10 Medical Competitions for High School Students
- Aisha Chebbi
- Aug 22, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 21
Are you in high school and looking to participate in a medical competition? Check out this list of opportunities from across the country! Participating in a competition in a medically related field helps indicate your interest in medicine to colleges. Competitions also allow you to improve your writing, public speaking, or debate skills.
Below are 10 medical competitions for high schoolers to consider, some offered in the summer and others during the school year. The programs range from research competitions to essay competitions to Olympiads, so there is something for everyone! We’ve covered a few other biology competitions in detail here, and a list of research opportunities in medicine here! Note that the following information is based on the most recent program, with dates subject to change but generally similar from year to year.
HOSA is an international career and technical student organization for students interested in the health industry. It is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and several federal and state agencies. HOSA provides a variety of competitive events to improve student knowledge and skills. Through your school’s chapter, you can qualify and compete to participate in these competitions. HOSA offers competitions in the following 6 categories: health science, health professions, emergency preparedness, leadership, teamwork, and recognition. There are many to choose from, so consult the event’s website to find competitions that you would be interested in!
Application Deadline: Varying, Main competition in June
Location: TBD
Prizes: Prizes vary by rank and competition
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible through membership in a HOSA-affiliated organization– ask if your school has one!
The US Medicine and Disease Olympiad is a competition testing students’ knowledge of human biology, medicine, health, and disease. The Olympiad’s competition is a two-hour, multiple-choice exam to be completed on the day of the competition, likely around the end of July. It tests knowledge on: 1) Cell Biology and Genetics, 2) Human Physiology, and 3) Human Disease. Hundreds of students participate in this Olympiad each year as it is a great way to demonstrate an interest in human health while learning more about the field of medicine. Note: If you perform well in the USMDO, you are eligible to represent the United States at the IMDO: the International Medicine and Disease Olympiad!
Application Deadline: July
Location: Virtual
Prizes: TBA
Eligibility: All high school students in the United States
If you want to become a doctor, dentist, or veterinarian, this competition is an excellent opportunity! This essay competition requires a 1500-word essay written from a health professional's perspective. This is a wonderful way to practice college-level writing and think critically about your motivations for pursuing a medical career. Prompts vary based on the subfield of healthcare that is of interest to the student. The prompts for the competition were as follows: Medicine: What is the role of psychology in modern medicine? Dental: To what extent is caring for a patient's emotional needs and mental health important in dentistry? Veterinary: How can we help improve the stigma associated with veterinary professionals suffering from mental health conditions? Allied Health: How closely do mental and physical health link together?
Application Deadline: August
Location: Virtual
Prizes: A certificate and $250
Eligibility: All high school students
Offered by The Siemens Foundation, an organization working to advance health equity initiatives, this competition invites students to submit and present projects in a scientific research field. It is the nation’s premier science research competition for high school students and encourages intensive research. Scientific importance, field knowledge, comprehensiveness, and quality of literature review are all important criteria used to evaluate student submissions. This is a great opportunity to strengthen your ability to conduct research and synthesize biomedical information, which are important skills in the medical field.
Application Deadline: TBA
Location: Virtual
Prizes: Varying cash prizes for semifinalists and regional winners, with a $100,000 grand prize
Eligibility: High school students who are citizens/ permanent residents of the United States
This national competition, hosted by the American Academy of Neurology, is designed to encourage high school students to explore the brain and nervous system through research. The application's components include submitting original research in the field of neuroscience. All submissions will be assessed by physicians and scientists members of the Academy. The following criteria will be used to judge submissions: relevance to neuroscience, creativity of the problem-solving approach, interpretation of data, and organization of the report. Note that the applications do not need to include research from formal/traditional lab settings. The competition only requires that the research be the work of an individual student rather than a group. We’ve covered this competition in detail here!
Application Deadline: TBA
Location: Virtual
Prizes: Various awards
Eligibility: Students in 9th-12th grade in the United States, regardless of age
The Genes in Space Competition invites students (up to 2) to design a DNA experiment that addresses challenges in space travel and deep space exploration. After choosing a topic that is of interest to you, you must define a hypothesis, choose a creative approach, and present your case for why the ISS is a facility that could carry out this experiment. Many awards are available for creativity and feasibility. As a finalist, you’d receive mentorship from Harvard and MIT scientists! Furthermore, if you perform well in the competition, you’ll have the opportunity to present your research at the ISS Research and Development Conference in Seattle. Presenting your work at a conference of this caliber while in high school is an impressive feat that will likely impress colleges.
Application Deadline: April
Location: Virtual/Seattle, WA
Prizes: Prizes vary by rank
Eligibility: All high school students in the United States
This is one of the most prestigious and difficult competitions, not just in biology, but in all high school sciences. If you’re interested in medicine, a deep understanding of human biology is critical, and demonstrating mastery of this subject area in high school is impressive. The USABO consists of a 50-minute, online nationwide multiple-choice exam that is administered at an authorized USABO Center. Depending on the outcome of that exam, only 10% of students will then move on to compete in an online semifinal exam, and then the USABO National Finals! Students who are successful in the examination will compete in further competitions, representing the United States at the International Biology Olympiad. We’ve covered the USABO in detail here!
Application Deadline: November
Location: Virtual
Prizes: TBA
Eligibility: All high school students, citizens, or legal permanent residents of the U.S
EWH is an American nonprofit organization that “engages the skills and passions of students and professionals from around the world to improve healthcare delivery in communities in need.” Their biomedical engineering challenge is a design competition that spans over two months. During that time, you will lead a self-designed project, learning how low-resource engineering can develop solutions to improve healthcare delivery around the world. You will be mentored by experts in the field through online sessions and submit a 3-5 minute presentation outlining your solution. This is a great opportunity for students interested in biomedical engineering or related fields.
Application Deadline: March-May
Location: Virtual
Prizes: Cash prizes, various
Eligibility: Students in 9th-12th grade, groups up to 6 allowed
Vision Global Health is sponsored by the Global Health and Leadership Conference at Harvard. The competition aims to empower high school students and inspire interest in global health. Their Community Pitch Competition asks you to create a proposal to solve a health-related issue in your local community. You will develop important research skills by writing reports and presenting your research findings at the Conference. Furthermore, you can network with peers from across the country while presenting research at Harvard University.
Application Deadline: May
Location: Virtual
Prizes: TBD
Eligibility: Teens in high school living in the United States
Eye on the Future is a video contest presented by the National Institute of Health that asks students to communicate scientific information in an understandable way. You can choose from three categories regarding science in the field, lab, world, or future. Please consult the website for details about each category. Given the NIH’s status as one of the country's most prestigious research institutions, participating in a contest like this is a great opportunity. The judges for the videos are from the National Eye Institute and will assess submissions based on scientific context/accuracy, relevance, and creativity, among others.
Application Deadline: Submissions are open from January to April
Location: Virtual/Bethesda, Maryland
Prizes: Cash award of $2,000 for the first-place winner
Eligibility: Teens in high school living in the United States
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Aisha is a student at Princeton University, studying Anthropology and Global Health. On campus, she is involved with student groups centered around health equity and cultural affinity. In her free time, she enjoys podcasting, learning languages, and trying new recipes.
Image Source: USABO logo
