DaVita Internship 2027–2028: Redwoods Program, Clinical Tracks & How to Apply

Last updated: August 2026

DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) is the largest dialysis provider in the United States, operating 2,657 centers, generating $13.7 billion in annual revenue, and employing 78,000 teammates who serve roughly 200,500 patients. The flagship Redwoods Summer Analyst Program places about 20 undergraduates in Denver for ten weeks of strategy and operations work that blends case-interview rigor with a culture DaVita calls The Village. For the 2027–2028 cycle, campus recruiting begins September 2026, the application deadline falls in early December, and the internship runs June through August 2027.

Quick Facts

DaVita runs a selective corporate internship (Redwoods Summer Analyst) and year-round clinical tracks across 2,657 US dialysis centers. The corporate program is Denver-based, case-interview driven, and recruits from 13 target undergrad schools, but non-target candidates can apply directly. Clinical rotations are available nationwide.

Externships are short, remote projects where you finish real work for a real company. The Pfizer AI-Powered Document Intelligence Externship and the Corporate Strategy Externship mentored by Eric Ries build the healthcare operations awareness and consulting-style problem-solving a DaVita Redwoods application rewards. Explore all Externships.

What Is a DaVita Inc. Internship?

A DaVita internship is a paid placement inside the largest US dialysis provider, a Fortune 500 company (#331) and S&P 500 component backed by Berkshire Hathaway (41.2% ownership). The flagship Redwoods Summer Analyst Program brings roughly 20 undergraduates to Denver headquarters for ten weeks of strategy, operations, and analytics work, culminating in a presentation to senior leaders. MBA candidates join as Summer Associates at approximately $2,600 per week. Clinical tracks place students in patient care technician, nursing, dietitian, and social work rotations at DaVita's network of 2,657 dialysis centers serving roughly 200,500 patients. The organization is led by CEO Javier J. Rodriguez and runs on a distinctive culture called The Village, where employees are called teammates and the CEO carries the title of Mayor.

When Do DaVita Inc. Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

DaVita Redwoods recruiting follows a campus-driven calendar compressed into a few critical months. The Sophomore Leadership Summit requires an April application for a July event, while Summer Analyst and Summer Associate recruiting begins at campus events in September and closes around early December. Interviews run November through February, with final offers extending by spring. Clinical track timelines vary because those rotations post year-round across 2,657 centers. The key insight: if you are targeting Redwoods, the early December deadline is the hard cutoff, and most competitive applicants submit in October or November after connecting with the team at campus events.

How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

DaVita Redwoods is not a rolling program. The early December deadline is fixed, and the cohort is small (roughly 20 Summer Analysts). Campus recruiting events at the 13 target schools start in September, and the students who attend those events build relationships with recruiters weeks before the portal even closes. If you are at a non-target school, you need to email redwoods@davita.com early enough to get on their radar before the deadline passes. Case interview prep takes months, not weeks, and DaVita explicitly recommends two books (Case in Point and Hacking the Case Interview). Submitting in the first half of the window, with a polished resume and a finished project in healthcare or strategy, puts you ahead of the December rush.

Which DaVita Inc. Internship Programs Should You Target?

DaVita runs both corporate and clinical internship tracks. The corporate side is anchored by the Redwoods program, which operates like a consulting-firm summer analyst experience inside a healthcare company. Clinical tracks are distributed across DaVita's national dialysis center network and serve students in allied health fields.

See all open roles at redwoods.davita.com for corporate tracks and careers.davita.com for clinical positions. The Sophomore Leadership Summit is the earliest entry point: a strong performance there pipelines you directly into Summer Analyst recruiting.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Requirements differ between corporate and clinical tracks, but several themes repeat across DaVita internship postings:

• Enrollment: Redwoods Summer Analyst requires current enrollment as a rising senior at an accredited four-year university. Summer Associate requires enrollment in a first-year MBA program. Sophomore Summit requires rising junior status. Clinical tracks require enrollment in or completion of relevant allied health programs (PCT certification, nursing, dietetics, or social work).

• Target schools (corporate): DaVita recruits at 13 undergrad campuses (BYU, FAMU, Howard, Morehouse, NC A&T, Spelman, Stanford, TCU, UCLA, CU Boulder, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn) and 8 MBA programs. Students from non-target schools can email redwoods@davita.com to express interest.

• Work authorization: applicants must be eligible to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not publicly confirmed for internship programs.

• Culture fit: DaVita places significant weight on alignment with The Village culture and its seven core values (Service Excellence, Integrity, Team, Continuous Improvement, Accountability, Fulfillment, Fun). Expect culture-fit assessment throughout the interview process.

Does DaVita Require a Specific GPA?

DaVita does not publish a hard GPA minimum for the Redwoods programs. The emphasis falls on case interview performance, leadership evidence, and demonstrated alignment with The Village culture rather than a transcript number. That said, the program is competitive (roughly 20 spots from 13+ target campuses), so a strong academic record (3.3+ recommended) helps clear the initial screen. Your case interview performance and behavioral stories carry more weight than your GPA decimal once you reach the interview stage.

What Skills Does DaVita Inc. Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

Read across DaVita Redwoods program descriptions, interview criteria, and intern testimonials, and the skill profile looks more like a consulting firm than a typical healthcare employer. Strategic problem-solving and case interview aptitude dominate the corporate track, while data analytics and financial modeling are expected from day one. Healthcare operations knowledge is valued but teachable on the job. The differentiator is emotional intelligence and Village culture alignment: DaVita interviews probe whether you can thrive in a mission-driven, teammate-oriented environment, not just whether you can crack a case.

How Is Demand for Healthcare Operations Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

And several skills in that chart map to a remote Externship where you finish a real project before a role opens.

How close is the overlap? The Pfizer project gives you healthcare operations and document intelligence work that mirrors DaVita's clinical enterprise priorities. The Eric Ries Corporate Strategy Externship builds the consulting-style strategic thinking Redwoods case interviews test. Both produce finished deliverables you can discuss in a behavioral interview.

What Is the DaVita Inc. Application and Interview Process Like?

DaVita Redwoods uses a structured process that combines consulting-style case interviews with behavioral assessment. The process is more rigorous than most healthcare internships because the Redwoods program is modeled on management consulting pipelines:

1. Connect at campus events or email directly. DaVita recruits at 13 target undergrad schools and 8 MBA programs starting September 2026. If you are not at a target school, email redwoods@davita.com to introduce yourself and express interest in the Summer Analyst Program.

2. Submit your application by early December. Apply through the Redwoods portal with your resume, cover letter, and any requested materials. The deadline is expected in early December 2026 based on prior-cycle timelines.

3. Behavioral interview round. Expect STAR-format questions probing leadership, teamwork, and alignment with DaVita's Village culture. Interviewers assess whether you embody values like Service Excellence, Integrity, and Team. Prepare stories that show impact in team settings.

4. Case interview round. DaVita recommends Case in Point and Hacking the Case Interview as preparation resources. Expect healthcare-specific cases involving kidney care economics, Medicare reimbursement models, and operational strategy. Practice with frameworks adapted for a company where 68% of revenue comes from government payers.

5. Final decision and offer. Strong candidates receive offers for the Summer Analyst cohort (roughly 20 spots) or Summer Associate cohort (20–30 MBA spots). High performers at the end of the summer are ideally offered a position in the full-time Analyst Program.

Two preparation priorities stand out. First, case interview fluency: DaVita explicitly names two prep books and uses healthcare-specific cases, so generic consulting case prep is not enough. Second, Village culture alignment: your behavioral answers need to demonstrate you understand and value DaVita's teammate-oriented, mission-driven environment, not just that you can solve a business problem.

What the Community Says

Glassdoor and Indeed reviewers describe DaVita as an intense, mission-driven employer where the Redwoods program stands out and the Village culture is the defining factor.

How Do You Stand Out When Redwoods Accepts Only 20 Summer Analysts?

Three moves, all before a role opens. First, master the case interview with healthcare-specific frameworks: kidney care economics, Medicare reimbursement models (68% government-payer revenue versus 32% commercial), and the value-based care shift. Generic consulting case prep is necessary but not sufficient for DaVita. Second, leverage the Sophomore Leadership Summit as your entry point: apply by the April deadline, attend the three-day event in mid-July, and use it as a pipeline to the Summer Analyst Program the following year. Third, demonstrate alignment with The Village culture in every interaction: reference specific values like Service Excellence, Integrity, and Team, and know that DaVita teammates have contributed $11 million in donations and 180,000 volunteer hours through company programs. The culture is not a talking point; it is the selection filter.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

DaVita is not the only major healthcare company offering structured internship programs. If you are building a healthcare-internship list, these are the natural comparisons:

Our healthcare consulting internships summer 2027 guide maps the full landscape across hospitals, insurers, dialysis providers, and consulting firms.

FAQ

Is the DaVita Redwoods Summer Analyst Program paid?

Yes, Redwoods Summer Analysts earn $20.50 to $28.00 per hour based on ZipRecruiter posting data. MBA Summer Associates earn approximately $2,600 per week. The program runs 10 weeks in Denver, so total summer earnings for undergrads range from roughly $8,200 to $11,200 before taxes.

What departments can I work in as a DaVita Redwoods intern?

Redwoods Summer Analysts can be placed in finance, strategy, data analytics, operations innovation, clinical enterprise, patient experience, hospital partnerships, government business, real estate, and human resources. Your specific placement depends on your skills, interests, and the cohort's project needs.

When do DaVita Redwoods applications open?

Campus recruiting events begin in September and October 2026 at DaVita's 13 target undergrad schools. The application deadline is expected in early December 2026 based on prior-cycle timelines. Interviews run November 2026 through February 2027.

Do I need to attend a target school to apply to DaVita Redwoods?

No. DaVita recruits at 13 undergrad campuses and 8 MBA programs, but non-target students can email redwoods@davita.com to express interest. The Redwoods team has publicly encouraged students from non-target schools to reach out directly.

Does DaVita use case interviews?

Yes. DaVita Redwoods uses both behavioral and case interviews. The company recommends Case in Point and Hacking the Case Interview as preparation resources. Cases tend to be healthcare-specific, covering kidney care economics, Medicare reimbursement, and operational strategy.

Where is the DaVita internship located?

The Redwoods Summer Analyst and Summer Associate programs are based at DaVita headquarters in Denver, Colorado (2000 16th Street, known internally as Casa del Mundo). Clinical internships in PCT, nursing, dietetics, and social work are available at 2,657+ dialysis centers across 46 states.

Can DaVita interns get full-time offers?

Yes. DaVita states that Summer Analysts are ideally offered a position in the full-time Analyst Program upon completion. The company does not publish a specific return-offer rate, but the program is designed as a pipeline to post-graduation employment.

What is DaVita's Village culture?

DaVita calls its organization The Village, its employees teammates, and its CEO the Mayor. The culture is built on seven core values: Service Excellence, Integrity, Team, Continuous Improvement, Accountability, Fulfillment, and Fun. Teammates have contributed $11 million in donations and 180,000 volunteer hours.

DaVita serves 200,500 patients across 2,657 dialysis centers and hires interns who can think like consultants and care like clinicians. A remote Externship in healthcare strategy gives you a finished project an interviewer can see before the early December deadline.