15 Medical Pre-College Summer Programs for High School Students
If you're a high school student who's been shadowing your family doctor, binge-watching medical documentaries, or just genuinely curious about what it takes to become a medical professional, a medical pre-college summer program might be exactly what you're looking for. These programs go well beyond classroom biology, giving you real exposure to clinical environments, biomedical research, and the kind of experience that helps you figure out whether medicine is truly the path for you. Many are hosted by respected medical schools, research universities, and teaching hospitals, which means you're learning in the same spaces where future doctors actually train.
What are the benefits of a medical pre-college program?
Depending on the program, you might develop practical skills in clinical procedures, lab techniques, patient communication, or research methodology. You'll also encounter the ethical dimensions of medicine that rarely come up in high school: questions around health equity, informed consent, and how research decisions affect real communities. Many programs introduce you to specific specialties like neuroscience, public health, biomedical engineering, surgery, and pediatrics, giving you the language and context to speak confidently about your interests in college interviews and essays. Some even offer dual enrollment credit or formal certificates from the host university, which carry genuine weight on transcripts.
With all of that in mind, we've narrowed the list down to 15 medical pre-college summer programs for high school students.
If you’re looking for online STEM research programs, check out our blog here.
1. Scripps Research High School Summer Internship Program (REACH)
Location: Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free to attend with a $5,040 stipend for the 7-week program
Dates: June 22–August 7, with a required pre-program training from June 16 to June 18
Deadline: March 22
Eligibility: High school students (16+) from specific San Diego partner schools with ≥ 3.0 GPA and coursework in biology and chemistry
The Scripps Research High School Summer Internship Program (REACH) places students into full-time biomedical research labs where they work alongside scientists on ongoing projects. Participants engage in experimental design, data collection, and analysis while being mentored by graduate students and researchers in professional laboratory settings. The program also includes weekly seminars and professional development workshops that introduce students to current scientific research and career pathways. Students conclude the experience by presenting their findings at a formal research symposium, gaining experience in scientific communication and research presentation.
2. Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP)
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: Free
Program Dates: June 22 – July 26
Deadline: March 23
Eligibility: Current high school juniors from low-income and/or first-generation backgrounds living in Northern California; the program is not open to students outside Northern California
The Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP) is a free, five-week immersive enrichment program in science and medicine hosted on Stanford's campus, specifically designed for first-generation and low-income high school juniors from Northern California. You’ll divide your time between four core experiences. First, a Stanford Hospital internship places you inside the hospital to gain hands-on exposure to health care delivery through laboratory and departmental activities, shadowing, observation, and patient interaction. Second, a public health disparities research project has you working in small groups to investigate real health equity issues. Past topics have included racial inequities in COVID-19 health outcomes, low birth outcomes for African American mothers, and language barriers in hospital settings, culminating in a college-level research paper, presentation, and academic poster. Third, academic seminars and lectures on public health, research methodology, and human anatomy are taught by Stanford medical students, alongside weekly academic planning workshops on financial aid, college essays, and what admissions officers look for. Fourth, immersive educational opportunities bring in weekly guest lectures, tours, and demonstrations from across the Stanford medical community, including specialties such as dermatology, anesthesiology, life flight, gastroenterology, and ophthalmology.
3. Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) – UCSF
Location: University of California, San Francisco and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Oakland, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free to attend with a $3,000 stipend for high school students
ProgramDates: June 15 – July 31
Deadline: February 13
Eligibility: High school students (grades 10–12), age 16+, with coursework in math and biology, and interest in health sciences
The Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) at UCSF places high school students into biomedical research settings where they work directly with scientists and healthcare professionals on ongoing projects. Participants are paired one-on-one with mentors and engage in clinical or laboratory research, gaining hands-on experience in biology, public health, and medical science. The program also includes weekly seminars, workshops, and enrichment activities that build research, communication, and professional skills. Students conclude the program by presenting their findings at a formal research symposium, developing both scientific understanding and experience in communicating complex ideas.
4. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Location: Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Cost: Free
Program Dates: June 8 – July 30
Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors; at least 16 years old by program start date; must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident currently living and attending high school in the U.S.
Stanford SIMR is a summer research program that places you directly inside Stanford's School of Medicine, working on medically-oriented basic research projects alongside Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and researchers. You're an active participant in ongoing scientific research, working on projects that span disciplines like immunology, neuroscience, cancer biology, genetics, and biomedical engineering, depending on lab placement. The program's core goal is to help you develop a real understanding of how scientific research is actually conducted, from forming a research question through data collection to presenting findings.
5. Johns Hopkins University Pre-College Program
Location: Homewood Campus, Baltimore, MD
Cost: $6,140 (Residential) | $4,660 (Commuter)
Program Dates: Session 1: June 21 – July 1 | Session 2: July 6 –16 | Session 3: July 20 – 30
Deadline: Check the program website for session-specific application deadlines
Eligibility: Academically advanced high school students; minimum 3.0 GPA or higher; open to students globally
Johns Hopkins' Pre-College Programs let high school students take actual college-level medicine courses, earning academic credit while learning from the same faculty who teach Hopkins' undergraduate and graduate students. The medicine-focused offerings include Introduction to Surgery, Medical School Intensive, and Applied Anatomy and Physiology, each a two-week, one-credit course designed to give you a taste of what studying medicine at the university level involves. Your typical day combines instructor-led morning lectures with afternoon sessions featuring guest speakers, researchers, and other experts in the field. You can enroll in one, two, or all three sessions over the summer, allowing you to take multiple courses if your schedule allows.
6. Harvard Summer School’s Premedical Sciences and Ethics
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Varies by credit hours and program format; need-based financial aid available
Program Dates: Session 1: June 20 – July 2 | Session 2: July 5 – 17 | Session 3: July 19 – 31
Deadline: February 11
Eligibility: Students who will graduate high school and enter college in the next 2 years; at least 16 years old by June 20, and not yet 19 by July 31
Harvard's Secondary School Program gives you the opportunity to take actual Harvard courses in the premedical sciences for college credit. The Premedical Sciences and Ethics track covers a wide range of subjects: you might take Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology, Principles of Organic Chemistry, or Introduction to Biochemistry on the science side, or choose from medicine-facing courses like Introduction to Biomedical Ethics, Introduction to Epidemiology and Biostatistics, or STEM Cell and Regenerative Biology.
The 7-week program allows you to take two courses, either deepening your focus in one area or exploring two different aspects of medicine and health science. Credits earned are transferable to most colleges and universities at the discretion of the home institution, and a Harvard transcript is available upon completion.
7. Penn Medicine Summer Program
Location: University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $11,255
Program Dates: June 28 – July 24
Deadline: February 26
Eligibility: Students entering grades 11 or 12; must have completed a high school-level biology course; ages 15–18; international students welcome, no TOEFL required
The Penn Medicine Summer Program is a four-week residential immersion at the Perelman School of Medicine, the oldest medical school in the United States, modeled directly after the first-year Penn Med curriculum. Over the course of the program, you'll learn from more than 20 doctors and clinicians across multiple specialties, moving through an intensive sequence of clinical skill-building. The hands-on component is detailed: you'll learn CPR and emergency care, suturing and surgical knot-tying, blood draws and IV placement, minimally invasive surgical techniques, and how to identify heart and lung sounds. You'll attend labs in gross anatomy, pathology, microbiology, and urine analysis, and may have the opportunity to observe a live surgery.
8. Georgetown University’s Medical Academy
Location: Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
Cost: Residential: $4,120 | Commuter: $3,490
Program Dates: Session 1: June 21 – 27 | Session 2: July 5 – 11 | Session 3: July 12 – 18
Deadline: Check Georgetown Summer Programs website for session-specific deadlines
Eligibility: Minimum age 15; open to high school students
Georgetown's one-week Medical Academy gives you a concentrated look at the field of medicine through the lens of one of the country's top medical institutions. The week moves through a broad sweep of medical subject areas: you'll cover gross anatomy, cardiovascular physiology, radiology, surgery, ICU medicine, emergency medicine, cancer, internal medicine, otolaryngology, patient care, and biomedical ethics, all through a mix of lectures, interactive sessions, and group discussions. You'll work with a patient simulator, practice suturing, apply an orthopedic cast, draw blood, listen for heart sounds, take blood pressure, and examine organs from human body donors, all guided by Georgetown medical students, faculty, and physicians from MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. You'll also receive a Certificate of Participation upon completing the program.
9. Tufts University’s Pre-College Health Science Programs
Location: Tufts University, Boston/Medford/Grafton campuses, MA
Cost: Check the website for the course you are opting for
Program Dates: Summer, varies basis course opted for
Deadline: Applications open December 1
Eligibility: High school students; check individual program pages for age and grade requirements
Tufts Pre-College Health Science Programs offer high school students access to the actual simulation labs, clinical training environments, and research facilities used by Tufts' own medical, dental, and veterinary students. The flagship offering, Mini Med School, takes you through anatomy, public health, and diagnostics in the Tufts Clinical Simulation Center, giving you hands-on practice in a setting that mirrors what first-year medical students experience. Lab Science Investigations places you in a working research lab to run experiments in microbiology, immunology, and public health alongside active faculty researchers. Mini Dental School is also available to students specifically interested in dentistry, who can use the university's state-of-the-art dental labs. You can also earn college credit through the Health Science Honors track, which involves completing college-level coursework alongside experiential components.
10. Duke Clinical Research Institute’s STAR Program
Location: Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC
Cost: Free; $4,000 stipend provided to high school participants
Program Dates: June 22 – July 24
Deadline: January 2
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors and graduating seniors; U.S. citizens or permanent residents; no prior research experience required; strong academic performance and interest in science required
Duke's Summer Training in Academic Research (STAR) Program is a five-week paid research experience hosted at the Duke Clinical Research Institute that takes you through the full arc of producing a peer-reviewed scientific manuscript from developing a research question through literature review, data analysis, and writing a complete paper. You're placed in a team and matched with a Duke faculty mentor, and the project centers on the uses and effects of a specific medication, giving it a clear clinical medicine focus. Throughout the program, a professional medical writer teaches you how to structure a scientific manuscript, and a statistician works with your team on data analysis. Duke Medicine faculty also give lectures on topics including neonatology, antimicrobial therapy, pharmacoepidemiology, and medical ethics. The goal is co-authorship; you’ll work toward qualifying to be listed as a co-author on a peer-reviewed journal article.
11. Brown University’s Hands-On Medicine: A Week in the Life of a Medical Student
Location: Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI
Cost: Check the website for current tuition
Program Dates: Multiple one-week sessions
Deadline: Check the website for registration deadlines by session
Eligibility: High school students; professional attire required during coursework; taught by current Brown medical students
Brown University's Hands-On Medicine course gives you a one-week inside look at what being a first-year medical student actually feels like, taught not by outside instructors but by current medical students at Brown's Warren Alpert Medical School. The structure mirrors how Brown's own medical students learn: you move between a classroom where you study physiology, an anatomy session where you examine the structures you just learned about, and a clinical exam room where you apply that knowledge through patient interviews and physical exams. You'll cover four major body systems: digestive, nervous, cardiovascular, and pulmonary, while learning the anatomy, physiology, common diseases, and clinical assessment techniques for each. Standardized patients are used throughout, giving you practice with patient interviews in a realistic but low-pressure environment. You'll also work through the ethical dimensions of real medical decisions, such as organ transplant prioritization.
12. Vanderbilt Summer Academy
Location: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Cost: $2,150 for grades 7–8 | $2,600 for grades 9–10 | $2,750 for grades 11–12
Program Dates: Multiple one-week sessions running June through mid-July
Deadline: Check website for current deadlines
Eligibility: Current students in grades 7–12; open to domestic and international students; courses are choice-based and subject to availability
Vanderbilt Summer Academy is a one-week pre-college program that has a strong set of medicine and health science options for students interested in the pre-med path. Medicine-relevant courses available across grade levels include: Inside the Clinic: High-Impact Diseases and How Doctors Think; The Biology of Cancer: What Is It, How It Spreads, and How We Treat It; Neuroscience of Addiction; The Secret Life of the Brain; and many more. Each course runs for a single week, combining up to six hours of academic activity per day with social programming and extracurricular activities on Vanderbilt's campus. Because this is a choice-based program, you select the course that matches your interest, making it a solid option for students who want a focused, high-quality academic experience in medicine without committing to a multi-week program.
13. University of Pennsylvania’s Biomedical Research Academy
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost: $10,050
Program Dates: July 11 – August 1
Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Current 9th–11th grade students; minimum 3.5 GPA; one year of high school biology required; one year of chemistry strongly advised; international students welcome with a Tourist or B-2 visa
Penn's Biomedical Research Academy is a fully residential three-week deep dive into cellular, molecular, and genetic biology at one of the country's leading research universities. Your days begin with morning lectures from Penn faculty, scientists, and clinicians covering topics including genome sequencing, CRISPR/Cas-9, vaccine research, antibiotic resistance, and bioethics, with the specific topics shifting each year based on active research. For nine of the thirteen lab sessions, you'll be in a wet lab performing actual molecular biology experiments like PCR, gel electrophoresis, restriction analysis, bacterial transformation, and ELISA using the same lab spaces as Penn undergraduates. The remaining four sessions focus on computational lab work, where you'll use Python to analyze real biological datasets in areas such as cancer research and infectious disease tracking, with no prior programming experience required. Daily journal clubs place you in small groups with a Penn researcher or faculty member to read, critique, and present peer-reviewed research articles.
14. Wake Forest Medicine Institute
Location: Wake Forest University Reynolda Campus, Winston-Salem, NC
Cost: $3,500
Program Dates: Week of July 5 – 10 and week of July 19 – 24
Deadline: Check the program website for specific dates
Eligibility: Current 9th–12th grade students
Wake Forest's Medicine Institute is a residential program where you'll move through a broad sweep of medical specialties, including internal medicine, cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, cancer care, and surgery, giving you a realistic sense of the range of paths that exist within the profession. The hands-on component is clinical in scope: you'll practice taking blood pressure, listening to heart and lung sounds, interviewing standardized patients, working in a suture lab, and conducting an ultrasound. You'll also tour the Wake Forest School of Medicine, explore the emergency department and cardiac cath lab, and engage directly with medical students currently in training. Faculty are practicing physicians at Wake Forest Baptist, which means the clinical knowledge in the room is current and grounded in real patient care.
15. Rice University’s Medicine: Diagnostics, Treatment, and Patient Care
Location: Online
Cost: $1,795
Program Dates: Multiple 2- and 4-week sessions available throughout the year, including summer
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and up; no prerequisites required
Rice University's Medicine: Diagnostics, Treatment, and Patient Care is an online pre-college course that walks you through how physicians actually think from the first patient interaction through diagnosis and treatment across four major body systems: cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, and endocrine. The course is built around the clinical reasoning process: for each system, you'll learn the underlying biology, understand how diseases disrupt normal function, and study the diagnostic tools physicians use to identify what's wrong, from EKG monitoring and ultrasound imaging to blood tests and neurological assessments. The program wraps up with a capstone project built around a multi-system patient case, where you use everything covered in the course to work through a diagnosis and practice communicating it clearly to a patient. Throughout, you'll have access to a dedicated mentor who provides feedback on assignments and helps you prepare for the capstone.
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