14 Medical Programs for High School Students in Washington, D.C.
If you are a high school student interested in medicine, participating in a medical program can help you explore healthcare careers and learn about the science behind patient care. Depending on the program, you may conduct biomedical research, shadow healthcare professionals, study public health, explore nursing and pharmacy, or learn how emerging technologies are being applied in medicine. These experiences can help you develop a deeper understanding of the healthcare field while exploring potential academic and career interests.
Why should you attend a medical program in Washington, D.C.?
Washington, D.C., is home to major medical institutions, research centers, hospitals, and universities that offer opportunities for high school students interested in healthcare. Programs in the area provide exposure to clinical settings, biomedical research, public health initiatives, and specialized fields such as neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and pharmacy. With access to organizations such as Georgetown University, George Washington University, Children's National Hospital, and nearby federal research institutions, you can explore medicine from a variety of academic and professional perspectives.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of 14 medical programs for high school students in Washington, D.C.
If you’re looking for STEM programs in Washington, D.C., check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
Several programs are free or provide stipends, including Georgetown GEP (free, for DCPS and Prince William County students), DC HAPP at GWU (free, 16 students), Howard University Pharm STEP 1 (free), Children's National METEOR v3 (free), Children's National Volunteer Program (free), NIH Summer Internship (paid stipend), and GW Biomedical Virtual Immersion ($250), making D.C. a strong city for no-cost medical programming.
Programs span a wide range of medical fields including biomedical research (NIH SIP, METEOR v3, Lumiere), AI in medicine (Veritas AI), pharmacy and health sciences (Howard University Pharm STEP 1), nursing (Georgetown Nursing Academy), biomedical engineering (GW Pre-College Biomedical Engineering), public health (DC HAPP, Leadership Initiatives), and clinical skills training (Georgetown Medical Immersion Academy, Georgetown 1-Week Medical Academy).
Several programs specifically prioritize students from underrepresented or local D.C. communities, including Georgetown GEP (DCPS and Prince William County students only), DC HAPP at GWU (DMV public school students, minimum 2.0 GPA), Howard University Pharm STEP 1 (historically Black university pipeline), and Children's National programs (DMV students aged 15 and older).
Students looking for hands-on clinical skills training can apply to Georgetown Medical Immersion Academy (suturing, CPR, dissection, patient simulators over three weeks), Georgetown 1-Week Medical Academy (suturing, casting, blood draw, patient simulators), and DC HAPP at GWU (hands-on clinical skills with hospital shadowing).
Deadlines are concentrated between January and May, with DC HAPP closing January 30, NIH SIP closing February 18, Howard Pharm STEP 1 closing March 3, and Children's National Volunteer Program closing March 13, so students should begin identifying programs in the fall and apply to January and February deadline programs first.
1. Georgetown University Gateway Exploration Program (GEP)
Location: Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 22 - July 31
Application Deadline: You have to apply through your school system's counseling office
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors enrolled in D.C. Public Schools or Prince William County Public Schools
The Georgetown Experiential Learning Program places eligible students from DCPS and Prince William County public schools into internships within medical departments at Georgetown University Medical Center. Shadowing and receiving direct mentorship from physicians form the core of the experience. Each scholar develops and presents a health disparities research project at the end of the summer, examining how social and economic factors shape healthcare access within local communities. Professional development workshops run throughout the six weeks, and students are mentored by participants affiliated with Georgetown's ARCHES program. Application is handled through your participating school systems rather than directly through Georgetown, which means counselor outreach is the primary point of contact. For students attending eligible public schools in the region, this is one of the most direct and no-cost pathways into a clinical environment at a major research university.
2. Veritas AI’s AI + Medicine Deep Dive
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Application Deadline: Rolling. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: Students in grades 8 - 12 who have completed the Veritas AI Scholars program or have an equivalent background in Python and coding
The AI + Medicine Deep Dive, offered by Veritas AI, an organization founded by Harvard graduate students, is a 10-session, 25-hour online program. Each session runs for 2.5 hours, with each class divided into a 1.5-hour lecture and a 1-hour group section featuring a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio. The curriculum introduces students to AI in healthcare, beginning with AI fundamentals tailored to healthcare. Following this, they advance to medical data preparation, exploratory data analysis, convolutional neural networks for image classification and segmentation, regularization, transfer learning, and the fundamentals of clinical evaluation. You will also spend a dedicated session on ethics in clinical AI, exploring the responsible deployment of machine learning models in patient care settings. Throughout the program, you will work with a group of three to five students on a collaborative final project that applies AI tools to a real-world medical problem, such as disease diagnosis, medical imaging analysis, or drug discovery.
3. DC Health and Academic Prep Program (DC HAPP) at GWU
Location: George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely selective, only 16 students accepted
Dates: Four weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: January 30
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors from public or public charter schools in the DC, Maryland, or Virginia area with a minimum GPA of 2.0
Scholars are selected each year from DMV public and charter schools for this four-week experience, organized by the George Washington University School of Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion. You will practice hands-on clinical skills, complete and present a public health project, and receive guidance on college readiness topics, including applications and essays. Medical students, physicians, and allied health professionals serve as mentors and educators throughout the program. After completing the four weeks, scholars also have the opportunity to shadow healthcare professionals at George Washington University Hospital. The program maintains a relationship with scholars through high school graduation, with regular follow-ups built in even after the summer ends, making it one of the most engaging and supportive offerings.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program – Medicine Track
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies | financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Offered year-round with cohorts starting in the spring, summer, fall, and winter | The summer cohort typically runs from June to August.
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year | The summer cohort deadline is typically in late May.
Eligibility: High school students
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. 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. METEOR v3 at Children's National Hospital
Location: Children's National Hospital and Children's National Research Institute, Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 22 - August 7
Application Deadline: Usually around spring
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors enrolled in a DMV high school, aged 16+ years | must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
METEOR v3 places DC-area high school students into active clinical or translational research laboratories at Children's National for seven weeks. Students work directly with a mentorship team on active neuroscience and pediatric research projects. Hospital-led lectures on neurobiology and research methodology run alongside the laboratory work, and include educational visits to institutions such as NIH, the National Library of Medicine, the FDA, and the Smithsonian National Zoo. The program extends beyond the summer and goes beyond the academic year for some components. At the end of the summer, each student formally presents their research to the Children's National community. Access to a working pediatric research hospital is rare at this level for high school students, making this one of the most advanced healthcare research opportunities.
6. Howard University Pharm STEP 1
Location: Howard University College of Pharmacy, Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 15 - 26
Application Deadline: March 3
Eligibility: Rising juniors or seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.0, who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
This two-week academic program at the Howard College of Pharmacy covers medical terminology, pharmacology calculations, and related health sciences topics taught by award-winning faculty. The program is non-residential, making it well-suited for students who can commute to Howard's campus in Northwest D.C. The program serves as an important pipeline into one of the nation's most historically Black health sciences schools, and remains one of the few, tuition-free academic healthcare enrichment programs in the city specifically designed for pharmacy or adjacent health careers.
7. Children's National Summer High School Volunteer Program
Location: Children's National Hospital, Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 23 - July 31
Application Deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Current high school students ages 15+ years
This six-week volunteer program at Children's National Hospital gives high school students direct exposure to the patient-facing and department support roles. Participants volunteer two days per week in a variety of support roles across the hospital. Responsibilities include greeting patients, assisting with the Hospitality Cart, and providing support across clinical departments. Guest speaker sessions led by physicians and healthcare professionals run throughout the program, and students also collaborate on a cohort-based project that directly benefits the hospital community. A post-high-school readiness workshop on college, military, trade school, and workforce paths is also part of the experience. If your focus is primarily on understanding hospital operations and healthcare environments, rather than academic learning, this is a strong option to consider in the long run.
8. Georgetown University Nursing Academy
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: $4,120 (residential) | $3,490 (commuter)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: July 19 - 25
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Current 8th - 12th graders with a minimum GPA of 2.0, age 15+ years
This one-week program at Georgetown's O'Neill Family Foundation Clinical Simulation Center puts students inside nursing practice through faculty-led instruction, hands-on clinical exercises, and group discussions. Specializations covered include adult-gerontology, acute care, family practice, anesthesia, and women's health. Students also examine broader topics such as medical ethics, cultural competency, and the biological and social sciences that influence patient care. You will work with a lifelike patient simulator during clinical sessions, with scenarios designed to reflect different patient care situations. Off-site visits and guest speakers are also included throughout the week to provide additional exposure to nursing careers and healthcare systems. If you’re considering nursing as a career path alongside other health professions, this program covers the professional pathways and clinical responsibilities of the nursing field in more depth than many short-term healthcare programs.
9. Georgetown University Medical Immersion Academy
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: $9,540 (residential) | $7,610 (commuter)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: June 21 - July 10
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Current 8th - 12th graders with a minimum GPA of 2.0, age 15+ years
Over the course of three weeks, students engage with a curriculum modeled after the first year of medical school, taught directly by School of Medicine faculty. Topics include cell biology, pathology, immunology, cardiology, and endocrinology, while practical lab sessions introduce essential clinical skills, including CPR, airway management, wound care, suturing, and physical examination technique. Students attend guest lecturers delivered by healthcare professionals from across the D.C. medical community. At the end of the program, you will complete a research-based poster tied to a program theme. The breadth of specialties covered, ranging from emergency medicine basics to discussions of contemporary medical challenges facing society, makes it one of the most comprehensive pre-college experiences available to high school students in the region.
10. GW Pre-College: Biomedical Engineering
Location: George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: $4,950 (residential) | $4,350 (commuter)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrolment
Dates: July 5 - 17
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, ages 14 - 18 years
This two-week course at George Washington University explores the intersection of engineering and medicine, looking at how technology is designed and deployed to solve real-world clinical problems. Topics include prosthetics, diagnostic devices, regenerative medicine, and the systems-level thinking behind healthcare delivery. You will work through hands-on projects and case studies to identify medical problems and develop engineering-based solutions, replicating the design process used in the field. Discussions draw on GWU's strengths in engineering and health sciences and use Washington, D.C.'s concentration of federal health agencies and research institutions as context for thinking about regulation and implementation. For students whose interest in medicine is driven more by science and technology than by clinical practice, this program covers the ground to complement future pre-medical programs.
11. Georgetown University 1-Week Medical Academy
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: $4,120 (residential) | $3,490 (commuter)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: June 21 - 27, July 5 - 11, or July 12 - 18
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Current 8th - 12th graders with a minimum GPA of 2.0, age 15+ years
This one-week immersive program at the Georgetown University Medical Center introduces high school students to multiple areas of modern medicine, including human anatomy, cardiovascular physiology, radiology, surgery, cancer, ICU medicine, emergency medicine, and biomedical ethics. Hands-on clinical activities include suturing, orthopedic casting, small mammal dissection, drawing blood, and working with a patient simulator. Instruction is led by faculty from the School of Medicine along with physicians from MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. For students who want an intensive but shorter commitment, the three available sessions across the summer offer flexibility that many comparable medical programs do not provide. You will receive a certificate of participation and gain direct insight into the medical school admission process through interactions with physicians and current medical students.
12. Leadership Initiatives: Advanced Medical and Public Health Internship
Location: Georgetown University campus, Washington, D.C.
Cost: $3,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Multiple 1-week sessions between June 28 and August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 - 12
In this seven-day program at Georgetown University, you will work in a small group to build a public health campaign addressing a real healthcare issue and present your final proposal before a panel of healthcare experts. Top campaigns are scheduled for real-world implementation in the fall, so the program emphasizes practical impact. On the last day, your team will conduct a live video consultation with a physician in sub-Saharan Africa, diagnose a real patient case, and recommend a treatment plan that is financially supported by Leadership Initiatives. Site visits include a workshop at the Howard University Simulation Center, a tour of the National Institutes of Health, and time spent at Georgetown's MedStar Hospital.
13. NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP)
Location: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (within commuting distance of Washington, D.C.)
Cost/Stipend: Free; interns are paid a stipend based on academic level
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely selective
Dates: May 11 - August 31
Application Deadline: February 18
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors, turning 18 years old by September 30, and 17+ years old as of June 1, who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and living within 40 miles of an NIH campus, and who will have graduated from high school before the internship begins
Although located in Maryland, the National Institutes of Health Summer Internship’s main campus is close enough to Washington, D.C., to be considered one of the most research-intensive summer opportunities available to high school seniors in the country. You work inside an active research group led by a Principal Investigator and contribute to projects in basic, translational, or clinical science across areas such as immunology, neuroscience, oncology, genetics, and epidemiology. After submitting an application, you are expected to identify and contact NIH investigators whose research interests you, pitch yourself directly, and interview before a placement decision is made. Professional development workshops, the Graduate and Professional School Fair in July, and Summer Poster Day in early August are available to all interns. The paid stipend and the depth of access to NIH's Intramural Research Program make this among the most competitive and rewarding options in the region for graduating seniors.
14. GW Biomedical Laboratory Sciences Virtual Summer Immersion
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $250
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrolment
Dates: July 27 - 31
Application Deadline: May 31
Eligibility: High school students
This five-day live online program offered through the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences covers the foundations of biomedical laboratory work, including laboratory safety, blood cell differentials, microbial plating, nucleic acid extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis. Each day, you will be mentored by a GWU faculty member. You will complete a case study using patient laboratory findings and present results at the end of the week. This is the low-cost, medically focused program on this list, and it provides an accessible entry point for students who may not yet have access to laboratory facilities or prior biomedical research experience. It provides an introduction to the core laboratory procedures used in clinical and research settings.
Frequently asked questions
What types of medical programs are available for high school students in Washington, D.C.?
Options include free selective research internships (Georgetown GEP, DC HAPP at GWU, METEOR v3 at Children's National, NIH SIP), free hospital volunteer programs (Children's National Summer Volunteer Program), free pharmacy and health sciences programs (Howard University Pharm STEP 1), tuition-based university immersion programs (Georgetown Medical Immersion Academy, Georgetown Nursing Academy, Georgetown 1-Week Medical Academy), biomedical engineering programs (GW Pre-College), public health and advocacy programs (Leadership Initiatives), AI in medicine programs (Veritas AI), and virtual lab programs (GW Biomedical Virtual Immersion).
Which D.C. medical programs are free or provide stipends?
Georgetown GEP, DC HAPP at GWU, Howard University Pharm STEP 1, Children's National METEOR v3, and Children's National Summer Volunteer Program are all free. NIH Summer Internship Program is free and provides a paid stipend based on academic level. GW Biomedical Virtual Immersion is available for $250. Programs like Lumiere and Veritas AI charge tuition but offer full financial aid for eligible students.
Which programs are best for students interested in biomedical research?
NIH Summer Internship Program places graduating seniors inside active NIH research groups in immunology, neuroscience, oncology, and genetics for a full summer with a paid stipend. METEOR v3 at Children's National places DMV students in pediatric and neuroscience research labs for seven weeks. Lumiere Research Scholar Program offers 1-on-1 PhD mentorship for 12 weeks culminating in an independent research paper in a medical or science-adjacent field.
Are there D.C. medical programs specifically for students from underrepresented backgrounds?
DC HAPP at GWU is designed for DMV public and charter school students from underrepresented backgrounds, accepting only 16 students per year. Georgetown GEP is restricted to DCPS and Prince William County public school students. Howard University Pharm STEP 1 is hosted by one of the nation's premier historically Black health sciences institutions. Children's National METEOR v3 also prioritizes DMV students with a focus on broadening access to pediatric research.
Which programs offer the most hands-on clinical skills training?
Georgetown Medical Immersion Academy is the most comprehensive, covering suturing, airway management, wound care, CPR, physical exams, and patient simulator use over three weeks with medical school faculty. Georgetown 1-Week Medical Academy covers suturing, casting, blood draw, dissection, and patient simulators in a more condensed format. DC HAPP at GWU includes hands-on clinical skills alongside hospital shadowing at GWU Hospital.
When should I apply to medical programs for high school students in Washington, D.C.?
DC HAPP at GWU closes January 30 and NIH Summer Internship closes February 18. Howard University Pharm STEP 1 closes March 3 and Children's National Volunteer Program closes March 13. Georgetown programs close April 15 and GW Pre-College Biomedical Engineering closes May 1. GW Biomedical Virtual Immersion closes May 31. Leadership Initiatives accepts rolling applications. Students should begin researching in the fall and prioritize January and February deadline programs well before the winter break.