TL;DR
This list covers 11 summer medical, healthcare, biomedical research, and health science programs for Colorado high school students. You’ll find fully funded research opportunities, paid healthcare internships, hands-on medical courses, biomedical lab programs, and shorter programs to explore medicine before committing to a longer experience. Some are open to students across Colorado, while others have specific grade, location, or eligibility requirements. If you want to build an independent medical research project with 1:1 mentorship, explore the Horizon Academic Research Program.
If you already know you’re interested in medicine, a summer program can help you go beyond classroom science. In Colorado, you can find opportunities ranging from biomedical research and child health research to clinical medicine, healthcare internships, and biomedical engineering. Some programs give you a chance to work with researchers and produce a research project, while others are designed to help you explore different healthcare careers. Here you go!
What kinds of medical programs can you find in Colorado?
Colorado has programs for several different levels of medical and health science experience. You can spend several weeks working on a research project, get hands-on exposure to clinical medicine, explore biomedical engineering, or start building healthcare experience through a longer internship.
If you are mainly interested in research, look closely at the programs that include a research project, laboratory work, or a research mentor. If you want to understand what doctors and healthcare professionals actually do, clinical and healthcare-focused programs may be a better fit. For more research-focused options beyond Colorado, you can also explore 35 Summer Research Programs for High School Students.
Which Colorado medical programs fit your goals?
| If you want to… | Programs to explore |
| Conduct a research project with a mentor | Lumiere Research Scholar Program, Child Health Research Internship, STEM Research Experience |
| Get paid healthcare experience | Ladder Internship Program, Medical Career Collaborative |
| Explore biomedical laboratory research | Biomedical Research Bootcamp, STEM Pathfinders: Biosciences |
| Explore cancer research | START: Students and Teachers Achieving Cancer Research Experiences Together |
| Explore biomedical engineering | BOLT Camp |
| Learn clinical skills | Medical Student Experience |
| Explore medicine across multiple years | CU Pre-Health Scholars Program |
11 summer medical programs to consider
1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Program Dates: Summer, fall, winter, or spring; options range from 12 weeks to one year.
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort.
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school students with strong academic achievement.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program gives you the chance to work one-on-one with a Ph.D. mentor on an independent research project. You can choose from subjects including biology, psychology, data science, computer science, chemistry, economics, engineering, and international relations. You develop a research question, conduct your research, and produce an independent research paper.
Who is it right for? Students who want 1:1 research mentorship and the flexibility to work remotely from Colorado or anywhere else.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort.
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can commit 10–20 hours per week for 8–12 weeks.
The Ladder Internship Program places you with a startup for a remote internship. You work directly with a manager on real-world projects and can explore areas including health tech, AI/ML, technology, marketing, journalism, and consulting. You also present your work to the company at the end of the internship.
Who is it right for? Students who want to explore healthcare or health tech through startup work and prefer a remote internship.
3. Child Health Research Internship
Location: Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
Cost: Free; $4,400 stipend for travel and housing costs
Program Dates: Nine weeks during summer
Application Deadline: February 1 (tentative)
Eligibility: High school seniors over 18 who are Colorado residents, along with eligible college, graduate, and first-year medical students.
This program gives you the opportunity to work on child health research alongside faculty from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado. You can rank your preferred mentors, participate in weekly research seminars, and work on a research project throughout the summer. You finish by presenting your work through a written summary and an oral or poster presentation.
Who is it right for? Students who are Colorado high school seniors, 18+, and want full-time experience in child health research.
4. Medical Career Collaborative (MC²)
Location: Denver Health and Children’s Hospital Colorado locations in Colorado
Cost: Free; paid internship
Program Dates: Junior and senior year, with ongoing alumni support
Application Deadline: March 4 (tentative)
Eligibility: High school sophomores in the Denver metro or Colorado Springs areas who are legally authorized to work in the U.S.
The Medical Career Collaborative combines paid internships, healthcare mentorship, workshops, certifications, and college support. You begin the program as a high school junior after applying during sophomore year. During your internship, you work with healthcare professionals in a hospital setting and complete 100–120 hours of paid work experience. You get paid, hands-on exposure to healthcare while continuing to receive mentorship and career support through high school.
Who is it right for? Students who want to explore healthcare careers through a longer-term program instead of a single summer course.
5. STEM Research Experience at CU Boulder and CU Anschutz
Location: CU Boulder and CU Anschutz Medical Campus
Cost: $2,400; limited scholarship funding available
Program Dates: Seven weeks during summer
Application Deadline: March 16 (tentative)
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old by the start of the program.
You work alongside CU Boulder and CU Anschutz researchers on an authentic research project. The program includes a weekly Research Methods Seminar, literature review, data collection and analysis, experiments, and a final research poster. Research areas include medicine, neuroscience, immunology, microbiology, pharmaceutical sciences, computational biology, and several other STEM fields.
Who is it right for? Students who want a multi-week research experience with a university mentor and are ready for a substantial time commitment.
6. Summer Science Program (SSP)
Location: Multiple college campuses across the U.S. and Canada
Cost: $11,800; need-based financial aid available, including full fee discounts and travel assistance
Program Dates: Five weeks during June and July
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Current high school juniors who are at least 15 and not yet 19 during the program and have completed the required coursework for their chosen track.
The Summer Science Program is a residential research experience where you work in a team of three on a real scientific project. Current research areas include astrophysics, biochemistry, bacterial genomics, and cell biology. You work with scientific data, read primary literature, conduct experiments or analyses, and present your findings with guidance from scientists and educators.
Who is it right for? Students who are entering senior year, have the required science and math coursework, and want a rigorous residential research experience.
7. Bioengineering Opportunities and Leadership Training (BOLT) Camp
Location: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
Cost: $1,100; scholarships available; supplies and meals included
Program Dates: Multiple four-day sessions during summer
Application Deadline: Registration begins in January; scholarship deadline February 15 (tentative)
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10–12.
BOLT Camp introduces you to biomedical engineering through hands-on design work. You work in teams to design, build, test, and improve a prototype while exploring biomedical applications. The program also includes 3D printing, medical campus activities, tissue engineering, laboratory experiences, and interaction with healthcare and engineering professionals. You get to see how engineering can be used to solve real problems in medicine and healthcare.
Who is it right for? Students who are interested in biomedical engineering, medical technology, or building things that could be used in healthcare.
8. CU Pre-Health Scholars Program (CUPS) – High School Track
Location: CU Anschutz Medical Campus and other program locations in Colorado
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Monthly Saturday Academies during the academic year plus an annual summer intensive
Application Deadline: August 17
Eligibility: Colorado students in grades 9–12 interested in healthcare, biomedical research, and STEAM.
CUPS gives you sustained exposure to healthcare careers, biomedical research, STEAM, and college preparation. You can participate in monthly Saturday Academies and an annual summer intensive, with programming changing as you progress through high school. The program currently has strong retention among existing participants, so new high school applications are not open for the upcoming cycle.
Who is it right for? Students who are in Colorado and want ongoing exposure to healthcare, research, STEAM, and college preparation.
9. Biomedical Research Bootcamp
Location: CU Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
Cost: $1,300; scholarships available, including full scholarships
Program Dates: Two weeks during summer
Application Deadline: May 22 (tentative); scholarship deadline May 1 (tentative)
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12.
This two-week program gives you a practical introduction to biomedical research. You learn laboratory techniques, visit research facilities, explore research ethics, meet scientists, and develop your own scientific research proposal. You also practice following experimental protocols and recording results in a lab notebook.
Who is it right for? Students who are in grades 10–12 and want to explore biomedical laboratory research.
10. Medical Student Experience
Location: CU Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
Cost: $650; full scholarships available
Program Dates: One week during summer
Application Deadline: June 5 (tentative)
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12.
This week-long course gives you a hands-on introduction to the science and practice of medicine. Activities may include physical exams, anatomy, suturing, injection practice, casting, ultrasound, and other clinical demonstrations. You also interact with medical trainees and healthcare professionals and learn about different careers in healthcare.
Who is it right for? Students who want to explore medicine through clinical activities and healthcare career exposure.
11. STEM Pathfinders: Biosciences
Location: CU Boulder
Cost: $1,300
Program Dates: Two weeks during summer
Application Deadline: May 22 (tentative)
Eligibility: Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders.
This two-week program lets you explore several areas of bioscience instead of focusing on just one field. You spend time with different CU Boulder departments, take part in hands-on activities, visit laboratories, and speak with faculty and current students about research and career paths. The program can help you understand which areas of bioscience you may want to study more deeply.
Who is it right for? Students who are interested in bioscience but are still deciding whether biology, computational biology, physiology, or another area is right for you.
Which Colorado medical programs offer research, clinical, or hands-on experience?
Colorado’s medical and health science programs vary widely in the type of experience they offer. Some focus on biomedical or child health research, while others introduce you to anatomy, clinical skills, healthcare careers, or medical technology. Choosing based on the kind of experience you want can help you find a program that fits your goals. If you want more hands-on options beyond Colorado, explore these research internship opportunities for high school students.
How do you choose the right medical summer program in Colorado?
Consider your grade level, interests, time commitment, cost, and the type of experience you want before applying. Research-focused programs can be a good fit if you want to work with a mentor or complete a research project, while clinical and healthcare programs can help you explore different medical careers. If an in-person summer program is difficult to fit into your schedule, you can also explore these online learning programs for high school students.
What students ask about Colorado medical programs
Not always. Several options are designed as introductions to research, medicine, or healthcare, while more intensive research programs may expect stronger coursework or a specific grade level.
Yes. Some programs are free, while others offer scholarships or financial assistance. A few research opportunities also provide stipends or paid internships, so check the funding details for the program you are considering.
Choose based on what you want to spend your time doing. Research programs are better if you want to investigate a scientific question and analyze evidence, while clinical programs give you more exposure to medicine, healthcare professionals, and practical medical skills.
Yes. If you already have a research question or a medical topic you want to investigate, the Horizon Academic Research Program gives you 1:1 mentorship while you develop an independent research project and research paper.
Image source: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus