8 Medical Summer Programs for High School Students in North Carolina
Applying to a medical program is a smart choice if you're serious about pursuing a career in healthcare. These programs offer you a structured way to dive into the medical field, helping you gain valuable skills, interact with professionals, and understand the various paths you can take within medicine. Whether you're aiming to become a doctor, nurse, or researcher, these experiences provide a solid foundation.
Beyond the immediate learning, early exposure to the medical field can positively impact your college applications. It shows admissions committees that you’ve taken the initiative to explore your career interests and are committed to your goals. Engaging in these programs strengthens your understanding of the field and highlights your proactive approach to learning.
To help you find the right fit, here’s a list of 8 medical summer programs for high school students in North Carolina. Each offers unique opportunities to explore different areas of medicine and gain experience that will benefit both your academic and career goals.
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, including medicine.
The program pairs high-school students with PhD 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, neuroscience, biology, chemistry, and more. You can find more details about the application here!
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: $2,990. Financial aid available
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!
Program Dates: The summer cohort runs from June to August, the Fall cohort from September to December, the Winter cohort from December to February, Spring from March to June
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Main summer deadlines are March 15, April 15, and May 15
Veritas AI is an AI program for ambitious high school students, founded and run by Harvard graduate students. In the AI + Medicine program, you will learn how AI is used in the healthcare and medical industry. You will 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. Here is the program brochure and the application form.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: $2,290
Eligibility: High school students who have completed the AI Scholars program or have prior Python experience
Dates: June 9 – August 11, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Application Deadline: TBA for 2025. The 2024 summer deadlines were:
Early Admission: March 24, 2024
Regular Admission 1: April 21, 2024
Regular Admission 2: May 19, 2024
The Wake Forest Pre-College Medicine Summer Institute is a summer program for high school students who are eager to explore the medical field. Held at Wake Forest University, this week-long program offers 9th to 12th-grade students the chance to dive deep into various medical disciplines, gaining hands-on experience in a professional healthcare environment.
As a participant, you’ll explore specialties like internal medicine, cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, and surgery. You’ll visit medical facilities such as the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and work in simulation labs. From practicing clinical skills like taking blood pressure and suturing to learning about the latest medical technologies, you’ll get a taste of what it's like to work in healthcare.
Location: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
Cost: $3,400. Limited need-based scholarships available
Eligibility: Current 9th – 12th grade students
Dates:
July 6 – 11, 2025
July 20 – 25, 2025
Application Deadline: No information available. Applications for 2025 open on November 1, 2024
Outset is a one-week pre-med summer program designed for high school students eager to explore careers in medicine. Hosted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (and many other universities like UCLA, Yale, etc.), the program offers a unique blend of hands-on activities, lectures, and interactions with professionals from UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke Medical Schools.
Throughout the week, you’ll dive into key medical topics, patient care, and the latest advancements in healthcare technology. Outset provides an engaging environment where you can build foundational knowledge and gain a clearer path toward a future in medicine.
Location: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Cost: $2,825
Eligibility: Current 9th – 12th grade students
Dates: June – August 2025
Application Deadline: Rolling
The UNC School of Medicine Rural Medicine Summer Academy is a week-long residential program designed for rising high school seniors with an interest in healthcare, particularly in underserved rural areas. This experience provides hands-on learning, including skills sessions, simulations, and lectures on medical topics like cardiovascular health and rural healthcare challenges. Students also engage with UNC faculty and healthcare professionals, gaining insight into the unique needs of rural communities and exploring various career paths in medicine.
Location: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Cost: Free
Eligibility: Rising seniors in high school, especially those from rural North Carolina
Dates: Typically held in late June or July
Application Deadline: Usually around early spring (March-April)
The Health Careers Academy by the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) is a program designed for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in Western North Carolina who are passionate about pursuing careers in healthcare. Throughout the spring semester, accepted students will engage in a variety of programs in partnership with UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC, including both in-person and virtual experiences. You will have the opportunity to tour the Simulation Center at MAHEC, receive one-on-one health career advising, and connect with students and faculty at MAHEC, among other exciting activities.
Location: University of North Carolina, Asheville, NC
Cost: Free
Eligibility: Students must:
Be a high school sophomore, Junior, or Senior as of the Spring semester
Have a minimum weighted GPA of 3.2
Reside or attend school in one of these Western North Carolina counties
Dates: Late June/Early July
Application Deadline: December 2, 2024
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas. Horizon is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. For those interested in medicine, options include courses like Neuroscience, Medical Sociology, or Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Once you select a particular subject track and the type of research you wish to carry out, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar from a reputed university who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student.
This program is a solid opportunity for you to pursue a research program in highly specialized fields under the guidance of a top scholar. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects. Apply here!
Location: Virtual
Application Date: May 21, 2025 for the summer cohort (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Program Dates:
Summer seminar: June 24 – September 2, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here
The NSLC High School Summer Medical Program provides a learning opportunity for high school students interested in the medical field. You will assume the role of a physician, practicing surgical skills, diagnosing patients, and discussing public health issues.
You will gain hands-on experience in suturing, surgical knot tying, and internal anatomy. You will also practice patient care by interviewing, diagnosing, testing, and treating patients alongside clinical teams. You’ll learn to handle critical medical situations through trauma assessments and simulated scenarios.
This program also includes anatomy workshops with dissections of eyes, brains, hearts, and spinal cords, enhancing your understanding of bodily structures. You’ll have the chance to interact with guest speakers from various medical backgrounds, gaining practical insights and real-world experiences. Field trips to sites like the Duke Human Simulation & Patient Safety Center and the UNC Clinical Skills & Patient Simulation Center will provide additional exposure to the medical industry.
Location: Duke University, Durham, NC
Cost: $3,995
Eligibility: Students must be between the ages of 14-18 and have completed at least one year of high school
Dates: Multiple one-week sessions offered between June 12 – July 26, 2025 (tentative, based on the the 2024 program)
Application Deadline: Rolling
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.