Volunteers & Patient Care Observers

Volunteers 

Volunteers must first apply and be accepted through the college or department where they would like to work. Once accepted, all volunteers must be officially registered, using the Human Resources Volunteer forms. 

The UF Privacy Office will monitor UF volunteers’ roles regarding their potential and planned exposure to and use of protected health information (PHI) and other restricted data. The Privacy Office is primarily concerned with the appropriate supervision of volunteers whenever they may have opportunity to view, hear, or handle PHI, or come in contact with patients, whether directly or indirectly. 

If you have questions about a particular volunteering opportunity, please call the Administrative Services Office of the Health Science Center college in which you are interested. 

• For specific questions about the College of Medicine’s volunteer application process
• For specific questions about volunteering in the College of Dentistry
• For additional information regarding volunteers at UF Health

Patient Care Observation 

The UF Health Observer Program allows individuals to strictly observe or shadow clinicians without participating in patient care. Observing is distinctly separate from the UF volunteer process. 

The Observer Program does not assist in pairing individuals with sponsoring clinicians. You are responsible for identifying and securing permission from a sponsoring clinician at UF Health. You can be sponsored by and shadow any type of clinician, including but not limited to physicians (MD or DO), APPs (Advanced Practice Registered Nurses or Physician Assistants), or genetic counselors.