15 Health Science Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 1 hour ago
- 12 min read
If you are a high school student interested in healthcare, medicine, or biomedical research, a health science program can help you explore the field in greater depth. These programs introduce you to areas such as clinical research, neuroscience, public health, genetics, and biomedical engineering while helping you understand how scientific research and healthcare systems operate. You also gain mentorship from scientists, physicians, and researchers working in health-related fields.
What are the benefits of a health science program?
Health science programs allow you to study advanced topics while developing skills in research, data analysis, scientific writing, and critical evaluation of medical literature. Depending on the program, you may work on research projects, analyze biomedical datasets, study disease mechanisms, or examine public health challenges. Experiences like these can help you better understand different career paths in healthcare and biomedical science while preparing you for future STEM studies.
In this blog, we’ve identified 15 health science programs for high school students to guide your search.
If you’re looking for online STEM summer programs, check out our blog here.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; ~80 students, <2.5% acceptance rate
Dates: June 22 - August 2
Application Deadline: December 11
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with exceptional achievement in STEM | 90% have prior advanced research experience, and most hold leadership positions at their school and participate in community service
The Research Science Institute is a prestigious, fully funded program for high school students that allows specialization in health science. After a week of training in advanced STEM topics, you’ll work one-on-one with a professional scientist from MIT or another prestigious Boston-area university or research institute to develop and execute a project of your design. You’ll be trained in professional-level research across literature reviews, experimental design, research ethics, and scientific writing. You’ll also attend a series of lectures from speakers, including Nobel Laureates and science industry leaders. After finishing your research, you’ll write a formal academic paper and develop a presentation on your work, which you’ll present to your peers, RSI mentors, and a panel of judges who will award prizes to the top five papers and presentations. Recent award-winning project topics in health sciences include studying the effectiveness of beta-agonist drugs, using neural networks to predict antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis, and drug discovery for malaria treatments.
Location: Virtual
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer sessions that run between June and August
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines for each cohort; summer session applications are due in May/June
Eligibility: High school students with strong academic backgrounds; accepted students have an unweighted GPA of at least 3.3 out of 4.0
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: Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla
Stipend: Paid internship, amount TBA. Unpaid positions for course credit also offered
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective. Around 40 students per year, including undergraduate and graduate students
Application deadline: March 30
Program dates:
June 1 to August 7
June 15 to August 7
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduate students, and graduate students who are at least 16 years old
Hosted by the Scripps Research Translational Institute, the Scripps Student Research Internship brings together a small group of high schoolers, undergraduates, and graduate students for a funded research program in translational health science. You’ll work under a Scripps scientist to complete a research project advancing the Institute’s goals, with focus areas including translational medicine, mobile health, and genetics. To supplement your work, you’ll attend advanced educational seminars in medical and health sciences and receive guidance from your mentor on exploring colleges, majors, and careers matching your academic and research interests. You’ll present your research to the cohort and the Institute’s scientists at both the Student Research Internship Poster Symposium and the Translational Institute Research Meeting.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 10-week courses throughout the year
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: Students must have completed the Veritas AI Scholars program or have a background in coding. The program is open to students from grades 8-12.
Veritas Deep Dive: AI + Medicine lets you explore how AI is transforming healthcare. You work one-on-one with a mentor from a top university to build a personalized project that uses machine learning to solve real medical problems. You might train models to detect diseases, improve medical imaging, or explain results in ways that help doctors and patients. You learn how AI tools work and how to apply them in real-world healthcare settings.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective. 24 students
Application deadline: March 23
Program dates: June 22 to July 26
Eligibility: High school juniors living in Northern California who are from low income backgrounds or who will be the first in their family to attend college.
The SMYSP is a health science program for high school students in Northern California lacking access to comparable research and scientific training programs. You’ll serve as an intern at Stanford Hospital, where you’ll be trained in medical and health science, shadow Stanford physicians, and conduct clinical research. You’ll additionally learn about topics in public health, working with a small group of peers to complete a research project on health disparities. Your project will include writing an undergraduate-level research paper, delivering a conference-style presentation, and designing a research poster. Past research topics include disparities in COVID-19 outcomes in marginalized racial groups and adverse treatment experiences by non-English speakers in US hospitals. You’ll supplement your work with weekly lectures on public health and research methodologies.
Location: University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Cost: Free; stipend of $3,000 - $4,300
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; exact numbers not provided, but paid research programs for which undergraduates are eligible are some of the most competitive high school programs
Dates: 9 weeks in summer, usually from early June to early August
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Current 11-12th graders aged 16+ with backgrounds underrepresented in STEM (underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, students with disabilities, first-generation college students, and students from low-income families). Must have taken at least one year of high school math and biology | Undergraduate students are also eligible.
UC San Francisco, a UC campus focused solely on health and medicine, hosts high schoolers and undergraduates for a nine-week health science program through the Summer Student Research Program. You’ll be matched with a UCSF biomedical or clinical lab, where you’ll support your mentor’s ongoing work through completing an independent research project. You’ll write a personal statement, research proposal, and scientific lecture to gain exposure to the professional research lifecycle. You’ll attend weekly journal club meetings with your peers to provide updates and receive feedback on your work, seminars on medicine and health care with UCSF faculty, guest lectures from health science professionals, and networking events. At the end of the summer, you’ll design a research poster and deliver a presentation on your work to UCSF scientists at the UCSF Research Symposium.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: Free; limited stipends provided
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Very selective; ~50 students admitted. Acceptance rate is not released, but paid internships are typically some of the most competitive research programs
Dates: June 8 – July 30
Application Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: Current 11th and 12th graders can apply | Must be a US citizen or permanent resident and attend school in the US. Bay Area students are prioritized
The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) is a paid health science program for high school students interested in clinical research. You’ll be placed at one of Stanford’s Institutes of Medicine, with potential focus areas including Neurobiology, Cancer Biology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, and Bioengineering. You’ll work under a Stanford researcher mentor to complete an independent research project tailored to your interests. Throughout the program, you’ll access networking and career development opportunities through meeting with professional scientists and clinicians across Stanford, attending workshops on college applications and health science careers, and practicing scientific presentation skills. The program culminates with a final presentation to Stanford researchers and your peers on your research process and findings.
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook
Cost / Stipend: Free. Residential students pay housing costs of about $2,450
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective. Less than 5 percent acceptance rate
Application deadline: February 5
Program dates: June 29 to August 7
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors age 16 or older who are United States citizens or permanent residents. Students need nomination from their high school. Each high school nominates up to 2 students.
SSRP is a free STEM research program for high school students with a health science focus, including Medicine, Microbiology & Immunology, Neurobiology & Behavior, Orthopaedics, and Pharmacological Sciences. You’ll be matched with a research project and mentor based on your demonstrated skills and research interests, and spend most of your time working in the lab. You’ll supplement your work with programming, including faculty lectures, academic workshops, and networking events. You’ll write a formal research paper on your work, which you’ll present at the end of the program. Current health science project options include analyzing cellular structures of infectious mycobacteria, studying the impact of “forever chemicals” on neurodevelopmental disorders, and tracking cellular dysregulation in the development of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Location: Hosted on college campuses; varies yearly and by topic
Cost: $6,950 for in-person, $3,950 for virtual. Up to full financial aid is available; some students receive $3,000 stipends.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 7-10% acceptance rate
Dates: Varies by project area; all are 5 weeks in early June to early August
Application Deadline: February 21 (US applicants) or January 24 (International applicants)
Eligibility: Open to current 11th graders (rising seniors). You must be 16–18 years old at the start of the program. SSP looks for strong STEM coursework and research interests.
The Summer Science Program (SSP) is a competitive opportunity for high school students to conduct health science research in its biochemistry, bacterial genomics, and synthetic chemistry placements. With a small group of peers, you’ll work on an intensive research project for approximately 60 hours per week; focus areas might include altering cell cycles through genetic editing, cultivating microbes to test antibiotic resistance, or designing enzymes to fight diseases. You’ll be mentored by professors from prestigious universities, network with biochemistry and genomics professionals, and attend a Guest Lecture Series with speakers including Nobel Laureates and science industry leaders. You’ll have the option of joining an SSP mentorship program to gain personal and professional guidance from a former SSP attendee, and you will be eligible to receive a supplemental letter of recommendation from your mentor to include in college applications.
Location: Belin-Blank Center, University of Iowa, IA
Cost: $7,500; substantial financial aid and scholarships are offered
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Very selective; ~10% acceptance rate
Dates: June 17 - July 24
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10-11 | As a highly competitive program, successful applicants usually have a very strong track record in STEM courses and often have previous research experience
The Secondary Student Training Program (SSTP) provides an advanced research opportunity and transferable college credits for high school students in an interdisciplinary setting. You’ll have the ability to choose from 9 health science research fields, including Psychiatry, Pathology, Internal Medicine, and Communication Sciences & Disorders. You’ll be assigned to a research lab matching your skills and interests, where you’ll design and execute a high-level research project. Outside of your work, you’ll attend educational seminars, complete assignments on research skills and subject-specific topics, and discuss your work with peers in disciplines from anthropology to mechanical engineering to expand your and their academic horizons. You’ll present your work at a research poster symposium at the end of the program.
Location: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Cost: $5,500; financial aid available for Florida students
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Very selective; <15% acceptance rate for 90-student cohort
Dates: June 7 - July 25
Application Deadline: April 1 (out-of-state) or April 15 (Florida residents)
Eligibility: Rising 12th grade students aged 16+
The Student Science Training Program at the University of Florida provides academic coursework, research, and professional exposure to high school students interested in STEM fields, including health science. You’ll work in a UF laboratory focused on your research interests; supported health science fields include cognitive science, ophthalmology, neuroscience, and more. You’ll complete preliminary assignments of writing a literature review, developing a research proposal, and training in laboratory protocols before beginning an independent research project. You’ll also enroll in an Interdisciplinary Honors Seminar Course, where you can explore additional advanced topics in health sciences, such as Cancer Biology and Therapeutics. Other programming includes research ethics training, career exploration and college application guidance, and faculty lectures on health science topics like tropical diseases and medicine. At the end of the program, you’ll write an academic paper, design a research poster, and deliver two presentations on your work.
Location: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, UC Merced, and UC Santa Cruz, CA
Cost: $5,518. Financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; about 150-200 students are hosted at each campus, though clusters are limited to 20-25 students
Dates: July 5 - July 31 or August 1, depending on your campus placement
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th graders who are California residents | Minimum 3.5 GPA strongly recommended | Specific Clusters typically have additional prerequisites
The COSMOS program hosts high school students from California at UC campuses across the state for research and coursework in dozens of specialized STEM “clusters.” Multiple health science programs are offered, including Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, The Photonics Revolution in Healthcare, Energy and Information Technologies, and Modern Computational Biology. While your work will vary by cluster, COSMOS programs typically include a combination of UC faculty lectures, interactive workshops, and a final research project. Your research might include learning to identify genes using automated prediction software, analyzing cancer treatment utilizing cell modification and regeneration, or studying applications of phototonics to improve medical imaging and diagnostics.
Location: Massachusetts General Hospital campuses in Boston, Cambridge, or Somerville, MA
Cost/Stipend: Free with stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: June 30 - August 8
Application Deadline: Applications open November 1 and close January 31
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors or recent graduates living/attending school in MA | Internships are also available for undergraduate students
The Summer Neuroscience Internship at Massachusetts General Hospital provides a full-time, paid health science program for high school students from Massachusetts interested in neuroscience research and medical practice. You’ll start the program with an intensive bootcamp on neurology research, clinical training, professional networking, and building a connection with your mentor. You’ll then complete a research project at an MGH lab with personalized guidance from your mentor. Each week, you’ll attend Didactic Sessions where you’ll network with leading neurologists from the Boston area, learning about advanced topics in neuroscience and neurology and their experiences developing a career in the field. You’ll deliver a presentation on your research to your peers, family, and the MGH Neurology department at the end of the program.
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
Cost/Stipend: Free and stipended (hourly wage) plus transportation funds
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Very selective
Dates: In-person program runs for 8 weeks (June–August). The virtual program runs for 5 weeks (July–August).
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising 11-12th graders | In-person participants must be Baltimore residents
The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences is a paid opportunity for Baltimore high school students to conduct health science research in specialized subfields of neuroscience. You’ll work under a JHU faculty member to complete a mentored project focused on advancing treatments for neurological diseases. Potential focus areas include neural imaging, brain development, and neurodegenerative disease. You’ll also gain experience in medical practice, completing a series of clinical rotations with JHU neurosurgeons and neurologists.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: $6,580 (In Person), $4,580 (Virtual Summer), $2,480 (Virtual Fall)
Dates: Session 1 (In-person): July 13–24. Session 2 (Virtual): July 27–August 7. Fall Intensive (Virtual): TBA
Application Deadline: February 9
Eligibility: Open to current high school sophomores and juniors (rising juniors and seniors), and undergraduate pre-med students. You must be at least 16 years old and have completed at least one high school biology course before the program begins.
The Clinical Summer Internship at Stanford is a medical school preparation program for high schoolers interested in pursuing careers in health care. You’ll study college-level health science and medicine topics through lectures from Stanford professors, clinicians, and researchers, while learning about life as a medical student through workshops with current Stanford School of Medicine students and residents. You’ll complete hands-on activities to practice real-world medical skills, including dissection labs, suturing, leading patient interviews, and giving injections. You’ll also meet Stanford Medical School admissions officers to learn about how to prepare for med school through your undergraduate studies and extracurricular activities. At the end of the program, you’ll complete an advanced clinical simulation for a capstone project merging the skills you learned throughout the internship.
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, check out students’ reviews of the program here and 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!
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.
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