13 Medical Programs for High School Students in NJ (New Jersey)
- Stephen Turban
- 2 hours ago
- 9 min read
If you are a high school student interested in medicine, joining a structured program can help you better understand the careers in healthcare and biomedical research. Through these programs, you can study topics such as cancer biology, neuroscience, public health, bioinformatics, and clinical research while building skills in scientific thinking, data analysis, and communication. You may also connect with physicians, researchers, and mentors who can offer guidance as you explore potential pre-med or health science pathways.
Why should you attend a program in New Jersey?
New Jersey is home to major research universities, teaching hospitals, medical schools, and science institutes that offer programs specifically designed for high school students. Depending on the opportunity, you might participate in laboratory research, clinical observation, biomedical workshops, or year-long mentorship initiatives focused on scientific inquiry. Whether you live in New Jersey or are commuting from a nearby area, these programs provide access to established healthcare and research institutions within a concentrated academic and medical network.
To help you get started, here are 13 medical programs for high school students in New Jersey.
If you’re looking for free summer programs in New Jersey, check out our blog here.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly available | Pilot program had 14 participants
Location: Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
Cost: Free | Offers monetary compensation
Dates: Starts the first week of June and ends August 25
Application Deadline: Closes March 8 | Accepts until positions are filled
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors ages 16 or older.
RUYES is a fully funded cancer research program by the Rutgers Cancer Institute. It aims to engage youth in cancer research and to open pathways to future careers in healthcare.
As a student in RUYES, you will receive hands-on training in cancer research. Over the course of 10 weeks in two consecutive years, you will conduct research in mentor-supervised laboratories. You’ll also complete about 7 hours per month of post-summer professional development and community engagement activities. Alongside these activities, you will also participate in the Annual Research Day by presenting a 10-minute talk sharing your journey at RUYES. Overall, RUYES offers a lot of auxiliary experiences beyond just hands-on lab exposure.
Location: Remote
Dates: Varies by cohort | Summer, fall, winter, or spring | Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: Must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
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 medicine, psychology, biology, data science, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly available
Location: Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Free | Offers a $1,200 stipend
Dates: July 13 – 24 | July 27 – August 6
Application Deadline: Applications close on February 8
Eligibility: Open to students who are rising 10th graders by June, have a keen interest in science and technology, and possess a maturity level appropriate for a professional lab environment.
Pathways to Partners in Science is a summer program offered by Liberty Science Center. This high school science mentorship offers hands-on workshops and mini-projects. You will learn foundational concepts in scientific research. You will learn about scientific inquiry, data collection and analysis, science writing and presentation, collaboration, communication, and STEM career exploration. Pathways is also a program that leads into the Partners in Science program, which is a further eight-week program in science, health, and technical fields.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by the program
Dates: Multiple 12–15-week cohorts throughout the year | Spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: Rolling | Spring: January | Summer: May | Fall: September | Winter: November
Eligibility: High school students; AI Fellowship applicants should have completed the AI Scholars program or have experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI is an AI program for ambitious high school students, founded and run by Harvard graduate students. In the AI + Medicine Deep Dive, students learn how AI is used in the healthcare and medical industry. Students 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.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Typically only takes in around 15 students
Location: Nutley, NJ
Cost: Free | Participants receive a $1,200 stipend funded by Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation
Dates: 6-week summer program
Application Deadline: Typically closes in May
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors, with priority given to minority groups in medicine.
The M.I.N.D.S. program is a six-week, paid summer internship supported by the Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation. You will be given a deep dive into medicine and health science. The experience blends expert-led lectures, hands-on workshops, and real research projects. You will explore topics such as radiology, internal medicine, brain anatomy, health disparities, and social determinants of health. Beyond clinical learning, the experience includes professional development such as public speaking sessions and SAT prep. Throughout the program, you will work closely with faculty and healthcare professionals from the Hackensack Meridian Health network, gaining valuable insights and skills that help prepare you for future medical careers.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified | Receives upwards of 3,000 applications
Location: Princeton University main campus, NJ
Cost: Free
Dates: Varies per placement | Typically at least 5 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Opens February 15 | Closes March 15
Eligibility: Open to U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents attending a local New Jersey high school who are 16 years old by June 15.
The Laboratory Learning Program (LLP) is a science outreach opportunity offered by Princeton University for high school students in New Jersey. Over the summer, you will engage in research projects alongside Princeton’s faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students. You may spend 5-6 weeks focused on a variety of topics, such as molecular biology or biomedical engineering. Near the end of the program, you’ll be tasked to complete a two-page summary of your research findings. Participation is limited and selective, and the program garners a high volume of applications every year.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified | Limited number of seats
Location: Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, NJ
Cost: Unpaid internship
Dates: Mid-July – mid-August
Application Deadline: All applications must be submitted by May 15
Eligibility: Open to students at least 17 years old by July 1 with a strong interest in science.
Coriell Summer Experience for High School Students is a four-week summer internship offered by the Coriell Institute for Medical Research. You will be working closely with professional scientists and technicians to gain insight into the biotechnology industry. For four weeks, you will participate in day-to-day production activities in dynamic production and biobanking environments. You will learn fundamental techniques of generating, freezing, and distributing samples in the Coriell Biobank, allowing you to make meaningful contributions to ongoing research projects. You will also receive a crash course from Coriell Human Resources on best practices for Public Speaking. At the end of the Summer Experience, you’ll also get to present a formal presentation discussing your learnings at the institute.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ
Cost: Free
Dates: Runs for the entire year
Application Deadline: Not specified | Application forms will be posted by February 2
Eligibility: You can approach your school for participation in the WSSP.
The Waksman Student Scholars Program (WSSP) helps you conduct an authentic research project in molecular biology and bioinformatics. In this year-long program, you will work together with teachers and research scientists to explore a genuine research problem. Past experiences have involved techniques such as DNA purification, PCR, and gel electrophoresis, as well as other advanced laboratory techniques. At the end of the program, you’ll also be able to publish your findings.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Has accepted around 50 students in the past | Subject to change
Location: Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, NJ
Cost: Includes an unspecified program fee | Offers financial aid
Dates: June 15 – 26 | July 6 – 17
Application Deadline: Closes February 20
Eligibility: Open to students who are over the age of 14 by the start of the program.
The Stanford Summer Research Internship is a two-week virtual program that aims to empower pioneers in the use of AI in medicine. The internship introduces you to AI in healthcare, offers mentoring from Stanford students and researchers, and includes hands-on group work on research projects. The program also helps you engage in social activities and sessions with speakers from different academic, industry, non-profit, and even government backgrounds. At the end of the internship, you will receive a Certificate of Completion, making for an impeccable addition to your high school portfolio.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Accepts approximately 60 students annually
Location: Drew University, Madison, NJ
Cost: Free
Dates: Typically 3 weeks in July
Application Deadline: Applications are to be submitted in the fall
Eligibility: Open to rising high school seniors who live in New Jersey and are nominated by their high school guidance office.
The Governor’s School in the Sciences is a highly selective, three-week residential summer program for rising high school seniors, hosted at Drew University. Designed for students in New Jersey with strong interests in medicine and scientific research, the program offers rigorous coursework in science and mathematics, evening seminars led by experts, and hands-on research experience. You will collaborate in small groups to design and complete an original research project under the mentorship of faculty members. Areas of study often span disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, and neuroscience, with a strong emphasis on laboratory work and analytical thinking. Admission is competitive and requires formal nomination by a student’s high school.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective | Takes in around 5 students annually
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Cost: Free
Dates: Year-long program | Full-time 40 hours/week for summer research
Application Deadline: Dates vary | Typically in the spring
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors from minority backgrounds in biomedical sciences.
The Clinical Research Experience for High School Students (CREHST) is a competitive, year-long research initiative based at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. The program starts with an intensive full-time research experience in the summer and continues with part-time involvement throughout the academic year. You will work closely with physician-scientists on meaningful oncology research projects, exploring areas such as blood cancers, genetic therapies, prostate cancer, and drug development. Alongside hands-on research, you will also engage in enrichment activities covering cancer prevention, experimental design, bioethics, and scientific writing. With expert mentorship and real clinical research exposure, CREHST offers a rare opportunity to build foundational skills for future careers in medicine and science.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Hybrid | Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
Cost: $350 | Additional $25 non-refundable application fee
Dates: Typically June – July | Exact program dates will be posted later
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Rising 7–12 graders | Priority for students from underprivileged backgrounds.
The Science, Medicine, and Related Topics (SMART) summer program is a four-week pre-college enrichment program meant to open opportunities in health science and research for students from underprivileged backgrounds. The curriculum includes a variety of hands-on experiences that involve skills development in research, oral and written presentations, interpersonal communication, teamwork, and leadership. Through lectures, workshops, and hands-on activities, you will learn foundational knowledge in applied science, mathematics, technology, and medicine. SMART is accepted statewide in New Jersey, paving the way for any student looking to explore a future in health science and research.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Piscataway, NJ
Cost: $925 | Offers need-based financial aid
Dates: July 21 – 25 | July 28 – August 1
Application Deadline: Closes March 14
Eligibility: Open to rising 10th or 12th graders with an interest in biomedical or environmental sciences.
THED is a one-week, hands-on laboratory experience offered by Rutgers University. The program is centered on toxicology, drug metabolism, and environmental health science. You will participate in guided experiments that examine how chemical substances interact with the human body, while also exploring specialized topics such as pharmacogenetics and forensic toxicology. Hosted at the Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Institute, the program will introduce you to core research skills, including experimental design, laboratory ethics, and data interpretation. Its hands-on activities will also offer you insight into how laboratory research informs real-world medical and environmental decision-making. Throughout the week, scientists lead sessions that not only teach technical concepts but also highlight career pathways in medicine, pharmacy, and biomedical research.
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 where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source - Rutgers logo