If you are interested in medicine, public health, or biomedical engineering, you should consider participating in an online medical program. Today, many virtual medicine programs are offering remote opportunities for students. These programs provide opportunities to gain practical experience in areas such as clinical data analysis, epidemiology, and disease modeling while collaborating with professionals in the field. Through involvement in medical research, you can develop skills like conducting literature reviews, performing statistical analyses, and using bioinformatics tools. Whether your focus is on genetics, neuroscience, or health policy, participating in medical programs can give you a clearer understanding of how scientific investigation contributes to medical knowledge.
Virtual medicine programs for high school students are typically short and academically focused, centered around a specific subfield. To provide this advanced learning, the curriculum often integrates tools such as remote lab simulations, diagnostic software, or structured data analysis workflows that far exceed the offerings of a standard high school class. This setup allows you to practice quantitative problem-solving exercises and engage in guided research modules, often including mentorship from faculty or medical trainees. They are ideal for students seeking early exposure to medical thinking and the analytical skills required for pre-med pathways, providing a convenient way to deepen their understanding of health sciences within a structured academic environment that easily fits around their school-year schedule.
Below is a list of 15 virtual medicine programs for high school students that can help them explore these areas further.
15 Virtual Medicine Programs for High School Students
1. Stanford Clinical Summer Internship (CSI)
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,580 tuition and $95 application fee; need-based financial aid is available / No stipend
Dates: July 27 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old by the start of the program and have completed a high school biology course prior to enrolling
Stanford CSI is a two-week program for high school students, offered both on-campus and online, that introduces foundational clinical skills. You will work with Stanford medical students, residents, and faculty to learn procedures such as suturing, administering injections, and measuring vital signs, and you will take part in trauma care exercises. The program also includes guided dissections of human organs, including the heart, brain, and kidneys, and provides opportunities to practice patient interviews and simulated medical scenarios. For online participants, materials are sent ahead of time, and sessions are conducted live so you can practice skills from home.
2. Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program
Location: Los Angeles, CA or virtual
Cost/Stipend: No cost / One $500 scholarship is available
Dates: Multiple two-week sessions from June to August
Application Deadline: February 14
Eligibility: Current 11th and 12th grade students
The Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program allows you to explore medical careers by shadowing healthcare professionals at hospitals in Los Angeles, including Cedars-Sinai, UCLA, and Children’s Hospital LA. You will observe physicians, nurses, and allied health staff in clinical settings, participate in educational seminars, and assist with care tasks under supervision. The program also provides opportunities to learn about healthcare delivery systems and to reflect on your experiences through presentations. Depending on your placement, you can participate either in person or virtually.
3. Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills and Education Center’s Stanford Summer Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,500 + $95 non-refundable application fee; need-based financial aid is available
Dates: Program 1: June 23 – July 4; Program 2: July 14 – 25
Application Deadline: March 14
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old by the start of the program; juniors who have not yet turned 16 are also eligible
Stanford’s Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills and Education Center offers an internship for high school students interested in science or medicine, with a focus on anatomy, surgical techniques, and physiology. You will receive a kit containing the necessary tools, supplies, and simulators. Instructors use an overhead camera to guide you through live lessons on skills such as knot tying, valve replacement, suturing, and coronary artery bypass grafting. You will also attend lectures led by Stanford faculty, residents, and staff on topics including anatomy, heart surgeries, transplants, and physiology. Lab sessions provide opportunities to practice techniques, observe demonstrations, and receive real-time feedback.
4. Wake Forest Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) Virtual Academy
Location: Virtual
Cost: None, but participants are expected to purchase approximately $50 worth of “household” materials to fully engage in the Virtual Academy’s activities
Dates: July 13 – 17
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: High school students aged 14–18
The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) offers a week-long Virtual Regenerative Medicine Academy for students interested in regenerative medicine. Sessions are held via Zoom from Monday to Thursday, with an optional in-person visit on Friday that includes workshops, demonstrations, and a tour of WFIRM’s facilities. You will learn from WFIRM faculty, industry professionals, and near-peer mentors about current research, career paths, educational opportunities, and new technologies in regenerative medicine. The program includes activities such as 3D bioprinting, the Regenerative Medicine Essentials Course, discussions on regenerative medicine in space and microgravity, and participation in actual research meetings.
5. The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI) – Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $850 program fee + $40 application fee (waivable based on financial need)
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th graders who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and will be 14 or older by the program’s start
In this program, you will take part in lectures and hands-on activities to build both technical skills and an understanding of AI applications in healthcare. Working under mentor guidance, you will complete an AI-focused medical project, gain research experience, and attend talks on AI in medicine. The program also provides opportunities to collaborate with peers, receive mentorship from Stanford students and researchers, and join Virtual Career Lunch and Learn sessions with speakers from academia, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations. Upon completing the program, you will receive a Certificate of Completion and have the option to continue with an extended independent research internship.
6. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) at George Mason University
Location: Remote, hybrid, or in-person at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA
Cost: None, except a $25 application fee (waivable based on financial need)
Dates: June 18 – August 12
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school students must be at least 15 years old for remote internships and at least 16 years old for in-person or hybrid wet-lab internships | Not have graduated from university before or during the internship
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) is an eight-week research experience where you work with George Mason University faculty on active projects. You will develop skills in research methods, scientific writing, communication, and problem-solving while exploring potential STEM careers. Internships may be conducted in person, remotely, or in a hybrid format, depending on your mentor and project. Research areas include mathematics, computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, data science, digital innovation, medicine, and more. If you work on a medical-related project, topics may include veterinary medicine, regenerative medicine, biomedical data analysis, orthopedics, medical imaging, osteoarthritis, cartilage repair, or wound healing. Your work may also have the opportunity to be published or presented at a conference.
7. UChicago Medicine’s SHE in Oncology
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: No cost / $500 taxable stipend
Dates: July 13 – 25
Application Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: Full-time high school students who reside in Cook, Lake, Will, or DuPage counties, or Lake County in Indiana
SHE (Summer Healthcare Experience) in Oncology is a virtual program for high school students interested in science and medicine, with an emphasis on supporting women and students underrepresented in STEM. You will explore biomedical careers in cancer research, and participate in a genetics-based research project and a patient case study to gain insight into cancer biology and care. The program includes daily lectures, panel discussions, and skill-building workshops led by faculty. Using a home lab kit, you will conduct hands-on research and take part in career development activities with professionals in cancer research.
8. UT Southwestern: Inspiring Careers in Mental Health Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 1 – 5; June 8 – 12
Application Deadline: Typically, early February
Eligibility: Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders who live either in the United States or on a U.S. armed forces base or diplomatic post
This two-week summer internship provides rising high school juniors, seniors, and incoming college freshmen with a virtual introduction to careers in mental health. You will start by reviewing reading materials from both popular media and scientific journals. You will also participate in interactive online sessions with clinicians and researchers, including psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, physician assistants, and clinical social workers. The program covers topics such as psychotherapy, neuroscience, interventional psychiatry, and community mental health, while giving you insight into the daily work and career paths of mental health professionals.
9. Georgetown University: Pre-College Online Program – Medicine: An Inside Look at Treating Patients
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,895; need-based scholarships are available
Dates: Multiple 1-week, 2-week, and 4-week sessions during the year
Application Deadline: One week before the program start date
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and up
Georgetown University offers online pre-college programs that allow high school students to explore a range of academic areas, including medicine, STEM, and business. In the medicine course, you will learn about the roles of different healthcare professionals and study treatment approaches for conditions such as kidney transplants, vascular disease, and cancer. The course also covers complementary and integrative medicine practices. You will complete a capstone project to demonstrate your understanding and skills, and upon finishing the program, you will receive a certificate of completion.
10. Harvard Medical School Pre-College Online Certificate Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,895 – $2,195; need-based scholarships are available
Dates: Multiple start dates are available year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students aged 13 and older
The Harvard Medical School Pre-College HMX Program offers online courses for high school students interested in medical science. Taught by HMS faculty, courses such as Biochemistry, Genetics, Immunology, Pharmacology, and Physiology provide college-level content through videos, simulations, and quizzes. You will apply your knowledge through quizzes and assessments, including a final exam for Academic Enrichment courses or completing open-ended assignments and a Final Capstone Project for Capstone courses. You can complete the coursework on your own schedule, spending roughly 30 hours per course, and receive guidance from mentors with experience in medical science.
11. Wake Forest University – Pre-College Online Medical Programs for High School Students
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,595; need-based scholarships are available
Dates: Several 2-week and 4-week sessions in a year
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students ages 13 and up
In this program, you can explore topics such as sports medicine, cancer medicine, psychology, women’s health, and bioscience. You watch dynamic video lessons taught by actual Wake Forest School of Medicine physician faculty and professors, which often use immersive simulations to illustrate patient care management, such as following a heart attack patient’s journey from the ambulance to the emergency room and through aftercare. Throughout the course, you will receive guidance from instructors and complete a capstone project to apply what you have learned. By finishing at least 70% of the coursework and the final project, you will earn a certificate of completion from Wake Forest University.
12. UCI School of Medicine – Pre-Med Pathway Programs: Summer Online Research Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,290; a $50 discount available for those who get registered before mid-February; scholarships are available
Dates: Session One: June 23 – July 11; Sessions Two: July 14 – August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students aged 15–18 with a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.3
The UCI School of Medicine offers several pre-med pathway programs, including the Summer Online Research Program, a three-week course for high school students interested in healthcare research. The program pairs you with a UCI undergraduate or graduate mentor in biomedical studies. Together, you will explore evidence-based medicine, learn the principles of conducting research with human subjects, and practice evaluating medical literature critically. You will also develop skills in writing structured research reports. For some participants, the program may provide opportunities to co-author a paper or submit an abstract to a national research conference.
13. NASA’s GeneLab for High Schools (GL4HS) Program
Location: Virtual (asynchronous)
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 2 – August 29 (tentative)
Application Deadline: April 9 (tentative)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors who have an unweighted GPA of at least 3.0, are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and have taken at least one high school biology course
This 12-week program introduces you to bioinformatics, space biology research, omics studies, computational biology, and data analysis. The Basic Level includes recorded lectures and JupyterLab Notebooks for self-paced study, along with optional live Office Hours, requiring about 5–6 hours per week. After completing this level, you can participate in the Capstone Project, working in teams of 4–5 to develop hypothesis-driven research proposals using data from the Open Science Data Repository, analyze datasets, and present your results at a full-day symposium. The top eight teams move on to a written-proposal round, and the top three teams receive an all-expenses-paid trip to present at the annual American Society for Gravitational and Space Research conference.
14. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center’s EDIT ML Summer Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 13 – August 31
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: High school students with strong backgrounds in computer science, machine learning, or bioinformatics
The EDIT ML Summer Internship Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center gives high school students an introduction to machine learning research in healthcare. You will explore how AI technologies are applied to support clinical decision-making and improve medical workflows. Using tools such as R, Python, and high-performance computing systems, you will develop and test models on real medical data. Projects may include analyzing large-scale medical images, creating diagnostic tools, or applying natural language processing to clinical information. The program also guides on scientific writing and opportunities to present your research to an academic audience.
15. ASPIRE by Johns Hopkins
Location: Virtual | In-person (Baltimore, Maryland)
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June – August (Summer Session) | September–May (Academic Year Session, optional)
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 15 years old at the program start date, have a minimum 2.8 GPA, and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The ASPIRE program at Johns Hopkins’ Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) provides high school students with unique opportunities to delve into diverse scientific domains through both virtual and on-site experiences. You choose a primary focus from eight core areas, including biology, engineering, computer science, mathematics, and planetary science. The program pairs you with experienced APL mentors to work on practical research assignments, which are specifically designed to hone your technical, analytical, and project-based skills. Depending on the chosen field, this work often involves tasks like running complex simulations, interpreting raw data, or providing technical support for engineering projects. This setup ensures that you gain valuable, firsthand exposure to authentic professional research environments and scientific workflows.
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!
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