12 Medical Programs for High School Students in Houston, Texas
If you are curious about medicine, biology, or healthcare, medical programs can give you early insights into what these fields actually look like. Medical programs offer opportunities to work in research facilities, hospitals, and medical schools, learn lab skills, work with professionals, and understand how research and patient care connect. These programs can help you build early research or patient care experience, explore different medical specialties, and start figuring out what you may want to study later.
Why should you attend a program in Houston, Texas?
Houston is home to various hospitals, universities, and research institutions that offer summer programs to high school students. Programs here may offer exposure to biomedical research, clinical data analysis, digital health projects, nonprofit healthcare outreach, and even AI applications in medicine. If you live in Houston or are planning to spend your school break here, medical programs in the city can be your opportunity to explore a well-structured healthcare ecosystem.
To help you shortlist the right options, we have listed 12 medical programs for high school students in Houston, Texas.
If you are looking for free online programs, check out our blog here.
1. Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program @ MD Anderson
Location: University of Texas’s MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $7,200 stipend (for 10 weeks) | $6,480 (for nine weeks)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Up to six students
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application deadline: Typically, January
Eligibility: Texas high school seniors, ages 18 and up
This is a paid internship that allows high school seniors to contribute to a hands-on biomedical research project under the guidance of a full-time faculty member. As a participant, you will get complete exposure to the scientific investigation process. You will spend time in the lab, participating in activities designed to help you learn about the daily lives of biomedical researchers. You will also attend seminars covering various research topics. The program also runs activities like abstract, poster, and elevator speech competitions. At the end of the session, you will present your findings.
2. Veritas AI’s Deep Dive: AI + Medicine
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Offered in multiple cohorts throughout the year (spring, summer, fall, and winter)
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines by cohort. You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students with prior exposure to Python or AI concepts
Veritas AI’s AI + Medicine Deep Dive is a virtual program designed to introduce you to the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare while focusing on the real-world medical applications of AI and machine learning. You will explore how AI models are used to diagnose diseases, enhance and interpret medical imaging, and support clinical decision-making. Through guided projects and code walkthroughs, you will gain experience applying ML techniques to healthcare-related datasets. The program also emphasises ethical considerations and model interpretability, helping you understand how AI outcomes can be responsibly communicated to doctors and patients.
3. DACCPM Summer Research Program @ MD Anderson
Location: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $3,600 (pre-tax)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited spots for high schoolers
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application deadline: January 14
Eligibility: High school students, college students, and medical students (who have completed their first year of medical school), ages 18 and up, in good academic standing
This is a 10-week program that is designed to help you explore biomedical and clinical research through hands-on project work. The first couple of days will be dedicated to a Cancer Biology boot camp. Then, you will be assigned a mentor with whom you will collaborate on a research project. You will learn about areas like anesthesiology, perioperative immune function, opioids, chemotherapy-induced pain, factors influencing cancer recurrence, critical care, or pain medicine research. You will also gain exposure to laboratory safety procedures and techniques for collecting, analyzing, and presenting research data. Additionally, you will have access to academic and career development opportunities. At the end of the program, you will present your research project at a poster symposium.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program: Medical Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial assistance offered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple sessions, including summer, spring, fall, and winter cohorts, are scheduled each year
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students; accepted students typically have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4.0
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. Houston Methodist Hospital’s High School Emerging Researcher Experience
Location: Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 8 – July 31
Application deadline: January 30
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors, ages 16 and up, with a minimum 3.5 GPA
This is a full-time, eight-week research internship where you get to work on a real translational research project with a faculty mentor. You will be placed in a lab and undergo training to learn about research techniques, data analysis, and scientific communication, alongside undergraduate researchers. The program also runs seminars and lectures focusing on how research connects to patient care. You will additionally have access to professional development opportunities to prepare for your future career. At the end, you will prepare a final presentation and share your work at a research symposium.
6. McGovern Medical School High School Summer Research Program
Location: McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX
Cost: $3,800
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 8 – July 2
Application deadline: January 15
Eligibility: High school rising juniors and seniors, ages 16 and up
UTHealth’s High School Summer Research is a four-week program that places high schoolers in real biomedical research labs to work alongside faculty and medical students on research projects. The program will offer exposure to hands-on lab techniques, didactic sessions, and professional development workshops. Seminars during the program will help you network with medical students, university faculty, and healthcare professionals and learn how to communicate scientific ideas. You will also learn about career paths in medicine and research while connecting with mentors.
7. SMS Summer Research Program @ Baylor College of Medicine
Location: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Stipend: Paid according to Texas minimum wages
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 8 – July 31
Application deadline: April 17
Eligibility: High school students, ages 18+, who have participated in Saturday Morning Science programs in the past
This is a full-time lab-based research experience where you work on an ongoing project under the mentorship of a Baylor College of Medicine researcher. You will spend 40 hours per week in the lab, learning standard lab skills like microscopy and pipetting, and working on your project. You will attend research meetings and seminars relevant to your project group. Additionally, you will participate in weekly “Lunch and Learn” sessions, which cover various aspects of research and professional development. At the end, you will present your research at the SMS Summer Research Symposium.
8. MD Anderson Cancer Center’s UPWARDS Summer Program: High School Track
Location: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: Up to $7,200
Cohort size: 10 students/year
Dates: 10 weeks in the summer; dates not specified
Application deadline: January 14; applications open on November 17.
Eligibility: Underserved high school current juniors/rising seniors who will be 18 or older during the program
The UPWARDS Summer Program offers high school students seeking hands-on research experience in a lab environment. You will be working closely with a faculty member within their lab and gain hands-on biomedical and cancer research exposure. While applying, you can highlight your preference for an area or topic within cancer research that you want to explore. Along with lab work, you will take up coursework, undergo training, and access support for college and career planning. Additionally, you will attend seminars, scientific lectures, and career development events. The program will end with a poster session, where you will present your summer research work.
9. University of Houston MohanLab Summer Program
Location: University of Houston, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small cohort
Dates: June 8 – July 31
Application deadline: March 26
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
The Mohanlab Summer Internship is an eight-week program for incoming high school seniors interested in biomedicine, bioengineering, and computational research. For the first two weeks, you will learn basic laboratory techniques. Then, you will engage in bench research under the mentorship of scientists or graduate students. Research opportunities typically span areas like neuroscience, biomedical sciences, biomedical engineering, and big data analytics. You will present your research findings at the end of the program. You may also get to contribute to work that is submitted for publication. The program may offer you the opportunity to continue working with the lab after the summer internship, taking on tasks such as manuscript writing or data analysis.
10. Baylor College of Medicine DocPrep Program
Location: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 60 students from partner schools
Dates: One week in June (tentative)
Application deadline: Opens in March; exact date varies by school
Eligibility: Rising seniors from partner high schools; school nomination is required to participate.
DocPrep is a short, intensive program offering academic enrichment and college preparation to students interested in medicine. Here, you will learn about medical professions through lectures led by Baylor faculty, along with simulations and lab activities. A course taught by Rice graduate students will help you gain insights into healthcare-related communication skills. Medical students will also act as mentors throughout the week. The program offers a broad view of medical education, providing you with early healthcare exposure before committing to longer programs.
11. University of Texas Southwestern Inspiring Careers in Mental Health Internship
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: None
Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 1 – 5 and June 8 – 12 (tentative
Application deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who live in the U.S. or on U.S. armed forces bases or diplomatic posts
This virtual program, offered by the University of Texas’s Southwestern Medical Center, is designed for high school students who want to learn about mental health career paths. Over two weeks, you will interact with healthcare and mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, licensed social workers, and physician assistants. Through regular online sessions, these professionals will share their experiences in psychology and offer insights into pursuing a career in the field. Additionally, you will learn about domains like psychotherapy, neuroscience, interventional psychiatry, community psychiatry, and neuropsychological testing during the program.
12. George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Virtual opportunities available
Cost: $1,299 + $25 application fee; waivers available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 18 – August 12
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Students who are 15 years old or older
ASSIP is an eight-week program that allows you to work one-on-one with faculty on research projects in medical and biological fields. Topics can include epidemiology, neuroscience, and women’s health. You will connect virtually with your mentor, contribute to research, and develop research writing and presentation skills. Online discussion forums will help you explore career paths in science and medicine. The program ends with a symposium where you can present your work. You will also earn college credits for your participation.
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