If you’re a high school student interested in medicine or healthcare, a medical program can be a good way to explore the field. These programs offer hands-on experience that helps you decide whether a career in medicine or a related area might be right for you. Many also provide opportunities to build both practical and technical skills while connecting with peers, mentors, and professionals in the field.
Across Texas, colleges, universities, and medical institutes offer a range of programs for high school students. Some are short and immersive, focusing on labs and lectures over one or two weeks, while others extend over several months and involve deeper research or clinical experiences. Participating in a medical program, especially if you’re based in Texas, allows you to move beyond classroom learning through activities such as analyzing DNA, shadowing healthcare professionals, or conducting guided research.
The following list highlights 13 medical programs for high school students in Texas, each offering a unique combination of labs, mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities.
13 Medical Programs for High School Students in Texas
1. Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program
Location: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $7,200 (10 weeks); $6,480 (9 weeks)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly competitive; 6 students
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: November 17 – January 14
Eligibility: Current high school seniors (18+) in Texas
As a participant in the Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program, you will spend weeks working in professional research labs at MD Anderson, one of the top cancer centers in the world. You will have the opportunity to contribute to a research project in the biomedical field under the guidance and mentorship of a faculty member. You will also shadow professionals, observe experiments, and learn basic laboratory methods like staining, PCR, and data collection. Each week, you will attend seminars where you hear from scientists about current cancer research. The program ends with a formal poster session, giving you the chance to present your work to faculty and peers.
2. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee; $750 stipend
Cohort Size: 12 students each year
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 2 – February 16
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (17+)
The Clark Scholars Program gives high school students the chance to collaborate closely with Texas Tech faculty members. As a participant, you’ll work on advanced projects in biology, chemistry, or medicine. You’ll also learn how to keep lab notebooks, collect and analyze data, and even write research papers. Beyond lab work, the program organizes lectures and discussions to broaden understanding of scientific careers. The highlight is the research symposium at the end, where you will defend your project in front of experts.
3. DACCPM Summer Research Program at MD Anderson
Location: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $3,600
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: November 17 – January 14
Eligibility: High school seniors (18+)
This medical program allows you to join MD Anderson labs in either biomedical or clinical research tracks. The biomedical track emphasizes molecular biology skills like western blotting or flow cytometry, while the clinical research track trains you in analyzing patient data and reviewing clinical studies. Alongside lab or clinical work, weekly seminars highlight issues in cancer treatment and pain management. You’ll submit abstracts and present posters at the end, ensuring you leave with both lab skills and experience in professional communication.
4. SMS Summer Research Program
Location: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Stipend: Paid at Texas minimum wage
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: June 11 – August 4
Application Deadline: April 18
Eligibility: Students (18+) who have completed Baylor’s Saturday Morning Science
The SMS Summer Research Program will place you in one of Baylor College of Medicine’s labs for 40 hours per week. As a participant, you will conduct bench research alongside medical faculty and graduate students. You will learn skills like pipetting and microscopy, and will become part of ongoing research projects rather than simulated exercises. In addition to lab experience, the program includes weekly seminars on different areas of medicine. A final symposium provides the opportunity to present findings publicly.
5. STARS Summer Research Program
Location: UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Stipend: $2,800
Cohort Size: About 50 juniors each year
Dates: June 3 – July 25
Application Deadline: January 20
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (16+) with no prior research experience allowed
STARS specifically targets students who have never had a chance to do research before. As a participant, you will work in biomedical labs, learning the basics of experimental design, record keeping, and lab safety. You will also be paired with UT Southwestern scientists who act as mentors. The program also requires you to give presentations both at UT Southwestern and back at your own school, encouraging science communication beyond the lab.
6. UTMB Medical Laboratory Science Summer Immersion
Location: University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: July 21 – 25
Application Deadline: January 2 – March 3
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
This short but focused program at the University of Texas Medical Branch will give you a hands-on introduction to clinical lab science. As a participant, you will rotate through labs in hematology, microbiology, urinalysis, and molecular diagnostics. You’ll practice using microscopes and centrifuges, and learn how to handle biological samples safely. The experience is designed to show how medical testing directly impacts patient care. By the end of the program, you will have a clearer idea of how hospital labs run and what careers in medical lab science look like.
7. Houston Methodist High School Research Program
Location: Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None; Housing scholarships available
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 9 – August 1
Application Deadline: December 2 – January 31
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors with a GPA of 3.5+
This eight-week program will place you directly into research labs at Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. You will be paired with faculty mentors and work on projects in cardiovascular medicine, oncology, or regenerative biology. Your time will be spent working on real experiments and data analysis, not just observation. Along the way, you will attend seminars and workshops to prepare you for the final poster presentation at a research symposium.
8. Voelcker Biomedical Research Academy
Location: UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
Cost/Stipend: None; Stipend plus travel aid provided
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Starts late April and continues over 3 years
Application Deadline: March 6
Eligibility: San Antonio high school sophomores (15+) only
This is a rare multi-year medical program for high school students in Texas that runs for three years, starting with an intensive summer and continuing with part-time research during the school year. As a participant, you will go through workshops and lab bootcamps before being placed in research labs across UT Health San Antonio. Over time, you will move from supporting tasks to independent research. You’ll also participate in regular journal clubs that help you learn how to read and critique published scientific studies.
9. Rice University Digital Health Young Scholars Program
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: June 9 – June 26
Application Deadline: April 4
Eligibility: Houston-area sophomores and juniors
Rice University’s Digital Health Young Scholars Program is about technology in healthcare rather than traditional lab work. As a participant, you will learn the basics of digital health systems and build prototypes like wearable sensors or digital diagnostic tools. The focus is on programming, circuitry, and understanding how to collect and interpret health data from devices. You will collaborate in teams, and upon completion, will typically present functional prototypes.
10. University of Houston MohanLab Summer Program
Location: University of Houston, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: June 8 – July 31
Application Deadline: February 1 – March 26
Eligibility: Rising seniors interested in biomedical research
At MohanLab at the University of Houston, you will work directly in biomedical research. The first week is usually a lab bootcamp where you’ll learn skills like cell culture, protein analysis, or imaging software. After that, you will be placed on team projects that could involve cancer biology, diagnostic devices, or even applying machine learning to biological problems. You will also work with mentors who’ll guide you through the research. Eventually, however, you will also be expected to work independently. A highlight of the program is presenting research at the end-of-summer symposium, which feels like a mini graduate-level defense.
11. Parkland Health Workforce Development High School Program
Location: Parkland Health, Dallas, TX
Stipend: $18.25/hour
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: 8 weeks from June – July
Application Deadline: March 14
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (16+) with a GPA of 3.0+
The Parkland Health Workforce Development High School Program is designed more around hospital careers than lab science. As a participant, you will be placed at Parkland Health in Dallas, where you will rotate through departments and shadow health professionals. While you may not be doing bench research, you will gain insight into patient care, hospital administration, and how large healthcare systems work. The program includes professional development workshops, resume building, and opportunities to meet mentors across different careers.
12. National Breast Cancer Foundation High School Internship
Location: Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Mid-June – Mid-July
Application Deadline: March 21
Eligibility: Frisco ISD high school juniors and seniors (15-18)
NBCF’s internship is unique because it focuses on nonprofit and community engagement rather than bench research. As a participant, you will work with staff at the National Breast Cancer Foundation in Frisco, learning about patient education, outreach programs, and digital communications. You will often rotate between departments, which could mean helping with community health initiatives or creating awareness materials. By the end of the program, you will have completed a small project that ties into NBCF’s mission.
13. Summer High School Research Academy
Location: University of Texas, Austin, TX
Cost: $4,000 tuition; Scholarships available
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: June 9 – July 16
Application Deadline: March 23
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores to seniors (15+)
The High School Research Academy at UT Austin gives you access to university research labs. You could end up studying genetics, neuroscience, or public health, depending on the project. The first phase emphasizes safety and basic research techniques, but quickly, you will be expected to contribute to ongoing faculty research. Weekly seminars and group discussions add context, while the program culminates in a symposium where you will present your work. It’s a challenging but structured program, giving you both technical training and presentation practice.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image source – Texas Tech University