A leading program called CareYaya aims to address two growing needs – providing caregiving assistance to elderly and chronically ill patients while offering clinical experience for aspiring medical professionals. It has been backed by Johns Hopkins, Harvard, the National Institutes of Health, and other prominent healthcare organizations around the country.
CareYaya thoughtfully matches college students studying pre-med and other healthcare tracks with older adults and disabled individuals needing in-home care. For patients and families, it provides vital support with bathing, household tasks, transportation and companionship needs. For ambitious students, it offers clinical exposure, networking and recommendation letters to bolster medical school applications.
As the US population ages and chronic diseases proliferate, demand for caregiving has rapidly expanded. This has created strain for “informal” caregivers – family and friends tending to parents, spouses and relatives in homes rather than facilities. Nearly 90% of Americans needing long-term care depend solely on informal caregivers.
CareYaya strives to provide caregiver respite and scale compassionate support via its dual-sided app platform. The company brands its college caregivers as “joygivers.”

App Allows Students to Set Availability, Accumulate Hours
Pre-health students study rigorously while needing to accrue thousands of clinical hours for
nursing, medical and physician assistant programs. Nearly 77% seek direct patient exposure but struggle finding flexible opportunities fitting busy class schedules.
CareYaya’s app lets students conveniently set availability around academics, while tracking caregiving hours. No prior experience or certifications are required to register as this platform trains newcomers. AI-powered personalized training is available through the YayaGuide program developed in conjunction with Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Students control what types of patients and tasks they take on. Most devote just 8-10 hours weekly but find deep reward in relieving strain on families. They earn $15-$20 per hour while aiding elderly clients with social connection, household activities, hygiene, mobility assistance and companionship needs.
Platform Verifies Hours, Bolsters Applications
Top medical, PA and nursing schools emphasize applicants’ clinical exposure when reviewing files. CareYaya verifies all student caregiving hours for inclusion in grad school applications.
The platform also connects students directly with supervising doctors, physician assistants, nurses, geriatric specialists and families. These channels provide personalized recommendation letters and essay fodder on overcoming healthcare challenges.
Students Gain Compassion, Skills While Making Impact
Healthcare education stresses experiential learning for sharpening diagnostic skills and deepening empathy. Through CareYaya, students experience varied health conditions by assisting clients one-on-one initially struggling with declining mobility. But they soon make measurable improvements in Range of Motion, gait or confidence.
Other students develop keen listening abilities while providing companionship to homebound elderly managing chronic loneliness. They note how small talk and nostalgia provide mental stimulation.
In all cases, students forge meaningful relationships with patients while gaining insights into quality care techniques. Their support provides respite for overburdened families struggling to balance work, parenting duties and burnout.

A Platform for Students Aspiring to Healthcare Careers
CareYaya student caregivers have gone on to leading medical schools across the country, including Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Yale and many others. Many other students on the pre-PA track have successfully placed into physician assistant programs at leading schools such as Duke, Yale, Wake Forest, Emory and others. The CareYaya program is rapidly becoming known as the industry-leading pre-health careers pathway program around the country.