15 Summer Medical Program for High School Students in Ontario
- Stephen Turban
- Jun 6
- 9 min read
Summer is a great time to try something new and learn more about a subject that really interests you. If you’re a high school student in Ontario thinking about a career or doing a major in medicine, there are summer programs in the region that let you jump right in and work on real-world projects. You’ll get to do hands-on activities, learn about medical research, and meet people who work in hospitals and labs in Ontario and beyond.
You’ll take part in real workshops, experiments, and even get some one-on-one time with mentors who can guide you. It’s a smart way to figure out if medicine is for you and to build experience that will help with college applications later on.
To make it easier for you, here’s a list of 15 summer medical programs for high school students in Ontario!
15 Summer Medical Program for High School Students in Ontario
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: $2990 (12 weeks) | $5900 (16–20 weeks). Financial aid is available
Program Dates: The summer cohort runs from June to August, the Fall cohort from September to December, the Winter cohort from December to February, and the Spring cohort from March to June
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The deadline for Summer Cohort II is June 23
Eligibility: High school students anywhere in the world
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a remote research program for high school students interested in medicine, biology, neuroscience, or public health. You work one-on-one with a PhD mentor to design and complete your research project.
You will go through all parts of the research process, from forming a question to writing a full research paper. The project is based on your interests and guided by your mentor. By the end of the program, you will have a detailed research paper that shows your academic and research skills
Location: Remote
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. The Summer II cohort starts on July 14
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. June 23 for the Summer II cohort
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks
Ladder Internships is an 8-week virtual program where high school students work with startups and nonprofits in fields like health tech, medicine, and public health. You’ll join projects, guided by startup mentors and a Ladder coach, while building skills in research, communication, and planning.
You’ll also get individual and group training sessions focused on time management and professional development. Some internships include companies like JuneBrain, which develops remote patient monitoring tools. At the end of the program, you’ll present your work to the company.
Location: University of Toronto, St. George Campus.
Cost: $1,668 CAD per module.
Dates: Module 1: July 7 - July 11 | Module 2: July 14 - July 18 | Module 3: July 21 to July 25 | July 28 to August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in grades 10 - 12. Students in grade 9 are only eligible for Module 4.
At the University of Toronto’s Med YSP, you spend one week learning about medical science through labs, lectures, and real-world examples. The program is held in Toronto’s Medical Discovery District and brings together students from different countries.
You choose one track for the week:
In Human Physiology, you study how the body works and try experiments like lie detector tests and checking lung function. In Pharmacology and Toxicology, you learn how drugs interact with the body at the molecular level.
In Molecular Biology and Genetics, you use DNA fingerprinting to solve a mock crime scene. In Microbiology, you work with bacteria and viruses and look at how public health systems respond to infections.
Cost: $325.99 (plus tax)
Dates: Week 1: July 7 - July 11 | Week 2: July 14 - July 18
Application Deadline: Application starts on March 1
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9 - 12 residing in Ontario, Canada
Discovery Healthcare is a one-week summer camp for high school students in Southwestern Ontario who want to learn about careers in medicine and healthcare. The camp is run by medical students from Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
You practice clinical skills like suturing, casting, and wound care. You also explore real healthcare settings, hear from professionals about different careers, and work through diagnostic cases.
The program helps you understand how social factors affect health and how local communities get care. Each camp is shaped by the healthcare system of the area where it takes place, so you learn about the specific needs and services in that community.
Location: University of Toronto
Cost: No cost; students will receive $1,600 as a stipend upon completing the program.
Dates: July 2 - July 25
Application Deadline: Application typically closes in March.
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10-11. Check more details here
The SMP is a four-week summer program for high school students in Grades 10 and 11 who self-identify as Indigenous or Black. It takes place at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine. You take part in labs, lectures, and hands-on activities while learning about careers in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and social work.
You are matched with a mentor who is studying in your field of interest and meets professionals working in healthcare. The program includes academic support, a high school credit, and a $1,600 honorarium.
Location: University of Ottawa
Cost: $370 per week
Dates: Session 1: July 7 - 11 | Session 2: August 11 - 15
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students
The University of Ottawa’s Pre-Medicine Enrichment Program gives you a hands-on introduction to human anatomy and physiology at the cellular level. You learn clinical skills like suturing, giving injections, and making casts. You also study topics like neurobiology and explore careers in nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacy, and other health fields.
You tour university labs and join weekly mentoring sessions with medical students, professors, and healthcare professionals. These sessions give you a better understanding of academic paths and what working in healthcare looks like.
Location: Hamilton
Cost: None
Dates: June 30 - August 15
Application Deadline: March 23
Eligibility: Students in grades 11 - 12.
This 7-week summer internship is for senior high school students who plan to study health or life sciences after graduation. You work with research teams at Hamilton Health Sciences or McMaster University and get hands-on experience in clinical or basic research.
Your placement may be at institutes like the Population Health Research Institute, GERAS, or the Escarpment Cancer Research Institute. You develop research skills, learn about different education and career options, and connect with people working in the field.
Location: Women's College Hospital, Grenville St, Toronto
Cost: No cost
Dates: July 7 - August 15
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Students enrolled in grade 11 or 12 and are at least 16 years of age by the program start date. Check more details here.
This six-week summer research program at Women’s College Hospital is for high school students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or racialized women, trans, two-spirit, non-binary, or living with a disability. You take part in health research projects while attending seminars, panels, and events related to health sciences.
Each week, you join group discussions and end the program by presenting your work at a student-led Research Symposium. The program is supported by the Emily Stowe Scholar Program and aims to reduce barriers and increase diversity in health sciences. It supports students from early education to careers in healthcare and research.
Location: University of Toronto
Cost: $799 (per week) for Weeks 1, 2, and 3 & $649 for Week 4.
Dates: Week 1: July 7 - July 11 | Week 2: July 14 - July 18 | Week 3: July 21 - July 25 | Week 4: July 28 - 31
Application Deadline: Application typically closes in May.
Eligibility: High school students from grades 9 - 12.
The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy offers a summer camp for high school students interested in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. Each week covers a different theme, like human physiology, pharmacology, pharmaceutical science, and communication, through hands-on sessions and talks with experts.
You learn about drug development, how medications are used, and the role of pharmacists in healthcare. Industry professionals and faculty show how pharmacy works in hospitals, clinics, and research settings.
Location: Sudbury and Thunder Bay
Cost: $450
Dates: Sudbury: July 7 - July 11 | Thunder Bay: July 14 - 18
Application Deadline: March 24
Eligibility: High school students across Northern Ontario who are completing grade 10 or 11.
CampMed is a summer program for high school students from Northern Ontario and other rural or remote areas. It is hosted by NOSM University and focuses on careers in medicine and health sciences. You take part in hands-on learning and simulation activities.
You learn about Indigenous and Francophone health traditions and cultural practices. The program connects you with mentors and other students from similar backgrounds. With more than 1,000 participants from over 160 communities, CampMed aims to increase healthcare representation from underserved regions.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Dates: 2 weeks in June
Application Deadline: Application typically closes in early February
Eligibility: Rising 10-12 graders | Rising college first-years
This two-week virtual summer program introduces high school students to different careers in mental health. You meet professionals like psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, social workers, and physician assistants through interactive sessions and career talks. The program covers psychotherapy, interventional psychiatry, neuroscience, and community mental health.
You complete readings from media and academic sources to prepare for each day. The program gives you a look at clinical work, education paths, and personal experiences from people in the field. It offers a chance to learn about mental health from several points of view.
Location: University of Toronto
Cost: Starting from £3695
Dates: July 6 - July 19
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students aged 15 - 18 years
This two-week program introduces high school students to important topics in medicine like human anatomy, biomedical sciences, and patient care. You take part in small-group sessions led by university tutors and complete a research project on a topic you choose.
The program mixes theory with hands-on activities to give you a clear idea of what working in healthcare involves. You get academic guidance and feedback to help you understand the material and explore areas that interest you. When the program ends, you receive a certificate and experience that can support your university applications.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: $4,380
Dates: July 28 - August 8
Application Deadline: February 24
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors, seniors, and undergraduate premedical students aged 16 years or older. Applicants are encouraged to finish a high school biology course before applying
Stanford’s CSI Virtual Track is a two-week online program for high school students interested in clinical medicine. You take part in interactive sessions with faculty and medical professionals. You work on real case challenges to practice diagnostic skills, treatment planning, and patient care.
You join virtual activities like suturing and injections guided by Stanford instructors. “A Day in the Life” sessions let you learn about different medical specialties and career options. The program ends with team presentations on medical cases.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Open enrollment
Eligibility: Anyone can enroll
This self-paced online course is for high school and college students who want to learn about sleep from different perspectives. You study how the brain controls sleep, how substances like caffeine and alcohol affect it, and the biological processes behind sleep cycles. The course also looks at sleep disorders and their impact on health, along with sleep’s role in public safety and work performance.
You watch video lectures and complete interactive modules to understand how sleep influences memory, learning, and decision-making. This course is suitable if you are interested in neuroscience, medicine, psychology, or public health. Finishing the course gives you a solid foundation in sleep science and how it applies in real life.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Open enrollment
Eligibility: Anyone can enroll
This course by Johns Hopkins University on Coursera introduces students to how cancer works at the molecular and cellular level. You learn about how cancer develops, spreads, and is treated. The course covers cancer genetics, tumor biology, and the role of environmental and hereditary factors in cancer.
You watch video lectures, do readings, and take quizzes to understand key ideas and build knowledge in cancer biology. The course also looks at the social and clinical effects of cancer. It is a solid introduction for students interested in medical or biomedical science fields.
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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