15 Medical Programs for High School Students in Lexington, KY
- Stephen Turban
- 3 hours ago
- 7 min read
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies by program type; need-based financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts
Application Deadline: Varies
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.
Location: University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky
Cost/Stipend: $2,500 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~6 students selected (highly selective)
Dates: Summer (8 weeks; ~20–25 hours/week)
Application Deadline: April 5
Eligibility: High school students (16+ by June 15) with advanced Biology and Chemistry coursework
The University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s Summer Research Training Fellowship places you in a biomedical research lab within the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics. You will learn laboratory techniques, read scientific literature, and contribute to ongoing research projects under the guidance of faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers. As the program progresses, you may conduct independent experiments and develop hands-on experience with university-level scientific research. The fellowship concludes with a research presentation where you share your findings with the department community.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Students with a coding or AI background
The AI + Medicine Deep Dive offered by Veritas AI explores how artificial intelligence is applied to real medical challenges, such as disease detection and medical imaging analysis. You learn how machine learning models are used to interpret health data and support clinical decision-making. Projects focus on applying AI tools to healthcare datasets while understanding ethical considerations in technology-driven medicine. Mentorship is provided by instructors with academic research backgrounds, helping you understand how interdisciplinary work operates in healthcare innovation. You also build technical skills that are increasingly relevant in modern medicine.
Location: In-person labs at universities or research institutions
Cost/Stipend: $4,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 350+ students
Dates: June to July
Application Deadline: April 2
Eligibility: High school student
Project SEED provides hands-on lab experience in chemistry research environments across academic and industry settings. You will spend several weeks working under a scientist's supervision, contributing to real-world research projects. Your tasks may include running experiments, recording observations, and analyzing scientific data. Through this process, you’ll learn how chemical research connects with healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. The program ends with a research report or presentation, helping you understand how scientific findings are communicated.
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies by faculty mentor
Dates: May – August (typical summer timeline)
Application Deadline: No centralized deadline
Eligibility: High school students interested in research
The University of Kentucky’s High School Research Program allows high school students to work on research projects under the direct supervision of UK faculty mentors. You may participate through independent extracurricular research or for high school academic credit while gaining exposure to university-level research and discovery. Depending on the mentor and department, you can assist with laboratory, scientific, or academic research projects across multiple disciplines.
Location: University of Kentucky campus, Lexington, Kentucky
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June 14 – June 26
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Sophomores and juniors
This residential program introduces you to healthcare environments through structured academic sessions and simulations. You will stay on campus and participate in science classes, workshops, and career exploration activities. The simulation labs help demonstrate how healthcare professionals diagnose and treat patients. There will be faculty sessions that introduce research topics and healthcare challenges. The structured environment helps you experience college-style learning schedules.
Location: University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: August – May
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students from partner schools
UK CHIP is a long-term program that introduces you to different healthcare professions through structured rotations. You will observe how interdisciplinary healthcare teams collaborate in real environments. The program includes exposure to the fields of nursing, radiology, pharmacy, and physical therapy. There will be educational sessions that help build foundational medical knowledge. Reflection activities allow you to analyze what you learn and connect experiences to career interests.
Location: Kentucky State Government Offices
Stipend: Paid hourly
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Ongoing
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors earning academic credit
This internship program provides work experience across government departments, including public health roles. You will gain exposure to administrative processes that support healthcare systems and policy development. The program emphasizes professional responsibility and structured work experience, while academic credit ensures the internship aligns with educational goals. You would have to maintain academic eligibility requirements throughout participation. The program provides practical workplace exposure related to healthcare systems and policy environments.
Location: University of Kentucky campus, Lexington, Kentucky
Cost: $300
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: June 22 – 26
Application Deadline: Opens March 3
Eligibility: Grades 9–12
Chem Camp introduces you to chemistry concepts through structured lab activities and guided experiments. You will work in university lab environments, which helps you understand how college science courses operate. The activities involve analyzing results and understanding chemical processes relevant to medicine and biology. The program is accessible even if you do not have prior advanced coursework. Faculty guidance will help connect theory to real-world applications.
Location: Bluegrass Community & Technical College, Lexington, Kentucky
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: June 1 – 5; June 8 – 12
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Freshmen–seniors, depending on track
This program introduces healthcare careers using simulation labs and structured learning sessions. You’ll rotate through activities that demonstrate how healthcare professionals perform daily tasks. The curriculum focuses on both career exploration and skill-building. The sessions take place on college campuses, which helps you understand academic expectations in healthcare programs. The program format is short but provides useful exposure to medical environments.
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: School year
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: STEAM Academy students
This internship integrates academic coursework with real-world professional experience through structured placements. You will work with professionals while earning academic credit tied to internship performance. When you participate daily, it helps you build consistent workplace skills. The experience supports career exploration and professional communication development. The partnerships with community organizations provide exposure to different industries and help connect classroom learning with practical career insights.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $850 + $40 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 16 – June 27
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Entering grades 9–12
This program focuses on how artificial intelligence is used to interpret medical imaging and support clinical decisions. You will work on collaborative projects that analyze healthcare datasets using AI tools. There will be faculty lectures that explain how algorithms assist doctors in diagnosing diseases. Through group work, you will learn how technical research connects to patient care, while the professional networking sessions introduce you to researchers working in healthcare technology.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,725
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12%
Dates: June 8 – June 19 or June 22 – July 3
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school students
This program focuses on neuroscience research and how scientific discoveries connect with mental health care. You will attend seminars led by faculty who specialize in brain imaging and neurological disorders. Small group projects help you analyze real-world neuroscience challenges. The curriculum explores psychiatric science, cognitive function, and treatment development. At the end of the program, you’ll complete an individual capstone project related to clinical neuroscience.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $895
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: March 7 – May 2
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Grades 9–12
This program introduces you to health science research through structured lectures and collaborative projects. The faculty and doctoral mentors discuss their research areas and academic experiences. You will analyze clinical case studies covering diseases like asthma or neurological disorders, while group research projects allow you to explore topics such as cancer biology or neuroscience. The format resembles a seminar-style course with guided discussion and presentations. It is useful if you want academic exposure without needing in-person lab participation.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,299 + $25 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 18 – August 12
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: 15–16+, depending on track
ASSIP allows you to work with faculty mentors on research topics related to medical and biological sciences. The projects may include epidemiology, neuroscience, or public health topics. It emphasizes independent research and structured writing assignments. There will be discussion forums that provide opportunities to explore career paths in science and medicine. The mentorship offered helps guide your progress while still encouraging independent thinking.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.