Explore the System. Understand the Business. Discover Your Path.
Join us for the 2026 Business of Health Bootcamp — your opportunity to explore the business side of healthcare through expert presentations, a student panel, and guided networking with professionals from across the industry. Discover how the healthcare system works, understand the financial forces shaping it, explore diverse career paths, and make connections that can help launch your career.
Open to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from across The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
| Session | What to Expect |
| 8:30–9:00 AM Breakfast, Check-In & Networking | Start the day with breakfast and connections! Visit resource tables, meet fellow students, explore healthcare career pathways, and connect with employers and student organizations. |
| 9:00–9:45 AM Keynote: The Challenge of U.S. Healthcare | Get the big picture of the U.S. healthcare ecosystem—and the challenges shaping its future. Explore how providers, payers, pharma and biotech, medical devices, digital health, public health, government, employers, and patients interact, and where opportunities exist for the next generation of healthcare leaders. |
| 9:45–10:45 AM Focus Session: Following the Money — How the U.S. Healthcare System Really Works | Ever wonder who actually pays for healthcare—and where all the money goes? Follow the flow from patients and employers to insurers, Medicare and Medicaid, hospitals, clinicians, pharma, medical devices, and PBMs. See how reimbursement and financial incentives influence healthcare decisions through simple visuals and real-world examples. |
| 10:45–11:15 AM Bio Break & Grab Lunch | Take a break, grab lunch, and connect with other Bootcamp participants. |
| 11:15 AM–12:10 PM Lunch & Healthcare Student Panel: Finding Your Place in Healthcare | Hear directly from UNC students about how they found their interests, explored different parts of healthcare, landed internships and experiences, and navigated decisions about what comes next. Bring your questions! |
| 12:15–1:55 PM Speed Networking with Healthcare Professionals | Meet professionals working across the healthcare ecosystem in four fast-paced, 25-minute table group conversations. Ask about their careers, industries, challenges, and advice for students—and start building your healthcare network. |
| 1:55–2:00 PM Closing Remarks | Key takeaways, next steps, and ways to stay connected to healthcare opportunities at UNC. |
Featured Speakers
KEYNOTE — The Challenge of U.S. Healthcare
Mike Rawaan | Founder & Managing Director, Covalence Health
Mike Rawaan is the Founder and Managing Director of Covalence Health, a healthcare policy and strategy firm serving payers, providers, investors, health tech companies, and government programs. Over two decades, he has launched 14 value-based care programs and advised healthcare startups and investors on strategy, growth, and product-market fit. Mike also serves as a fractional executive and board member for healthcare companies and hosts The Outer Shell podcast. He earned his MBA in Corporate Strategy from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Connect with Mike on LinkedIn
FOCUS SESSION — Following the Money: How the U.S. Healthcare System Really Works
Rebecca Fish | Professor of the Practice, UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media
Rebecca Fish is a Professor of the Practice at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, where she leads the Health Communication and Marketing Focus Program. She brings more than 25 years of healthcare experience across industry, government, and global health, including roles with Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. At UNC, she helps students explore the intersection of healthcare, business, policy, and strategic communication, emphasizing experiential learning and real-world healthcare challenges. Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn
Come Curious. Leave Connected.
Whether you’re interested in clinical care, business, public health, pharma, biotech, consulting, technology, policy, research, finance, or still figuring it out, the Healthcare Bootcamp is designed to help you see how the pieces fit together—and where you might fit within the healthcare ecosystem.
Questions? Email Susanne Killian at [email protected].