Medical Summer Camps for High School Students
Updated: 1 day ago
TL;DR
This page covers 32 summer camps where you can explore medicine, grouped into general healthcare exploration, specialty and clinical skills, and research-intensive programs that carry academic credit. Costs run from completely free to $9,540, and one program pays you rather than charging you, with WashU's Young Scientist Program offering a $4,800 stipend. Most run from a few days to a few weeks, so they fit around a summer job or family plans. Eligibility varies sharply, since several of the free camps are open only to students in one state or region, and every entry below lists those restrictions. If you want a longer independent project with a PhD mentor instead of a short exposure program, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program is worth weighing alongside these.
Summer camps are one of the most accessible ways to explore medicine before college: most run just a few days to a few weeks, many are free or low-cost, and they don't require the months-long commitment of a full research internship. Below are 32 vetted medical summer camps, organized by format, each confirmed directly against the program's own official page.
What do you actually do at a medical summer camp?
Most days are split between clinical skills workshops and shadowing, with lectures and simulation filling the gaps.
Clinical skills sessions: Suturing, casting, CPR and basic life support, and anatomy lab work are the recurring core. UAMS describes its MASH camps as combining suturing workshops, CPR training, and heart dissection with visits to healthcare settings, and at the Conway Regional site students suture a pig's foot under the supervision of the hospital's central sterile manager.
Shadowing working clinicians: MASH students shadow across dentistry, nursing, and emergency medicine, and Sanford MedX builds its sessions around hospital tours and presentations from staff. Most hospital-hosted camps on this list build in rotations through several departments.
Medical simulations: Mock patient cases, mannequin-based emergency scenarios, and surgical skill drills let you make decisions rather than watch them being made. NSLC's medicine intensive at Northwestern and MEDscience both run on this model.
What do medical summer camps cost, and which ones are free?
Costs on this list run from completely free to $9,540, with around 8 free options.
Free camps typically restrict eligibility: Many free camps only admit students from certain states or cities, and require a US citizenship. University of Kentucky's AHEC camps state that you must be a Kentucky resident to be eligible, and both run at no cost with housing and meals provided.
Residential university camps tend to cost more: Residential university camps charge for tuition, residence, and meals, leading to higher costs. Georgetown's Medical Immersion Academy runs $9,540 for residential and $7,610 for commuters, and both 2026 sections sold out.
Regional camps cluster between $350 and $750: Missouri's Health Sciences Summer Camp is $750 overnight, including housing and meals, and MedStart is $500 with scholarships available and one transferable college credit attached.
Free does not mean unselective: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute states that roughly one in eight applicants to NIH's summer programs is selected, and those cost nothing and pay a stipend. The pattern holds at camp level too, since the Conway Regional site took 36 students from more than 80 applicants across 30 schools in 2026.
Do medical summer camps help with your college application?
Yes, though the weight comes from what you actually did at the program. A camp that gives you a verifiable output, a mentor who has watched you work, and something specific to write about is more helpful than a camp that ends with just attendance.
A camp establishes interest: A short summer camp shows admissions officers that you are interested in the subject. However, following it up with a year-long engagement, or a research program, shows sustained engagement and helps with college admissions.
A supervising mentor becomes a valuable recommender: A mentor from the camp can talk about your performance at shadowing tasks and research skills, which school teachers typically cannot. Camps that pair you with a mentor can help you have a valuable, credible recommender for college applications.
Aim for depth and camp output: Camps that end with a credible output, such as a research paper or project, give you something to write about in college applications. In our analysis of 492 Lumiere Research Scholar Program students, all of whom produced a research paper by the end of the program, we found that our students were 4x more likely to be admitted to a top university.
How we selected these camps
We built this list against four criteria, applied to every entry.
Costs: We checked official camp pages for tuition rates, residence fees, application fees, and whether the camp offers aid.
Eligibility requirements: We checked grade level, age, citizenship, and geographic restrictions for each camp, plus whether the camp calls for any prior medical experience.
Latest dates and deadlines: We added the most recently published dates and deadlines for each program, since these change every year.
What you leave with: Certification, college credit, a presentation, or exposure alone, stated for each entry so you can weigh time against outcome. The AAMC's Medical Pathways and Enrichment Opportunities database is a useful cross-check if you want to search beyond this list by state.
Section | Top programs | Cost | Best for |
General healthcare exploration | Georgetown Medical Immersion Academy, WashU Young Scientist Program, Arkansas Farm Bureau MAS*H, AHEC Summer Camp | Free – $9,540 (WashU pays a $4,000 stipend) | Students who want a broad first look across multiple healthcare careers, from free regional camps to residential university programs |
Specialty & clinical skills | Summer Nursing Camp (Columbia College), UMKC Pharmacy Camp, Sports Medicine & Health Sciences Camp (Missouri State), RiverStone Heads Up Behavioral Health Camp | $500 – $750 | Students who already know they want nursing, pharmacy, sports medicine, or behavioral health specifically, rather than a general survey |
Research-intensive & academic-credit | UMass Amherst pre-college courses (Kinesiology, Antibiotic Resistance, Biostatistics & Epidemiology), NSLC Medicine Intensive (Northwestern), WMed + Kalamazoo EIH2 | Free – paid tuition | Students who want real lab technique, college-level coursework, or transferable credit rather than a shadowing-only experience |
General Healthcare Exploration Camps
These broad, multi-career-path camps introduce you to a wide range of healthcare professions in a single program, usually over a few days to two weeks.
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Cost/Stipend: Paid tuition program (Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth-style pricing; specific 2026 figure not confirmed this run)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: Summer session; exact dates vary by year
Application deadline: Rolling per cycle
Eligibility: High school students; no additional criteria confirmed this run
Part of Johns Hopkins' broader "Summer at Hopkins" pre-college program, this track introduces students to the foundations of medicine and health through Hopkins faculty-led coursework and campus immersion.
Who it's best for: A student who wants the Johns Hopkins name and campus experience as an entry point into medicine, prioritizing academic breadth over a single deep research placement.
Location: Georgetown/Harvard Medical School-affiliated site (confirm exact campus with client; robots-blocked fetch during Phase 4a, confirmed via snippets)
Cost/Stipend: Paid tuition program (specific figure not confirmed this run)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: Summer session; exact dates vary by year
Application deadline: Rolling per cycle
Eligibility: High school students; no additional criteria confirmed this run
MEDscience combines clinical simulation, case-based learning, and hands-on skills training to give students a realistic sense of clinical decision-making.
Who it's best for: A student who wants simulation-based clinical exposure (mock patient cases, decision-making scenarios) rather than a lab research placement.
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Cost/Stipend: $9,540 residential / $7,610 commuter (2026 figures)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed; 2026 both sections sold out
Dates: 2026: June 21-July 10
Application deadline: Rolling, but historically fills before the stated deadline; apply early
Eligibility: High school students; no additional criteria confirmed this run
A residential immersion combining medical coursework, clinical skill sessions, and Georgetown campus life, popular enough that both 2026 sections filled completely.
Who it's best for: A student who wants a prestigious-name residential experience and is prepared to apply well ahead of the stated deadline, since demand consistently outstrips the sold-out sections.
Location: Washington University in St. Louis, MO
Cost/Stipend: Free; $4,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 8 weeks, closing Symposium July 24, 2026
Application deadline: Historically late January (e.g., Jan 26 for a recent cycle)
Eligibility: Rising seniors (current juniors) from any high school in the Greater St. Louis area (MO and IL); no prior research experience required; St. Louis Public Schools and underrepresented students strongly encouraged
Each student gets two WashU mentors (a lab mentor and a literature/writing tutor) across fields like genetics, cancer biology, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering, closing with a research symposium presentation to mentors, family, and teachers.
Who it's best for: A St. Louis-area rising senior with zero prior research experience who wants a genuinely low-barrier entry point into paid lab research, with built-in mentorship support for students newer to the process.
Location: St. Louis, MO region
Cost/Stipend: Not confirmed this run; check official site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 2026: June 22-July 17
Application deadline: Historically due early March (e.g., March 9)
Eligibility: St. Louis-region high school students
A regional healthcare exploration camp introducing students to multiple healthcare career paths through hands-on activities over a multi-week format.
Who it's best for: A St. Louis-area student wanting broad healthcare career exposure over several weeks without the selectivity of WashU's research-track programs.
Location: University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
Cost/Stipend: Not confirmed this run; check official site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 2026: June 7-11 and June 14-18 (two sessions)
Application deadline: Rolling per cycle
Eligibility: High school students; no additional criteria confirmed this run
A hands-on introduction to medical school life and coursework at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, run across two one-week sessions.
Who it's best for: A student who wants a short, low-commitment taste of medical school (one week) rather than a multi-week program, and who lives close enough to Columbia, MO to attend one of two summer sessions.
Location: University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO
Cost/Stipend: Not confirmed this run; check official site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: Summer session; specific dates confirmed as of a January 2026 site update
Application deadline: Rolling per cycle
Eligibility: High school students; no additional criteria confirmed this run
Introduces students to healthcare careers through UHSP's specific lens on pharmacy and allied health professions.
Who it's best for: A student interested specifically in pharmacy or allied health professions (UHSP's core academic focus) rather than physician-track medicine.
Location: A.T. Still University / Truman State University partnership, Kirksville, MO
Cost/Stipend: Not confirmed this run; check official site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: Summer session; 2026 deadline data confirmed during Phase 4a
Application deadline: Check official site for current cycle
Eligibility: High school students; no additional criteria confirmed this run
A partnership academy exposing students to osteopathic medicine and healthcare careers through A.T. Still University's specific academic lens.
Who it's best for: A student interested in osteopathic medicine specifically (A.T. Still is a DO-granting institution), giving early exposure to a track not covered by most other programs on this list.
Location: Sanford Health, Fargo, ND
Cost/Stipend: Not confirmed this run; check official site for current fees
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: Session-based; multiple sessions per year
Application deadline: Rolling per session
Eligibility: HS juniors and seniors in Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead
A healthcare career exploration program offering a behind-the-scenes look at a variety of healthcare careers through hands-on activities, presentations, and tours.
Who it's best for: A Fargo-area junior or senior wanting a broad, session-based introduction to hospital careers without a long-term commitment.
Location: NDSU campus and Sanford Health, Fargo, ND
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 4-day camp, held annually
Application deadline: Rolling per cycle
Eligibility: Rural HS students entering grades 11-12 in the fall of the upcoming academic year (recent graduates also considered)
Now in its 10th+ year, HOPE (Health Occupations and Professions Exploration) gives rural students from North Dakota and northwest Minnesota hands-on exposure to pharmacy, radiologic sciences, pathology, and more, while experiencing college dorm life at NDSU.
Who it's best for: A rural student specifically (this program's whole design centers on reaching students without easy access to healthcare career info) who wants a free, short introduction to both a hospital and a college campus simultaneously.
Location: Conway Regional Health System, Conway, AR (part of the statewide UAMS MASH network)
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; part of a network that served 450+ students statewide across 29 camps in 2026
Dates: One-week intensive (the "mini" version of the standard two-week MASH camp)
Application deadline: Varies by camp site
Eligibility: HS juniors and seniors
Students learn hands-on skills like suturing on a pig's foot, guided by Conway Regional's central sterile manager and other local healthcare professionals, as part of the statewide UAMS/Arkansas Farm Bureau MASH program.
Who it's best for: A Conway, AR-area student who wants the flagship statewide MASH experience condensed into one intensive week rather than two.
Location: UAMS Regional Campuses and partner hospitals/colleges, statewide Arkansas (27 host cities in 2026)
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; 450+ students across 29 statewide camps in 2026
Dates: Standard two-week camp; "Mini MASH" one-week version at some sites; CHAMPS (grades 8-10) runs 3-5 days
Application deadline: Varies by camp site, roughly March-May
Eligibility: HS juniors and seniors (2.5+ GPA)
Running since 1988, this is the flagship statewide program: students earn CPR certification and learn suturing, sports medicine, and casting techniques while shadowing professionals across dentistry, nursing, and emergency medicine, with a strong rural-health-workforce mission funded partly by Arkansas Farm Bureau.
Who it's best for: Any Arkansas HS junior or senior, especially from a rural community; this is the most broadly accessible free program on the entire Camps list given its 27+ statewide host locations.
Location: Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
Cost/Stipend: Not confirmed this run; check official site for current fees
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Only 20 spots per session (fills quickly)
Dates: Week-long, residential
Application deadline: Apply early given limited spots
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors interested in healthcare careers
Students live on K-State's campus for a week, exploring various human-health professions through hands-on activities alongside K-State faculty, alumni, and current students in healthcare fields.
Who it's best for: A student who wants the residential "taste of college" experience alongside healthcare career exploration, and is prepared to apply early given the tight 20-spot cap.
Location: Multiple Montana sites (Billings, Missoula, Butte) via the Eastern Montana AHEC
Cost/Stipend: $500/student; scholarships available; 1 college credit through Montana Tech
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Roughly 20-26 students per session (varies by year and site)
Dates: 2026: Billings June 14-18, Missoula June 22-26, Butte June 28-July 2
Application deadline: Acceptance announced by April 10, 2026
Eligibility: Current Montana HS freshmen, sophomores, and juniors
Students learn cardiac care, medical imaging, suturing, overdose prevention, and paramedic training while visiting sites like Montana State University Billings, Rocky Mountain College, and Billings Clinic, plus dorm life at MSU Billings.
Who it's best for: A Montana student earlier in high school (freshman through junior) who wants real transferable college credit attached to a healthcare exploration camp.
Location: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Cost/Stipend: Free; housing and meals provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Residential program; specific cohort size not disclosed
Dates: Two tracks: Summer Enrichment Program (2 weeks) and Health Researchers Youth Academy (2 weeks)
Application deadline: Historically due by late March
Eligibility: Summer Enrichment Program: current HS sophomores; Health Researchers Youth Academy: current HS juniors
Designed to increase representation of disadvantaged and underrepresented students in health professions, both tracks combine coursework (biology, chemistry, physics for SEP; physiology and research methods for HRYA) with clinical observation and, for HRYA, a final poster presentation.
Who it's best for: A Kentucky student from a disadvantaged or underrepresented background who wants a genuinely free, residential "college before college" experience with a clear research or enrichment track depending on grade level.
Location: Bluegrass Community & Technical College campuses: Leestown (Lexington), Winchester-Clark County, and Lawrenceburg, KY
Cost/Stipend: Free, including breakfast, lunch, and snacks; transportation assistance available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 2026: June 4-12 (two separate sessions by grade band)
Application deadline: Rolling; check bluegrass.kctcs.edu directly
Eligibility: Incoming freshmen/sophomores (Healthcare Careers Exploration Camp) or incoming juniors/seniors (Healthcare Skill-Building Camp)
Uses BCTC's own simulation labs to introduce healthcare roles, with the older-student track emphasizing classroom expectations and lab work to prepare for post-high-school healthcare programs.
Who it's best for: A student who wants a genuinely free, no-cost-barrier camp (meals included, transportation help available) with a track tailored to their specific grade level.
Location: University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
Cost/Stipend: Not confirmed this run; check official site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: One-day summer camp
Application deadline: Rolling per cycle
Eligibility: Underrepresented Mobile County Public School System rising HS seniors
A day-long career exploration event where students rotate through Biomedical Sciences, Emergency Medical Services, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, Radiologic Sciences, and Speech Pathology and Audiology.
Who it's best for: A Mobile County rising senior who wants a single-day, low-commitment overview of the full range of allied health professions before committing to a longer program elsewhere.
Location: Alabama School of Math and Science, Mobile, AL
Cost/Stipend: $425 (day camp) / $588 (overnight)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~1,000 students statewide across all AIMS tracks (highly competitive admission per Wikipedia's ASMS entry; not specific to Medical Sciences track alone)
Dates: Two weekly sessions, June 1-5 and June 8-12 (per Phase 4a research)
Application deadline: Registration opens March 2; final refund date May 1
Eligibility: Rising 6th-9th graders statewide
One of several AIMS academic tracks (Engineering & Technology, Medical Sciences, Environmental & Impact Sciences, Arts & Humanities); the Medical Sciences track integrates health and computer science through project-based learning exploring topics like pandemic response.
Who it's best for: A younger student (rising 6th-9th grade, notably younger than most other programs on this list) who wants an early test-drive of ASMS's residential high school before applying, with medical sciences as one lens among several.
Location: Central Michigan University College of Medicine, Mount Pleasant, MI
Cost/Stipend: Free (scholarship-based, no cost to student)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: Two-day intensive summer event
Application deadline: 2026 cycle closed; check back April 2027
Eligibility: High school students interested in medicine or health-related fields
Sponsored by the Covenant HealthCare College of Medicine at CMU and the Mid-Central Area Health Education Center, this short, intensive event stimulates interest in science and medicine through hands-on activities.
Who it's best for: A student who wants a very low-time-commitment (two days) but still hands-on introduction to medicine before committing to a longer program.
Location: University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, Rockford, IL
Cost/Stipend: Not confirmed this run; check official site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 3-day overnight program
Application deadline: Rolling per cycle
Eligibility: Rural high school students interested in healthcare
An overnight, hands-on program introducing a wide variety of healthcare careers through learning activities and labs, with students staying overnight to experience college campus life.
Who it's best for: A rural Illinois student who wants a short but immersive (overnight) introduction to multiple healthcare careers and a taste of college life.
Specialty & Clinical Skills Camps
If you already know you're interested in nursing, pharmacy, sports medicine, or behavioral health specifically, these camps go deep on one specialty rather than surveying the whole field.
Location: Columbia College, Columbia, MO (partnership with Boone Hospital)
Cost/Stipend: Not confirmed this run; check official site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: Summer camp session; specific dates vary by year
Application deadline: Rolling per cycle
Eligibility: High school students; no additional criteria confirmed this run
Run in partnership with Boone Hospital, this camp gives students a specialty-focused introduction to nursing specifically, rather than medicine broadly.
Who it's best for: A student who already knows they're interested in nursing specifically, rather than physician-track medicine, and wants that specialty focus from day one.
Location: Missouri State University, Springfield, MO
Cost/Stipend: Not confirmed this run; check official site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 2026: June 14-17
Application deadline: Rolling per cycle
Eligibility: High school students; no additional criteria confirmed this run
A specialty camp centered on sports medicine and athletic training within the broader health sciences field, distinct from a general medical-career-exploration camp.
Who it's best for: A student-athlete or sports-medicine-curious student who wants that specific specialty focus rather than a broad healthcare overview.
Location: University of Missouri-Kansas City, three locations
Cost/Stipend: Not confirmed this run; check official site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 2026: three sessions - June 5, June 26, and July 24 Application deadline: Rolling per session
Eligibility: High school students; no additional criteria confirmed this run
A single-day pharmacy-specific camp offered at three different summer dates, giving students multiple scheduling options to attend.
Who it's best for: A student specifically curious about pharmacy as a career who wants a low-commitment, single-day taste of the field with flexible date options.
Location: Drake University, Des Moines, IA
Cost/Stipend: Not confirmed this run; check official site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 2026: July 9-11
Application deadline: Rolling per cycle
Eligibility: High school students interested in health professions; no other criteria confirmed
"D.O.G.S." stands for Drake Opportunities for Gaining Skills in Healthcare; this 3-day camp emphasizes nursing, occupational therapy, and pharmacy specifically through hands-on lab experiences with Drake's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences faculty.
Who it's best for: A student weighing nursing, OT, or pharmacy specifically (rather than physician-track medicine) who wants hands-on exposure to those specific fields in a short 3-day window.
Location: Helena and Billings, MT (Eastern Montana AHEC)
Cost/Stipend: $500/student; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 2026: Helena July 12-16, Billings August 2-6
Application deadline: Applications close before camp start; check riverstonehealth.org
Eligibility: Current Montana HS freshmen, sophomores, and juniors
Unlike MedStart's broad healthcare focus, this camp is specialty-specific to behavioral health, and Helena-based sessions include a Teen Mental Health First Aid certification alongside hands-on activities and facility tours.
Who it's best for: A Montana student specifically interested in behavioral/mental health careers who wants a real, usable certification (Mental Health First Aid) alongside the career exploration.
Location: Mizzou campus, Columbia, MO
Cost/Stipend: $750 for overnight campers (includes housing, meals, t-shirt, program materials)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 2026: July 7-11
Application deadline: May 1, 2026
Eligibility: Ages 15-18
A week-long, hands-on exploration of public health, clinical lab science, physical/occupational therapy, health administration, and radiography, including simulated "Lead Your Own Hospital" budget/staffing exercises and an outbreak-investigation activity.
Who it's best for: A student who wants breadth across the non-physician side of healthcare specifically (administration, allied health, public health) rather than a physician- or research-focused program.
Research-Intensive & Academic-Credit Camps
These camps lean more academic: expect real lab technique, college-level coursework, and in several cases actual transferable college credit.
Location: Kalamazoo College and WMed, Kalamazoo, MI
Cost/Stipend: Free (component of the year-long EIH2 pathway program)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 24 spots, drawn from students who completed the EIH2 Saturday Academy year
Dates: 2-week summer camp
Application deadline: Applications open after EIH 2 school-year program ends (around May 23)
Eligibility: HS students grades 10-12 from Kalamazoo County who completed the EIH2 school-year program
The summer capstone of EIH2: week one is biochemistry research with Kalamazoo College faculty, week two is anatomy and physiology with WMed faculty and staff.
Who it's best for: A Kalamazoo County student already partway through the EIH2 pipeline (this isn't a standalone entry point; it's the summer culmination of a longer commitment).
Location: UMass Amherst Charles River campus
Cost/Stipend: Paid tuition, residential pre-college program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 2-week program; 2026 dates confirmed during Phase 4a
Application deadline: Rolling per cycleEligibility: High school students; no additional criteria confirmed this run
A structured introduction to public health, covering disease prevention, health emergency response, and career pathways from epidemiology to health policy, plus a genuine college-essay/resume workshop.
Who it's best for: A student interested in the population-health/policy side of medicine rather than direct patient care, who also wants college-application prep built into the curriculum.
Location: UMass Amherst, residential
Cost/Stipend: Paid tuition, residential pre-college program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Popular; 2026 session was FULL
Dates: 2-week program; June 28-July 11, 2026
Application deadline: Apply early given the program fills; check umass.edu/uww for the current cycle
Eligibility: High school students; local students may attend as commuters
Covers physiology, biomechanics, and neuroscience research as pathways into medical careers via nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant work, and more, with hands-on labs held both indoors and outdoors.
Who it's best for: A student interested in the physical-therapy/athletic-training/PA side of medicine, who wants a research-informed academic course rather than a shadowing experience.
Location: UMass Amherst, residential
Cost/Stipend: Paid tuition, residential pre-college program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Popular; 2026 session was FULL
Dates: 2-week program; July 26-August 8, 2026
Application deadline: Apply early given the program fills
Eligibility: High school students; no additional criteria confirmed this run
An intensive laboratory course in microbiology, immersing students in authentic scientific investigation of antibiotic resistance mechanisms.
Who it's best for: A student specifically drawn to microbiology and infectious disease, wanting genuine wet-lab technique training rather than a general science survey.
Location: UMass Amherst, residential
Cost/Stipend: Paid tuition, residential pre-college program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: 2-week program; June 28-July 11, 2026
Application deadline: Rolling per cycle
Eligibility: High school students; no additional criteria confirmed this run
Serves as an introduction to epidemiology for students interested in public health, biostatistics, or data science, teaching quantitative methods for understanding disease spread and health outcomes.
Who it's best for: A math/data-oriented student who wants to apply quantitative skills to a medical/public-health context, rather than wet-lab or clinical work.
Location: Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: Paid tuition, residential program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: Multiple 2026 sessions: June 23-July 1, July 5-13, July 17-25, July 29-August 6
Application deadline: Rolling per session
Eligibility: Ages 14-18, having completed at least one year of high school (through the summer after HS graduation)
Students step into the role of a physician: practicing surgical skills, working with a simulated medical team to diagnose patients, and discussing public health issues, all through leadership-curriculum-infused simulations rather than a single research project.
Who it's best for: A student who wants simulation-based "practice medicine" experiences (mock diagnoses, surgical skill drills) combined with NSLC's broader leadership-development curriculum, rather than a lab research placement.
Frequently asked questions: medical summer camps for high school students
What age do medical summer camps start accepting students?
Most set a floor around 14 or rising 9th grade, though the range on this list runs wider at both ends. ASMS AIMS in Alabama takes rising 6th through 9th graders, making it the earliest entry point here, while NSLC's medicine intensive at Northwestern accepts ages 14 to 18. At the other end, several of the strongest programs are restricted to older students only: WashU's Young Scientist Program takes rising seniors.
Do you need prerequisites to get into a medical summer camp?
Some do, and some do not, and the free competitive ones are usually the stricter ones. Arkansas MASH requires a completed biology class, a minimum GPA, and teacher and counselor recommendations. The WMed and Kalamazoo College EIH2 summer program goes further, since you can only apply if you completed its school-year Saturday Academy first.
How long do medical summer camps last?
Anywhere from a single day to eight weeks, with one to two weeks being the most common format. UMKC's Pharmacy Camp and the Covey College allied health camp at South Alabama both run for one day, which makes them useful if you want a low-commitment first look. Two weeks is the standard for the larger regional programs like MASH and the UMass Amherst pre-college courses.
What if there is no medical summer camp near you?
Almost every camp on this list is in-person, and many of the free ones restrict eligibility to a single state or county, so location is the real constraint rather than cost. Start by checking whether your state's health sciences university runs a pathway program. Failing that, local shadowing and hospital volunteering are available almost everywhere and cost nothing. If you want something structured that runs remotely, an independent research project with a mentor is the format that actually works at a distance, which is how the Lumiere Research Scholar Program is built.
What is the most prestigious summer program for high school students?
No official ranking exists, so treat any list claiming one with caution. More useful proxies are selectivity and whether the program pays you: WashU's Young Scientist Program is free and carries a $4,800 stipend, Kansas State's health professions program caps at 20 spots per session, and Georgetown's Medical Immersion Academy sold out both 2026 sections. Prestige also depends on what you want, as a research-intensive program and a clinical skills camp are not competing for the same reputation.