10 Summer Medical Programs for High School Students in Dallas, TX
- Stephen Turban
- May 27, 2025
- 9 min read
Dallas offers high school students access to some of Texas's strongest medical institutions, including UT Southwestern, Parkland Memorial Hospital, Baylor Scott and White, and TCU, making it one of the best cities in the state to explore healthcare before college. Summer medical programs give you hands-on exposure to lab research, clinical settings, patient simulations, and health technology.
Here are 10 summer medical programs for high school students in Dallas and the greater DFW area. The list includes free stipended internships, paid clinical camps, virtual programs, and one program that runs in January.
Key Takeaways
4 free or stipended programs: UT Southwestern STARS (stipend provided, North Texas juniors 16+), Parkland Health Internship ($18.25/hr stipend, DFW juniors/seniors 3.0 GPA+), UT Southwestern Mental Health Internship (free, virtual, rising 10th-12th graders), UT Southwestern HPREP (free, January program, grades 10-12)
6 paid programs: UT Dallas SBRW ($2,000, Texas residents prioritised), TCU Nurse Camp ($980, scholarships available), UNT Digital Health Camp ($350), Baylor Scott and White McLane Camp (cost unspecified), Lumiere (from $2,990, 100% financial aid), Veritas AI + Medicine ($2,290, financial aid available)
3 fully virtual or remote options: Lumiere (worldwide, rolling deadlines, full financial aid), Veritas AI + Medicine (worldwide, coding background required), UT Southwestern Mental Health Internship (virtual, DFW/Texas students)
2 programs open to international or out-of-state students: Lumiere (worldwide), Veritas AI (worldwide); all in-person programs are restricted to DFW-area or Texas residents
Most selective: UT Southwestern STARS (highly competitive, juniors only, February deadline), Parkland Health Internship (3.0 GPA minimum, DFW only), TCU Nurse Camp (40 students per session)
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: April 13
Dates: Summer Cohort I starts June 2 | Summer Cohort II starts July 14
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school | Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4) | No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous, highly personalized research experience that pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to develop an independent research paper over 12 weeks. If you’re interested in medicine, Lumiere offers the chance to explore topics like biology, medicine, neuroscience, psychology, and more. You’ll also get to customize your own research topic if it’s not already available!
With one-on-one mentorship, you can dive deep into medical research areas that align with your interests. By the end of the program, you’ll have completed a research paper and gained valuable insight into academic medicine and research. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Regular Admission 1 - April 27 | Regular Admission 2 - May 25 | Summer II - June 22
Dates: Based on cohort
Eligibility: High school students between grades 8-12 who have completed the AI Scholars program or have a background in coding
Veritas AI + Medicine Deep Dive is a 10-week program tailored for high school students eager to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the healthcare industry. Through a structured curriculum and expert mentorship from alumni belonging to Harvard, Stanford and Columbia universities, you’ll explore AI fundamentals and their medical applications, ranging from medical data analysis to neural networks, image segmentation, and clinical evaluation.
You’ll start by learning core concepts in AI and medicine and slowly build on those fundamentals. In the final phase, you’ll work on projects applying AI to real-world medical challenges—like sharpening medical scans, diagnosing diseases using machine learning models, and exploring AI’s role in genomics, neuroscience, and drug discovery.
Location: UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: February 1
Dates: Typically June – August
Eligibility: High school juniors who are at least 16 years old by June 1 | Students with high academic achievement and an interest in science and/or medicine are preferred
The STARS Summer Research Program is an eight-week, non-residential summer medical program designed to encourage high school students from North Texas to pursue careers in medicine and science. You’ll be placed in a biomedical research lab, where you will work alongside faculty mentors on real research projects.
You’ll gain hands-on experience in biomedical research, develop practical lab skills, and present your findings at the end of the summer. This program is designed for students without prior research experience, so you’ll get a unique opportunity to explore science beyond the classroom and learn communication and analytical skills. You will also receive a stipend at the end of the program.
Location: Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, TX
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: March 14
Dates: Typically between June - August
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors in the Dallas-Fort Worth area | At least 16 years old by the start of the program | Have a minimum 3.0 GPA | Plan to pursue a career in healthcare
This program introduces students to a wide range of non-clinical roles within the healthcare industry. You’ll engage with hospital operations, get mentorship from healthcare professionals, and gain insight into clinical and administrative roles in the process.
Run by Parkland’s Workforce Development department, this program is designed to motivate students to be future healthcare leaders. If you’re a student interested in the field, this program can give you hands-on experience in a non-clinical professional setting in one of the busiest teaching hospitals in Dallas County. It will help you in building foundational skills for a future healthcare career. You will also be paid a stipend of $18.25/hour.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Typically early February
Dates: 2-week sessions typically scheduled in June
Eligibility: Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students
This is a two-week virtual summer internship is designed for high school students interested in mental health careers. Led by clinician-scientists—including licensed clinical social workers, neuropsychologists, physician assistants, and psychiatrists—you’ll get to explore various paths in the field, such as psychotherapy, neuroscience, neuropsychological testing, interventional psychiatry, and community psychiatry.
You’ll be required to complete topical readings in advance from sources within mass media and scientific journals. You will later engage in interactive sessions where professionals share their career journeys, answer questions, and offer real-world insight into the mental health profession.
Location: University of Texas, Dallas, TX
Cost: $2,000
Application Deadline: March 31
Dates: July 7 – August 1
Eligibility: Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders who are at least 15 years old at the time of registration | Texas residents will be prioritized
Over four weeks, you’ll be work on research projects within the Department of Biological Sciences, working alongside faculty and graduate student mentors. You will gain practical research skills, explore advanced biological concepts, and work alongside UTD researchers.
The program includes one week of lab training followed by three weeks of mentor-guided research, where you’ll be matched with a project based on your interests, including topics like neuroscience, genomics, and cancer biology. You’ll collaborate on team-based research, attend departmental seminars, and present your findings at the Summer Departmental Research Symposium.
Location: Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX
Cost: $980 (Limited scholarships available)
Application Deadline: March 31
Dates: Session One: June 22 – 27 | Session Two: July 6 –11
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors
TCU Nurse Camp offers high school students a five-day deep dive into the nursing profession. Led by TCU nursing faculty and students, you will practice important patient care skills like taking vital signs, wound care, and patient assessments, while also learning medical terminology, and the importance of communication in healthcare settings.
The camp blends clinical simulations with academic insight, including hospital tours, interaction with human patient simulators, and completion of an American Heart Association CPR course! You’ll also get a deeper understanding of how anatomy, physiology, and math are used in real-world patient care—and a look into the pathways available in TCU’s nursing program. The camp is highly selective, with only 40 students admitted every year.
Location: Frisco Landing, Preston Road, Frisco, TX
Cost: $350
Application Deadline: May 22
Dates: June 2 – 6
Eligibility: Rising 9th to 12th grade students
This summer Camp offers high school students a chance to explore the intersection of technology and healthcare at Frisco Landing, a modern and innovative hub with advanced facilities. Led by UNT faculty and graduate students, the camp features hands-on projects, interactive workshops, expert-led seminars, and cutting-edge healthcare innovations.
You’ll dive into emerging topics like telemedicine, wearable health technology, and digital health data analytics as you gain foundational knowledge and practical experience in the rapidly growing field of digital health. You will also be part of interactive learning experiences, enabling you to understand real-world applications of digital health technologies.
Location: UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Cost: None
Application Deadline: Typical around November 15
Dates: January 11 18, and 25
Eligibility: Students in the 10th to 12th grade
Taking place in January rather than the summer, HPREP is a popular medical program for high school students in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex interested in medicine. You’ll get a chance to explore the world of science and medicine through a variety of workshops, college fairs, mentoring sessions, and hands-on activities while being guided by medical, graduate, and health professions students.
The workshop topics include CPR, cow eye dissection, physical therapy, suturing, genetics, microbiology, prosthetics-orthotics, and neuroscience. You will also gain exposure to various health professions such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, public health, etc. By the end of the program, you will develop skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, public speaking, communication, and professionalism.
Location: Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center, Temple, TX
Cost: Not specified
Application Deadline: May 1 (Session I) | May 31 (Session II)
Dates: Session I: June 16 – 20 | Session II: July 14 – 18
Eligibility: High school students in the 9th-12th grade
This summer Camp offers a behind-the-scenes look into pediatric healthcare for high school students enrolled in a health sciences curriculum. You, along with your parents will attend an orientation before the program to understand and be prepared for the experience.
You’ll work in various hospital departments— the Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Physical Therapy, Radiology, Cardiology, Medical Surgical Unit, Sterile Processing, Hematology, and Oncology. You will gain shadowing opportunities and first-hand exposure to the day-to-day responsibilities, realities, and collaborative activities of healthcare professionals working with children.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there free medical summer programs for high school students in Dallas? Yes, 4 programs on this list are free or stipended. UT Southwestern STARS provides a stipend and is free to attend for qualifying North Texas juniors. Parkland Health pays $18.25/hour for the duration of the internship. UT Southwestern's Mental Health Internship is free and virtual for rising 10th-12th graders. UT Southwestern HPREP is free for students in grades 10-12, though it runs in January rather than summer. Lumiere offers 100% financial aid for qualifying students and is fully remote.
Which Dallas medical programs are open to freshmen or sophomores? 5 programs on this list accept younger students. UNT Digital Health Pioneers Camp and Baylor Scott and White McLane Children's Camp both accept students in grades 9-12. UT Southwestern's Mental Health Internship accepts rising 10th graders. Veritas AI + Medicine accepts students in grades 8-12. Lumiere accepts all high school students regardless of grade, with rolling deadlines year-round. UT Southwestern STARS, Parkland, and TCU Nurse Camp are restricted to juniors and seniors or students who are at least 16.
Are there Dallas medical programs available to students outside Texas? Most programs on this list are restricted to DFW-area students or prioritise Texas residents. The 2 programs with no location requirement are Lumiere Research Scholar Program (fully remote, open to all high school students worldwide, 100% financial aid available, rolling deadlines) and Veritas AI + Medicine Deep Dive (fully remote, open globally, grades 8-12, coding background required). UT Southwestern's Mental Health Internship is virtual but is designed for students in the Dallas area.
Next Steps
Students looking for a free or stipended Dallas medical program should prioritise UT Southwestern STARS or Parkland Health: STARS provides a stipend and real biomedical lab experience, while Parkland pays $18.25/hour and is one of the few programs focused on non-clinical healthcare careers. If you want hands-on clinical simulation, TCU Nurse Camp, UNT Digital Health Camp, and Baylor Scott and White McLane are the strongest fits; if you're interested in AI and medicine or mental health, Veritas AI and UT Southwestern's Mental Health Internship are better options.
The earliest deadlines are UT Southwestern HPREP in November and STARS in February, so students should begin preparing applications well ahead of the spring. As a next step, shortlist 2-3 programs that match your grade, interests, and location, and confirm current eligibility on each program's website.
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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