15 Medical Programs for High School Students in Philadelphia Â
- Stephen Turban
- 2 hours ago
- 10 min read
As a high school student, medical programs can be an excellent way for you to step into healthcare in an advanced setting, offering experiences that go beyond the classroom. These programs often allow you to explore college-level academics, develop practical skills, and gain exposure to the realities of medical careers. You can build relationships with mentors, professors, and peers who can help you learn about the field and be better prepared for future opportunities.
Philadelphia is home to globally recognized institutions, many of which host medical programs that blend practical experiences with mentorship opportunities. These programs often have low acceptance rates, reflecting their competitiveness, but they also provide you with networking opportunities with medical professionals and researchers. From specialized research internships to immersive hospital-based learning, the options here are designed to prepare you for the challenges of college and beyond.Â
We’ve curated a list of the top 15 medical programs for high school students in Philadelphia.
15 Medical Programs for High School Students in Philadelphia
Location: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Cost: Free; $1000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 14 - August 15, with a poster presentation on August 21
Application deadline: March 7
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors who are 16 years of age by the start of the program
Through CHOP’s Neurology High School Scholars Program, you’ll spend five weeks working with neurologists and neuroscientists on either basic or clinical research projects. This is an internship with a $1,000 stipend, and your schedule is determined by your assigned mentor based on the needs of the project. In addition to conducting research, you will shadow physicians to observe clinical practice and attend weekly educational sessions that cover neurology-related topics. A key component of the program is developing a research poster that summarizes your project results. At the end of the session, you present your poster at a conference attended by peers, mentors, and other scientists.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies based on the program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderate
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June - August), Fall (September - December), Winter (December - February), and Spring (March - June).
Application deadline:Â Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Eligibility: Currently enrolled in high school, high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. You will take on a 12-week independent research project in an area of your choice, such as medicine, neuroscience, or biotechnology, guided by a PhD mentor. Through regular online meetings, you will develop a research question, review academic literature, refine your methods, and draft a formal paper that can be submitted to competitions or journals. It also covers core research skills such as methodology design, data analysis, and clear scientific communication. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA
Cost:Â SEPTA passes to defray the cost of traveling; stipend of $1,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; 15 students
Dates: July 7 – 31; Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Application deadline: March 31
Eligibility: At least 16 years old by program start date | Have completed at least one high school science course | (Priority to students enrolled in the School District of Philadelphia)
At the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, the High School Fellowship in Biomedical Research provides a four-week summer experience where you’ll join a lab working on cancer and infectious disease research. You’ll spend time in Wistar’s training lab, learning techniques used in biomedical science, reading scientific literature, and contributing to ongoing projects. Throughout the fellowship, you will also attend seminars that highlight career paths in research and sessions that address important topics like research ethics. The medical program for high school students in Philadelphia ends in a final presentation where you share your work with scientists and peers.
Location:Â Virtual
Cost: Full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderate
Dates: Multiple 12–15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application deadline:Â On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November); You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility:Â Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python
If you want to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare, the Veritas AI Deep Dive in AI + Medicine gives you the chance to do that through a ten-week project-based format. With guidance from mentors, you’ll participate in lectures and workshops that cover data science, machine learning, and their applications to medical fields like genomics, neuroscience, and drug discovery. You’ll work in small groups to apply AI tools to real-world problems such as diagnostic imaging, patient monitoring, or clinical data modeling. Some of the technical concepts you’ll encounter include image segmentation, transfer learning, and evaluating machine learning models in a clinical context.Â
Location: Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: No cost; interns receive a stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 10%
Dates: June 23 – August 15
Application deadline:Â December 31
Eligibility: High school students in the greater Philadelphia area, including Camden, NJ, with work authorization in the U.S.
MSAP is a seven-week paid research experience in Philadelphia that focuses on biomedical science and is aimed at broadening participation among students from underrepresented backgrounds. As an apprentice, you’ll work full-time with Monell scientists on projects that may involve sensory biology, neuroscience, or medical research, gaining exposure to laboratory techniques and data analysis. The program also integrates professional development opportunities such as public speaking workshops, lectures on ethics, and career discussions with researchers. You’ll complete a research project and present your findings at a public symposium attended by scientists, peers, and family members.
Location: Fox Chase Cancer Center
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Varies by semester
Application deadline: VariesÂ
Eligibility: Open to Philadelphia-area high schoolers who are at least 14 years old before the start of the program (residents of New Jersey and Delaware can also apply)
TRIP introduces you to scientific research through a structured process of project design, experimentation, and communication. During the program, you’ll create your own research question and test it using lab techniques while exploring how factors such as diet, stress, and environment influence health and development. With guidance from Fox Chase faculty mentors, you’ll collect and analyze data, practice problem-solving when experiments do not go as planned, and learn to communicate findings clearly. At the end of the program, you will present your results in a recorded talk and publish a blog post that explains your research to a broader audience.
Location: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive application
Dates: June 30–August 7
Application deadline: Applications will open in January
Eligibility: Rising juniors from a public or charter school in the City of Philadelphia who will turn 16 before June 16 and have faced barriers to participating in any STEM-M opportunities
The CHOP-RISES program is a two-summer internship designed for Philadelphia public and charter high school students who want to build research experience in science and healthcare. In the first summer, you’ll complete a six-week placement that includes hands-on lab work, workshops on career skills, and a final research presentation. If successful, you can return for an eight-week second summer, where you pursue an independent project, mentor newer students, and present your work at a poster session. You’ll also get to build connections with CHOP researchers and gain exposure to a wide range of STEM-M careers.
Location: Various departments at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: No costÂ
Acceptance rate/cohort size: CompetitiveÂ
Dates: July 7 – August 1
Application deadline: February 21
Eligibility: Philadelphia rising 10th and 11th-grade students
The Provost’s Summer Mentorship Program connects rising 10th or 11th graders in Philadelphia with one of Penn’s graduate or professional schools - Medicine, Nursing, Engineering, Dentistry, or Law - for a four-week summer experience. You’ll spend time on campus working on hands-on projects, attending workshops, and learning directly from faculty and graduate students. The program also focuses on preparing you for the college application process through SAT prep, study skills, time management, and personal statement writing. Alongside academic enrichment, you’ll meet mentors and peers while exploring different career paths. The experience typically ends with a campus-wide college fair and closing symposium.
Location: Jefferson College of Rehabilitation Sciences, East Falls campus
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: CompetitiveÂ
Dates: July 28 - August 5
Application deadline: June 27
Eligibility: Open to rising juniors and seniors
The REACH Program at Jefferson College of Rehabilitation Sciences is designed for rising juniors and seniors interested in careers such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, speech-language pathology, or exercise science. During the program, you’ll learn about the roles rehabilitation professionals play in healthcare and what undergraduate and graduate pathways prepare you for these fields. The sessions also cover the college application process, including how to write a strong personal statement, prepare for interviews, and explore financial aid options. The curriculum also includes academic strategies for succeeding in college.Â
Location: PCOM Philadelphia campus, City Avenue
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 16 – 20
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors from Philadelphia high schools (must be prepared to provide a work permit)
PCOM runs a summer STEM program where you can explore healthcare careers through both lab and clinical simulations. The activities take place at the Saltzburg Clinical Learning and Assessment Center, where you’ll practice skills such as CPR, participate in heart and brain dissections, and take part in interactive medical scenarios. You will also visit the anatomy lab and connect with PCOM students and faculty to learn more about the training of healthcare professionals. The program also introduces you to the college admissions process and provides opportunities to network with a wide range of professionals, from physicians and pharmacists to psychologists and physical therapists.
Location: Philadelphia
Cost: $10,875
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitiveÂ
Dates: June 29 – July 25
Application deadline: February 27
Eligibility: Applicants must be entering grade 11 or 12 in September and have completed a high school-level biology class prior to the start date
The Penn Medicine Summer Program is a four-week on-campus experience at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine designed for rising juniors and seniors interested in healthcare careers. Modeled after elements of the medical school curriculum, the program includes interactive labs, clinical workshops, and simulations where you can practice skills such as CPR, surgical knot tying, and skin biopsies. You’ll also study anatomy, pathology, microbiology, and related disciplines in sessions led by Penn faculty and clinicians. You may also get a chance to observe a live surgery, attend research talks, and participate in group case discussions that mirror real hospital problem-solving. Living on campus gives you a preview of college life while daily sessions help you understand both the scientific and clinical sides of medicine.
Location: Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA (In-person, commuter, and residential options)
Cost: $1,500Â
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Session I: July 7 – 11 | Session II: July 14 – 18 | Session III: July 21 – 25 | Session IV: July 28 – August 1
Application deadline: May 31
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors
At Drexel University’s BIOMED Summer Academy, you will spend one week exploring biomedical engineering through hands-on labs, seminars, and industry visits. Offered multiple times during the summer, the program introduces you to topics such as tissue engineering, bioimaging, and biomaterials while teaching core laboratory and research methods. Faculty-led workshops and group projects allow you to apply engineering principles to medical challenges, and guest sessions from industry professionals highlight current trends in healthcare technology. You’ll also tour biomedical companies and clinical facilities to see how academic research connects to real-world applications.Â
Location: Shriners Children’s Philadelphia
Cost: Not specifiedÂ
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 studentsÂ
Dates: June 24 – 28
Application deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Open to all high school and college students
The Clinical Research Summer Immersion Program at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia is a five-day experience that introduces high school juniors, seniors, and college students to the basics of clinical research. Limited to 20 participants, the program walks you through the research process, from understanding methodology to examining current trends in medical studies. You’ll attend focused sessions that explain how clinical investigations are designed and how new ideas can contribute to pediatric healthcare. A central part of this medical program is developing and presenting a research idea of your own by the end of the week. This final project demonstrates your grasp of the material and helps you begin thinking like a researcher.
Location:Â University of Pennsylvania campus, Philadelphia, PA
Cost:Â $9,949 (scholarships are available for select Philadelphia students)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitiveÂ
Dates: July 5 – 26
Application deadline: Rolling until full
Eligibility: Current 9th–11th grade students
Through the University of Pennsylvania’s three-week Summer Academies, you can study science topics at a level that resembles early undergraduate coursework. The options include Neuroscience, Biomedical Research, Chemistry, and Microbiology, each led by Penn faculty with support from graduate and undergraduate assistants. The academies combine lectures, lab sessions, and small group projects, giving you the chance to apply theory directly in experiments and discussions. Alongside technical learning, you’ll also get exposure to Penn’s academic resources and collaborative research culture.
Location: Drexel University Queen Lane Campus, Philadelphia, PAÂ
Cost: $2,500Â
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specifiedÂ
Dates: July 21 – August 1
Application deadline: April 4
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors with a background in biology, chemistry, or research
Drexel University’s Neuroscience Camp is a summer program for high school sophomores and juniors that combines lectures, labs, and research projects focused on the brain and nervous system. You’ll study areas such as neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neuropathology, and sensory processing while practicing lab techniques in molecular neurobiology and data analysis. The program also includes unique demonstrations, such as live recordings of brain activity, and sessions on brain-machine interfaces, which show you how neuroscience connects to emerging technologies. As part of the program, there will be visits to institutions such as the Franklin Institute and the Academy of Natural Sciences that complement classroom learning by showing neuroscience in applied contexts. You’ll complete a lab project that you will then present to the rest of the cohort at the end of camp.Â
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.
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