really takes to be a caregiver

Hospitals stand to benefit from considering job candidates with nontraditional backgrounds. Many have unique strengths to share, and if they are local, patients benefit from health care professionals who understand their community’s needs and circumstances. It’s a win all around.

For instance, while Chisholm came from the fast food industry, which may not have been health care-specific, that experience helped her learn to manage the times when she is the only medical assistant working with an influx of patients — highlighting the unexpected skills many nontraditional learners can bring to the table. 

“I had to really think on my feet, and I had to be able to maneuver and not make mistakes or take my time,” she said, reflecting on her time working solo as a health care professional. “It all worked out because it was something that I was familiar with [from] working in food service. … It’s all about trying to get the food out there, get the customer satisfied, and keep them moving.”

Another benefit for employers is that candidates with less medical experience have fewer preconceived ideas about the industry. They are often more open and flexible, allowing them to grow and be trained to meet a hospital’s specific needs.

In the health care industry, it’s common to follow a rigid set of certifications, work experiences, and coursework to qualify for a role, but being open to candidates with nontraditional backgrounds allows hospitals to consider the value of other “soft” skills. 

Many jobs, like Chisholm’s experiences in the food service industry, instill curiosity, personability, communication, and the ability to work well under pressure. Unlike many “hard” skills used in a hospital setting, these characteristics can’t be trained on the job, but they go a long way in making for an empathetic, driven health care provider. 

“If I was a manager at one of these major hospitals, I would want a new extern,” Chisholm said. “It’s okay to have somebody that has experience, but it’s different when you can cultivate somebody. All [fresh graduates] are trying to do is be a sponge. … They’re easy to cultivate, and they can [be] set up for success.”

An eager, quick, and ready pipeline of trainable talent could address the current shortage of health care workers. HIV workers like Chisholm are particularly in demand. Propel is filling those gaps and providing pathways to a fulfilling career along the way — helping everyone involved thrive. 

“The HIV community is so deprived,” Chisholm said, noting that the clinic at Temple is unique in its focus on ensuring not just that infection rates go down but that patients are also able to access a better quality of life through things like social worker visits, bus passes, nutrition, and reliable housing. “There are so many people that are married, there are so many people that are having babies, and they’re still living their lives even though they’re living with this incurable disease.”

For Chisholm, it’s been a true game changer. 

“I love my patients,” she said. “It gives me a purpose. It gives it a drive. I meet amazing people every single day, and I try to treat my patients like I want to be treated: with respect, with kindness, with friendliness.”

Propel America is funded by the Catalyze Challenge. The Catalyze Challenge is supported by the Charles Koch Foundation, which, as part of the Stand Together community, funds cutting-edge research and helps expand postsecondary educational options.

Learn more about Stand Together’s efforts to transform the future of work and explore ways you can partner with us.