If you’re a high school student in Virginia with an interest in medicine, summer programs in the state offer a direct path to hands-on experience and advanced learning in a financially and logistically accessible way. Whether you’re exploring clinical skills, biomedical research, or public health, these programs connect you with expert mentors, labs or hospital environments.
Virginia is home to leading universities and medical centers that host some of the most accessible and enriching opportunities for teens each year. Choosing a local program can also help you gain competitive experience without the high cost of travel or tuition.
Here is a curated list of top 15 medical summer programs you can attend as a high school student in Virginia:
1. Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation
Stipend: None (program is fully funded)
Program Dates: Vary by cohort (fall, winter, spring, summer options available)
Deadlines: Rolling deadlines per cohort
Cost: Free of cost
Location: Remote
Eligibility: High school students or incoming college freshmen with a minimum 3.3 GPA; preference for students from low-income backgrounds
The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation offers a 12-week, fully funded research program for academically strong high schoolers from underrepresented backgrounds. Through the Breakthrough Scholar Program, you’ll be paired one-on-one with a PhD mentor to conduct an independent research project. Medical and health-related topics like neuroscience, public health, epidemiology, or bioethics are common research pathways. You’ll write a full-length research paper and gain direct experience in academic inquiry, literature review, and data analysis. This program is ideal if you’re passionate about medicine or health sciences and want a structured, guided research experience before college.
2. Ladder Internships
Stipend: None
Program Dates: June 23
Deadlines: July 14
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Location: Remote
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students
Ladder Internships offers an 8-week remote experience where you’ll contribute to real-world projects at early-stage startups in medicine and health tech. Many of these companies are venture-backed and operate in fast-paced environments. As an intern, you’ll work on assignments such as market research, competitive analysis, or product development while receiving weekly mentorship from a dedicated Ladder Coach. Internships are highly selective and tailored to your interests. If you’re exploring healthcare careers through the lens of innovation and entrepreneurship, this is a practical way to gain experience while collaborating with industry professionals.
3. Mini-Medical School – University of Virginia School of Medicine
Stipend: None (certificate awarded upon completion)
Program Dates: 7 consecutive Wednesday evenings in Fall
Deadlines: Start in July and decisions are sent in August
Cost: Free of cost
Location: University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA
Who is Eligible: High school juniors and seniors
Mini-Medical School offers a structured, no-cost introduction to medical education led by UVA faculty and med students. Across seven weeks, you’ll dive into clinical reasoning, surgical technology, infectious disease, pediatric oncology, and the use of AI in healthcare. You’ll gain exposure to lab environments, observe patient interviews, and simulate medical school experiences like Match Day. The program builds your understanding of how physicians are trained and sharpens your grasp of health systems, medical terminology, and science communication. Ideal if you’re exploring a career in medicine and want a high-level overview of the field without leaving high school.
4. Virginia Commonwealth University Dental Careers Exploration Program (DCE)
Stipend: None (free lunch provided)
Program Dates: July 14 – July 18
Deadline: May 2
Cost: Free of cost
Location: VCU School of Dentistry, Richmond, VA
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents in grades 10–12 with a GPA of 3.0+
DCE is a week-long program where you’ll explore dentistry through direct lab work and hands-on procedures. You’ll try wax tooth carving, take dental impressions, suture simulated tissue, and get exposure to digital dentistry tools. The program helps you understand the roles of general dentists, hygienists, and specialists. You’ll also learn how dental professionals diagnose patients, manage procedures, and use tools like intraoral scanners and impression materials. The experience builds early technical familiarity with clinical tasks. No prior experience is required, but full attendance and participation are expected.
5. Virginia Commonwealth University Pharmacy Summer Scholars
Stipend: None (free lunch provided)
Program Dates: July 7 – July 11
Deadline: Applications closed for 2025
Cost: Free of cost
Location: VCU School of Pharmacy, Richmond, VA
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12 interested in health careers
Pharmacy Summer Scholars is a five-day academic immersion into pharmaceutical science, designed to give you an early look at what it takes to become a pharmacist or researcher. You’ll meet pharmacy students, use lab tools for compounding exercises, and visit different pharmacy settings. Topics covered include drug formulation, non-sterile compounding, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacy ethics. You’ll also gain insights into what pharmacy school involves. Selection is based on your interest in health care and pharmacy. Thirty students are accepted. Full attendance is required to ensure continuity in skill-building and participation in collaborative exercises.
6. Old Dominion University Health Sciences Academy Summer Workshop
Stipend: None
Program Dates: July 14 – July 25
Deadline: Varies by partner school (apply in 9th grade spring semester)
Cost: Free of cost
Location: Virginia
Eligibility: 10th graders in partner schools
This two-week summer workshop introduces rising 10th graders to clinical practice through high-impact, hands-on sessions. You’ll start with basic suturing techniques on simulated tissue and move into wound care and surgical skills using tools in a Simulation Center. These sessions emphasize clinical coordination, precision, and professional posture. Across the week, you’ll train in bystander CPR, splinting, ultrasound imaging, and standardized patient interactions. Each activity is designed to mimic authentic health care tasks, whether learning to read an ultrasound scan or recording vitals during a patient simulation.
7. Georgetown University 1-Week Medical Academy
Stipend: None
Program Dates: Weeklong sessions in June and July
Deadline: Spring (rolling admissions)
Cost: $3,905 (residential) or $3,025 (commuter)
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Eligibility: High school students
This week-long immersion program introduces you to the fundamentals of medical science through direct engagement with Georgetown’s academic medical environment. You’ll study gross anatomy, radiology, pathology, and biomedical ethics, alongside more advanced topics like trauma surgery, ICU medicine, and oncology. Faculty from Georgetown’s School of Medicine and practicing physicians at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital serve as instructors, while current med students offer mentorship. The hands-on component is rigorous: you’ll perform dissections, practice suturing, explore organ systems via patient simulators, take vitals, apply orthopedic casts, and conduct ultrasound scans. These activities are complemented by lectures and ethics debates that reflect real clinical dilemmas.
8. Summer Enrichment Experience (SEE) Camp – Virginia Campus
Stipend: None (meals, lodging, and activities fully covered)
Program Dates: June 22–28 and July 6–12, 2025
Deadlines: Waitlist currently open
Cost: Free of cost
Location: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), Blacksburg, VA
Eligibility: Virginia high school students entering grades 10–12 with a GPA of 3.5 or higher
This immersive, week-long STEM-H program introduces you to foundational concepts in medicine and biomedical science. You’ll participate in hands-on simulations, practice clinical techniques like suturing and surgical knot-tying, and work directly in VCOM’s cadaver lab and simulation center. The curriculum is designed and led by medical students and faculty to simulate a real clinical learning environment. Beyond clinical skill-building, you’ll explore biomedical experiments and conduct epidemiological analysis under microscopes. In small teams, you’ll also design and present an independent research project to VCOM faculty and your peers. The program encourages deeper inquiry into healthcare careers while emphasizing healthy behaviors and scientific thinking.
9. National Youth Leadership Forum: Medicine & Health Care (NYLF)
Stipend: None (college credit included with tuition)
Program Dates: June–July (multiple 8-day sessions)
Deadlines: Rolling admissions; early enrollment recommended
Cost: $4,395 (residential), $3,795 (commuter); scholarships available
Location: Multiple campuses
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9–12)
Medicine & Health Care offers a fast-paced, 8-day medical immersion where you rotate through simulated clinical experiences like trauma triage and wilderness care. You’ll gain hands-on practice in suturing, orthopedic casting, neurological exams, and using real medical equipment. The program includes access to a simulation lab and guest lectures from physicians and medical school faculty. Each session integrates diagnostic reasoning, anatomy, radiology, emergency response, and biomedical ethics. You’ll explore specialities ranging from surgery to internal medicine and work with advisors to identify your strengths in clinical environments. Simulations and labs are taught in university facilities and mirror real-world emergency medicine conditions.
10. NSLC Veterinary Medicine Program at Virginia Tech
Stipend: None
Program Dates: June 13–21, June 25–July 3, or July 7–15
Deadlines: Rolling admissions (limited availability)
Cost: $4,295 (includes room, board, and materials)
Location: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Eligibility: High school students (typically rising 10th–12th graders)
This nine-day summer program immerses you in the core areas of veterinary science. You’ll gain practical experience with clinical techniques such as physical exams, lab diagnostics, wound care, and animal handling. Through simulation labs and diagnostic workshops, you begin developing the observational and decision-making skills critical to veterinary work. Faculty from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine lead academic sessions alongside guest speakers from diverse professional backgrounds. You’ll examine practical applications in animal medicine, public health, and environmental care. The program also includes field trips that reveal the behind-the-scenes operations of veterinary hospitals and research labs.
11. UVA Health Prince William Medical Center: Summer Teen Volunteer Program
Stipend: None (certificate of completion provided)
Program Dates: Multiple sessions: June 16–27;July 7–18; July 21–August 1
Deadlines: April 11
Cost: Free (uniform shirt costs $20)
Location: Prince William Medical Center, Manassas, VA
Eligibility: High school students who have completed 10th grade with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
This two-week volunteer program introduces rising juniors and seniors to the fast-paced environment of a hospital. You rotate through departments such as emergency, surgery, guest services, physical therapy, and registration. The experience gives you an inside view of hospital operations and patient care. Each session includes orientation and wrap-up days with lunch provided, and applicants may select morning or afternoon shifts. Completing the summer program opens the opportunity to volunteer year-round and be considered for the UVA Health Auxiliary Scholarship for high school seniors and college students.
12. Medical Science Internship Program (MSIP) – VCU School of Medicine
Stipend: None
Program Dates: June 23 – July 31
Deadline: March 3
Cost: Free of cost
Location: VCU School of Medicine, Richmond, VA
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors in the Greater Richmond Area
VCU’s Medical Science Internship Program offers a six-week, full-time research experience for high school students interested in biomedical science. You’ll be placed in a VCU lab and mentored by faculty as you work on a defined research project. As an intern, you will spend 30 – 40 hours per week in the lab, gaining hands-on experience in scientific methods, data collection, and presentation. Alongside your lab work, you’ll attend weekly seminars from guest scientists and medical professionals, expanding your understanding of current topics in health research. At the end of the program, you’ll present your findings in a symposium open to peers, family, and the VCU community.
13. Biomedical Laboratory Sciences Summer Immersion – George Washington University
Stipend: None
Program Dates:July 21 – July 25
Deadline: May 26, 2025
Cost: $500 (in-person), $250 (virtual)
Location: Virginia Science and Technology Campus, Ashburn, VA (in-person) or Online
Eligibility: High school and college students with limited lab experience
GW’s Biomedical Laboratory Sciences Summer Immersion offers a week-long crash course in lab science fundamentals through a mix of lectures, hands-on lab work, and diagnostic simulations. You’ll learn how to practice lab safety, perform DNA extractions and PCR, and use tools like agarose gel electrophoresis. The program also covers practical case studies in diseases such as cancer, blood disorders, and infections. The in-person session is held on GW’s Virginia campus, while the virtual session follows a synchronous online format.
14. Community High School Engagement & Learning (CHiSEL) Program – VCU Massey Cancer Center
Stipend: None
Program Dates: June 23 – July 25
Deadline: Not specified (early application recommended)
Cost: Free of cost
Location: VCU Medical Center, Richmond, VA
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors in the Greater Richmond Area
CHiSEL offers a five-week, mentored research experience for students interested in cancer biology and public health. You’ll be matched with a Massey Cancer Center investigator and spend at least 25 hours a week conducting hands-on lab research. Alongside technical training, you’ll attend seminars on cancer disparities, learn about Virginia’s cancer burden, and explore the role of community engagement in research. The program concludes with a research symposium, where you’ll present a poster summarizing your work. It’s a strong fit if you’re curious about oncology, biomedical research, or the intersection of science and community health.
15. Summer Healthcare Experience in Oncology – VCU Massey Cancer Center
Stipend: Up to $500
Program Dates: July 7 – July 18, 2025
Deadline: Applications currently closed
Cost: Free (includes experiment kits)
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors in Virginia; full-time students not enrolled in conflicting summer courses
This two-week virtual program introduces high school students who identify as female to the wide-ranging career paths and leadership roles in oncology. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society and hosted by VCU Massey Cancer Center, the SHE program combines STEM exploration with professional development. The first week centres on live cancer research instruction, where you’ll receive an at-home experiment kit and follow along with real lab techniques online. The second week is devoted to virtual workshops and career panels with researchers, clinicians, and healthcare professionals from across the country.
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 – Virginia Commonwealth University