12 Free Online Medical Summer Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Sep 17
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 13
If you are interested in healthcare and medicine, a summer program can be a great way to gain exposure to the field while you are in high school! Medical summer programs can help you explore the foundational concepts in medicine and access opportunities to build skills like communication and time management, as well as technical abilities.
Many such opportunities are virtual and fully funded/free, making them accessible for high schoolers. Although they are online experiences, they offer opportunities similar to in-person programs, allowing you to learn from mentors, work on projects, and explore fields like neuroscience, diabetes, mental health, EMT, and space medicine. As a participant, you will also engage in college-level academics or professional research work while connecting with peers and mentors from around the globe.
To help you with your search, here are 12 free online medical summer programs for high school students.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 1-on1
Dates: 12-week sessions available in the summer; dates vary
Application deadline: June 23
Eligibility: High school seniors with strong academic abilitiesCost: Fully funded
The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is a fully funded virtual summer experience designed for talented low-income high school students. As a participant, you will work with a Ph.D. mentor on an independent research project in the field of medicine, public health, and associated areas. For example, one of the available research topics is genetic engineering using CRISPR. You will explore your chosen topic with your mentor through multiple online one-on-one sessions, work with a writing coach, and develop an independent research paper at the end of the program to present at the Lumiere Research Symposium. You can learn about the available tracks and application details here.
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: Five weeks in the summer
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in North America
JHIBS offers a five-week research-focused summer internship to students in North America interested in neuroscience and biomedical research. Here, you will attend virtual sessions led by researchers and scientists, learn about the scientific method and biomedical research, and participate in experiments. You will learn and apply laboratory techniques, participate in scientific presentations, and connect with professionals and peers. Additionally, the program offers access to professional development workshops and college prep classes to help you explore academic and career paths in the medical field.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Vary by cohort; 25 hours over 10 weeks on weekends
Application deadline: Summer cohort: April 27 (Regular admission 1) or May 25 (Regular admission 2) | Summer cohort II: June 22
Eligibility: Students in grades 8 – 12 who have completed AI Scholars or have some experience in coding
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Veritas AI's AI + Medicine Deep Dive track is an online opportunity for high school students to learn AI fundamentals and explore the applications of AI in the medicine and healthcare industry. Within a team of peers, you will build a real-world group project that explores the use of AI & ML models to diagnose diseases, enhance medical scans, and explain their outcomes to aid doctors and patients. Additionally, the sessions cover topics like medical data preparation, EDA, and convolutional neural networks. You will attend lectures, discussions, and workshops led by AI researchers in the medical and healthcare fields. You will also explore interdisciplinary research topics, such as image classification and medicine, computer vision & player tracking in sports. You can learn more about the program through its brochure.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 18 – August 8
Application deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Students who are at least 15 years old
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee (waivers available); no stipend
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) at George Mason University is an eight-week experience for high school students interested in STEM. Students collaborate with university faculty members on research projects in areas of neuroscience, medicine, and biology and receive first-hand exposure to the research process. Practical skill building is encouraged, such as scientific writing, data analysis, and research techniques, while providing students with an opportunity to make concrete contributions to existing studies. Additionally, forums led by professional are organised for students to gain insights into STEM professions, helping students see how the skills they develop can be applied in both academic and professional settings.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 23 – August 8
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students and others who are past high school age
Cost: Free
NMP is a free online medical summer program for high school students interested in neuroscience. Over five weeks, you will typically spend 10-20 hours/week exploring the field of neuroscience, either synchronously or asynchronously. As a participant, you will get access to open-source software and scientific papers, lectures covering technical concepts, research, and ethics, and journal club discussions. You will work independently on a research project. If you choose the synchronous format, you will get guidance from a mentor. You will present your findings at the virtual symposium at the end of the program, and you will also submit a project paper.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information not available
Dates: August 4 – 15
Application deadline: July 28
Eligibility: High school students
Cost: Free
Supported by the American Diabetes Association, the diabetes virtual camp is a free online program offering high schoolers exposure to current diabetes research, education, and care. Here, you will attend 13 sessions led by diabetes researchers and clinicians from universities and institutions across the U.S., including Yale, Harvard, and the University of Massachusetts. You will get access to learning modules that cover topics like types and diagnostic criteria of diabetes, the effects of fructose on glucose metabolism, and social determinants of health in diabetes development. You will participate in a Q&A session before each day’s module begins, an open mic session at the end of the day, and complete assigned tasks. Additionally, the program offers academic-focused sessions covering the admission process and curriculum for medical school and graduate school.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information not available
Dates: June 15 – July 23
Application deadline: February 9
Eligibility: Current rising juniors and seniors
Cost: Free
The Neuroscience High School Summer Program, offered by UCLA's Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Research and Care, is a free online medical summer program focusing on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The six-week program can offer you an introductory experience in neuroscience, providing you with access to live seminars on key neuroscience concepts and presentations from clinicians and researchers on current topics in neurology. You will also interact with peers in the online journal club to critically analyze neuroscience literature and participate in virtual lab sessions to build research skills. You will work on a final research project on a topic of interest and present your findings at the end of the program.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Two weeks in June; dates TBA
Application deadline: Not specified; applications typically open in September and close in early February
Eligibility: Rising 10th–12th-grade students and rising college first-years
Cost: None
The Inspiring Careers in Mental Health program is a two-week online program for high school students interested in exploring the fields of psychology and mental health. Here, you will interact with neuropsychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatrists, and physician assistants to gain insights into their respective fields and daily work. Prior to each session, you will read and critically analyze articles from mass media/scientific journals to discuss later during the online session. You will also gain exposure to medical school pathways and career paths in psychotherapy, community psychiatry, and associated fields of mental health.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; $500 taxable stipend may be offered
Cohort size: Typically 20–30; exact number varies by location
Program dates: July – August (two weeks); dates vary by location
Application deadline: Varies by program
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors; location-based requirements vary
SHE in Oncology is a multi-institutional program hosted by cancer centers throughout the country. It is designed for high school students interested in learning about careers in biomedicine and oncology. Here, you will engage in virtual lectures and discussions on topics in cancer care and cancer science. You will work on a genetics-based research project and a patient case study alongside peers from participating institutions. You will also receive your own laboratory kit to conduct experiments from home. Additionally, you will engage in professional development and skill-building opportunities along with panel discussions led by cancer research and care professionals.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information not available
Dates: July 19 - July 20
Application deadline: Typically May; applications open in March
Eligibility: Open to all, including high school students
Cost: None
The Rice Neuroscience Society Neurocamp is a free online medical summer program for high school students interested in learning about topics in neuroscience, such as neurotransmission, neurological diseases, and neuroanatomy. You will attend interactive lectures and discussions via Zoom to explore computational neuroscience and other advanced topics in the field. You will also participate in professional development sessions led by representatives from Rice’s Center for Career Development. The program also offers opportunities to develop lab skills and gain insights into undergraduate programs in neuroscience.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Two weeks in June
Application deadline: Early February
Eligibility: Rising 10th-, 11t-h, and 12th-grade high school students
Cost: Free
UT Southwestern Medical Center offers a two-week online internship for high school students who want to learn more about careers in mental health. The program exposes participants to psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, clinical social workers, and physician assistants who offer first-hand accounts of their jobs. Students explore topics ranging from psychotherapy and neuropsychological testing through interactive sessions, reading under the guidance of instructors, and small group meetings. Demonstrations and planned exercises complete the experience and enable students to develop an enhanced understanding of the science and practice of mental health.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students who are 14 and older and living in the U.S.
Cost: $850 + $40 application fee; waivers and scholarships available
The Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship is an intern program for two weeks, where high school students get to see the intersection of medicine and artificial intelligence. Students engage in lectures, group projects, and one-to-one mentorship under Stanford AI research staff, gaining direct exposure to the impact of AI on healthcare. The program also entails Virtual Career Lunch and Learn sessions, where students can learn from and interact with academics, nonprofits, and government professionals regarding career prospects at the intersection of AI and medicine. Even though the program provides no academic credit, the students receive a certificate upon the successful completion of the program for the work carried out by them.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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