14 Online Medical Programs for High School Students
If you’re a high school student interested in medicine, joining an online program can be a practical way to explore the field. Online medical programs give you exposure to areas like anatomy, public health, and biomedical research, while also helping you develop transferable skills such as critical thinking and collaboration.
Many are organised by universities, hospitals, and respected educational organisations, ensuring that you gain insights from experts in the field. Some are free or relatively low-cost, making them an accessible entry point for motivated students. Whether you’re curious about clinical careers or just want to understand health sciences better, these programs are designed to give you a strong foundation.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of 14 online medical programs for high school students worth exploring.
1. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Science Program (JHIBS)
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free; participants receive a $500 scholarship upon successful completion.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 5-week duration during the summer
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors living in the U.S. or Canada
The JHIBS virtual program is a five-week summer research experience designed to introduce high school students to neuroscience and neurological health research. You will engage in educational presentations, mentor-led professional development workshops, guidance on laboratory techniques and experiments, and networking sessions. Led by faculty and staff from Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Department of Neurology, the virtual format helps foster scientific skills, research thinking, and professional readiness.
2. Veritas AI + Medicine
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Eligibility: High school students
Veritas AI is a program created by Harvard graduate students for motivated high school students interested in artificial intelligence. Through its AI + Medicine Deep Dive, you will explore how AI is applied in healthcare and medical research. You will work on projects that involve building AI and machine learning models to identify diseases, improve the accuracy of medical imaging, and generate insights that support both doctors and patients. Here is the program brochure and the application form.
3. UT Southwestern: Inspiring Careers in Mental Health Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small, selective group
Dates: Scheduled in June, lasting two weeks
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February
Eligibility: Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders
This two-week summer internship offers rising high school juniors, seniors, and incoming college freshmen a virtual glimpse into careers in mental health. You will begin with reading materials sourced from both popular media and scientific journals, then engage in interactive online sessions with a diverse group of clinician-scientists—including psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, physician assistants, and clinical social workers. You will explore areas such as psychotherapy, neuroscience, interventional psychiatry, and community mental health, while gaining insight into professionals' daily work and career paths.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a selective research opportunity designed specifically for high school students. It provides individualised, one-on-one mentorship with Ph.D. scholars, allowing you to pursue independent research across a wide range of academic disciplines. Over the course of 12 weeks, you will work closely with your mentors to develop an original research project, which culminates in a full-length research paper. Areas of study include psychology, physics, economics, computer science, engineering, chemistry, data science, international relations, and several others, giving you the flexibility to explore topics that match your interests.
5. Eve & Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program (Virtual Sessions)
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Dates: Session 1: July 7–July 17 | Session 2: July 21–July 31
Application Deadline: Typically in March
Eligibility: High school students in Los Angeles County
The program is designed as a medical mentorship experience for high school students, featuring virtual sessions with healthcare professionals and offering an inside look at diverse medical careers. Through interactive discussions, you’ll gain an understanding of the daily responsibilities of doctors and other practitioners while exploring a wide range of specialities. You will have the opportunity to engage with general paediatricians as well as specialists such as surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, infectious disease experts, ophthalmologists, radiologists, child life professionals, and various therapists (including physical, speech, occupational, and cognitive). Upon completion, you’ll receive a certificate of completion.
6. SHE in Oncology
Location: Virtual
Stipend: $500 (taxable)
Cohort size: Up to 20 students
Dates: Two weeks in July
Application Deadline: Not currently specified; interested students are encouraged to subscribe to the mailing list for updates
Eligibility: High school students residing in Cook, Lake, Will, or DuPage counties in Illinois, or Lake County in Indiana
SHE in Oncology is a virtual, two-week summer experience designed to support high school students—particularly young women from underrepresented backgrounds—in exploring careers in cancer-related biomedical research. You will engage in genetics-based research and patient case studies, benefiting from daily faculty lectures, panel discussions, and skill-building workshops. You will receive a home lab kit to facilitate learning and gain access to a network of peers and mentors across five leading cancer centres.
7. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $40 application fee; $850 participation fee; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 25 students are accepted each year
Dates: June 16–June 27
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9–12; age 14+ at program start
Stanford’s AIMI Summer Research Internship offers a focused, two-week virtual experience for high school students to explore the intersection of AI and medicine. You will engage in daily lectures on AI fundamentals in healthcare, collaborate on group research projects, and receive mentorship from Stanford student leads and researchers. The program also features social sessions and virtual career “lunch-and-learn” events with professionals from academia, industry, and public sectors. You will receive a Certificate of Completion upon full participation.
8. Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X)
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,595; scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 16 – June 27
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school students between the ages of 14 and 18
CNI-X (Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience) is a two-week virtual summer session that introduces high school students to the frontiers of neuroscience, psychiatry, and psychology through real-time lectures and collaborative experiences. You will engage in interactive seminars led by Stanford faculty, covering topics such as clinical neuropsychiatry, behavioural science, and psychiatric epidemiology. You will work in small teams on innovative capstone projects that address challenges related to mental health and neuroscience, culminating in a final presentation before peers, faculty, and families.
9. Georgetown University: Pre-College Online Program – Medicine
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,895
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 1-week, 2-week, and 4-week sessions from July to August
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students ages 13 and up
Georgetown University offers online pre-college programs that give high school students the chance to explore different academic fields—from medicine and STEM to business and beyond—before starting college. In the medicine course, you will dive into the roles of various healthcare professionals and study treatment approaches for conditions like kidney transplants, vascular disease, and cancer. The course also introduces complementary versus integrative medicine practices, culminating in a capstone project that highlights the skills and insights gained. Upon completion, you will earn a certificate recognising your achievement.
10. Summer@Brown Online – Breakthroughs: An Exploration of Laboratory Organisms in Biomedical Research
Location: Virtual
Cost: 2-week session: $3,218 | 3-week session: $4,454 | 4-week session: $5,314 | 6-week session: $6,238
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Sessions run between June 16 and July 25
Application Deadline: May 9
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9–12 (ages 14–18 by June 15)
Summer@Brown Online provides a variety of medical and health-related courses for students interested in exploring the field of medicine. One option is “Breakthroughs: An Exploration of Laboratory Organisms in Biomedical Research,” which introduces the different types of organisms used as models for studying human health and disease. In this course, you’ll learn how these organisms are utilised in research, along with the ethical questions that arise when working with them. You’ll also examine both classic and recent studies, take part in virtual lab tours, and hear directly from lab members about their work. The program concludes with a final project, where you’ll conduct research on an organism of your choice.
11. UCI School of Medicine – Pre-Med Pathway Programs: Summer Online Research Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,290
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Session One: June 23 – July 11 | Session Two: July 14 – August 1
Application Deadline: Program typically closes by late January or early February once full
Eligibility: High school students aged 15–18 with a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.3
The UCI School of Medicine offers several pre-med pathway opportunities, including the Summer Online Research Program, a three-week course designed for high school students interested in healthcare research. In this program, you’ll be paired with a UCI undergraduate or graduate mentor specialising in biomedical studies. Together, you’ll explore the importance of evidence-based medicine, learn the principles of conducting responsible research with human subjects, and practice critically evaluating medical literature. You’ll also build your skills in writing organised research reports. For some students, the experience may even lead to co-authoring a paper and submitting an abstract to a national research conference.
12. Harvard Medical School Pre-College HMX Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,895
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple start dates are available year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students aged 13 and older
The Harvard Medical School Pre-College HMX Program offers flexible, rigorous online courses for motivated high school students ready to explore medical science. Taught by HMS faculty, each course, such as Biochemistry, Genetics, Immunology, Pharmacology, and Physiology, delivers college-level content through engaging videos, simulations, and quizzes. You will learn on your own schedule, dedicating approximately 30 hours per course, and receive personalised guidance from mentors experienced in medical science fields.
13. Wake Forest University: Online Medical Programs for High School Students
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Up to $1595
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Several 2-week and 4-week sessions in a year
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students ages 13 and up
Wake Forest University provides a range of online medical courses for high school students, led by its faculty and medical professionals. These programs cover diverse topics including sports medicine, cancer medicine, psychology, women’s health, and bioscience. You will receive mentorship from experienced instructors in your chosen subject area and work on a capstone project that applies the knowledge gained during the course. By completing at least 70% of the coursework and the final project, you will earn a certificate of completion from Wake Forest University.
14. Johns Hopkins University: Global Health Leaders Conference
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Registration fee: $99
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 13 - 25
Application Deadline: Mid-February
Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 9–12
The Global Health Leaders Conference at Johns Hopkins University is an international program designed for high school students interested in global health, public health, and medicine. You will engage in dynamic lectures and hear directly from leading experts shaping the field. The conference focuses on global health challenges, equipping you with insights into research and strategies that advance health outcomes and equity worldwide. A highlight of the program is the Student Speaker Series, which offers you the chance to present your own projects and perspectives on key global health issues.