7 Medical Summer Programs for High School Students in North Carolina
- Stephen Turban
- Oct 26, 2024
- 7 min read
North Carolina is home to several strong medical institutions, including Wake Forest Baptist, UNC Chapel Hill, Duke, and MAHEC, that offer high school students structured ways to explore healthcare through summer programs. Early exposure to the medical field builds practical skills, helps you assess whether medicine is the right career path, and demonstrates initiative to college admissions committees.
Here are 7 medical summer programs for high school students in North Carolina, ranging from free programs at UNC to paid clinical immersion programs at Wake Forest and Duke, plus two fully remote options. Note that several programs have geographic restrictions within North Carolina, so check eligibility carefully before applying.
Key Takeaways
2 free programs: UNC Rural Medicine Summer Academy (free, rising seniors from rural NC), MAHEC Health Careers Academy (free, Western NC students with 3.2 GPA+)
5 paid programs: Wake Forest Medicine Institute ($3,400, scholarships available), Outset Pre-Med ($2,825, rolling admissions), Veritas AI + Medicine ($2,290, financial aid available), NSLC at Duke ($3,995, rolling admissions), Lumiere (from $2,990, 100% financial aid available)
4 programs open to freshmen or sophomores: Wake Forest (grades 9-12), Outset (grades 9-12), NSLC (ages 14-18, completed one year of HS), Lumiere (all high school grades)
2 fully remote options: Lumiere (worldwide, rolling deadlines, full financial aid), Veritas AI + Medicine (worldwide, coding background required)
2 programs open to international or out-of-state students: Lumiere (worldwide), Veritas AI (worldwide); all other programs are restricted to NC residents or students at specific schools
Most geographically restricted: MAHEC (Western NC counties only), UNC Rural Medicine (rural NC seniors, preference for underserved communities)
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.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Cost: Full financial aid is available!
The Wake Forest Pre-College Medicine Summer Institute is a summer program for high school students who want to explore the medical field. Held at Wake Forest University, this week-long program offers 9th to 12th-grade students the chance to learn about various medical disciplines, gaining experience in a professional healthcare environment. You’ll understand specialties like internal medicine, cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, and surgery. You’ll visit medical facilities such as the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and work in simulation labs. From practicing skills like taking blood pressure and suturing to learning about the latest medical technologies, you’ll get a taste of what it's like to work in healthcare.
Location: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
Cost: $3,400. Limited need-based scholarships available
Eligibility: Current 9th – 12th grade students
Dates: July 6 – 11 | July 20 – 25
Application Deadline: No information available. Applications open on November 1
Veritas AI is an AI program for ambitious high school students, founded and run by Harvard graduate students. In the AI + Medicine program, you will learn how AI is used in the healthcare and medical industry. You will get a chance to work on real-world projects using AI & ML models to diagnose diseases, sharpen medical scans, and explain their outcomes to aid doctors and patients. Here is the program brochure and the application form.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: $2,290
Eligibility: High school students who have completed the AI Scholars program or have prior Python experience
Dates: June 9 – August 11
Application Deadline: Early Admission: March 24 | Regular Admission 1: April 21 | Regular Admission 2: May 19
Outset is a one-week pre-med summer program for high school students who want to explore careers in medicine. Hosted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (and many other universities like UCLA, Yale, etc.), the program offers activities, lectures, and interactions with professionals from UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke Medical Schools. Throughout the week, you’ll learn about key medical topics, patient care, and the latest advancements in healthcare technology.
Location: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Cost: $2,825
Eligibility: Current 9th – 12th grade students
Dates: June – August
Application Deadline: Rolling
The UNC School of Medicine Rural Medicine Summer Academy is a week-long residential program for rising high school seniors interested in healthcare, particularly in underserved rural areas. This experience provides hands-on learning, including skills sessions, simulations, and lectures on cardiovascular health and rural healthcare challenges. Students also engage with UNC faculty and healthcare professionals, gaining insight into the needs of rural communities and exploring various career paths in medicine.
Location: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Cost: Free
Eligibility: Rising seniors in high school, especially those from rural North Carolina
Dates: Typically held in late June or July
Application Deadline: Usually around early spring (March-April)
The Health Careers Academy by the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) is a program for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in Western North Carolina who are interested in pursuing careers in healthcare. Throughout the spring semester, accepted students engage in various programs in partnership with UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC, including in-person and virtual experiences. You will tour the Simulation Center at MAHEC, receive one-on-one health career advising, and connect with students and faculty at MAHEC.
Location: University of North Carolina, Asheville, NC
Cost: Free
Eligibility: High school sophomore, junior, or senior as of the Spring semester who has a minimum weighted GPA of 3.2 and resides or attend school in one of these Western North Carolina counties
Dates: Late June/Early July
Application Deadline: December 2
The NSLC High School Summer Medical Program provides a learning opportunity for high school students. You will assume the role of a physician, practicing surgical skills, diagnosing patients, and discussing public health issues. You will gain experience in suturing, surgical knot tying, and internal anatomy. You will also practice patient care by interviewing, diagnosing, testing, and treating patients alongside clinical teams. You’ll learn to handle critical medical situations through trauma assessments and simulated scenarios. This program also includes anatomy workshops with dissections of eyes, brains, hearts, and spinal cords. You’ll interact with guest speakers from various medical backgrounds, and field trips to sites like the Duke Human Simulation & Patient Safety Center will provide additional exposure.
Location: Duke University, Durham, NC
Cost: $3,995
Eligibility: Students must be between the ages of 14-18 and have completed at least one year of high school
Dates: Multiple one-week sessions offered between June 12 – July 26
Application Deadline: Rolling
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there free medical summer programs for high school students in North Carolina? Yes, 2 programs on this list are completely free. The UNC School of Medicine Rural Medicine Summer Academy is free for rising seniors, with preference given to students from rural North Carolina. The MAHEC Health Careers Academy is free for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in Western North Carolina counties with a minimum 3.2 weighted GPA. For students who don't meet those geographic criteria, Lumiere offers 100% financial aid and is fully remote.
Can freshmen or sophomores apply to North Carolina medical programs? Yes, 4 programs accept students from earlier grade levels. Wake Forest Pre-College Medicine Institute and Outset are both open to current students in grades 9-12. NSLC at Duke accepts students aged 14-18 who have completed at least one year of high school, making it accessible to rising sophomores. MAHEC accepts current sophomores as well as juniors and seniors. Lumiere accepts all high school students regardless of grade, with rolling deadlines throughout the year.
Are there North Carolina medical programs open to students outside the state? Most programs on this list are restricted to North Carolina residents or students at specific NC schools. The 2 programs with no location requirement are Lumiere Research Scholar Program (fully remote, open to all high school students worldwide, full financial aid available, rolling deadlines) and Veritas AI + Medicine Deep Dive (fully remote, open globally, requires prior Python experience or completion of Veritas AI Scholars). NSLC at Duke and Outset do not explicitly restrict to NC residents and may be accessible to out-of-state students willing to travel.
Next Steps
Students looking for a free North Carolina medical program should prioritise UNC Rural Medicine Academy or MAHEC Health Careers Academy, but both have strict eligibility requirements based on location and grade level, so check carefully before applying. If you want hands-on clinical simulation and skills training, Wake Forest Medicine Institute, NSLC at Duke, and Outset are the strongest options; if you prefer AI and technology in medicine, Veritas AI is the best fit.
The earliest deadline on this list is MAHEC in December, followed by Veritas AI in March and UNC Rural Medicine in early spring, so students should begin preparing applications in the fall. As a next step, shortlist 2-3 programs based on your grade, location, and interests, and confirm current eligibility on each program's website.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. 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.