Students who are interested in medicine find great benefit volunteering or interning in hospitals, where they get a chance to see for themselves firsthand what the field requires, and can judge whether it is right for them. Students who want to pursue pre med, especially those interested in BS/MD programs, find value in these opportunities when pursuing admissions as well, as they add to your candidacy by demonstrating your passion for your chosen field.
In this article we will examine the set of summer programs offered by a single institution, MD Anderson in Houston. This is a teaching hospital, and is associated with the University of Texas. While each hospital is unique in the programs it offers, there are similarities, and by examining the offerings of one, you may learn what to look for in a hospital. We will go through each in turn, explaining what the opportunity is, what it entails, which students are eligible to participate, and what you may gain by doing so. We will finish by explaining what admissions to these programs requires. Let’s get started!
Middle School Camp on Oncology
This is a week-long program meant for 8th graders who are about to enter their first year of high school who live in the Houston area. The camp is a week long, and is meant to introduce the students to a specific field in STEM, and by doing so increase their interest in STEM and the sciences more generally.
The camp itself is in early August (the 7th through 11th in 2023), and students are expected to be there from 9 AM through 4 PM. Students will begin each day with a group lecture, then spend the afternoon experiencing a lab setting in smaller groups, with the chance to observe the work being done, and to take part in hands-on activities.
While this experience, like most Middle School activities, is less relevant to college applications, it is still a good choice for students who think they may be interested in science or medicine. It’s a chance to experience the fields in more detail than they could in school, and see if they might have a passion for the work involved.
High School Summer Program
This program is only open to current seniors attending high school in Texas. It is aimed specifically at students who are interested in a career in health, who plan on going on to attend medical school post undergrad. While it occurs too late to impact your college admissions, it is still a very valuable opportunity for any high school students who are interested in medicine.
Seven students are selected for the program each year. The program itself lasts for ten weeks, and each student is assigned to a separate mentor within a biomedical research program, and go to work in their lab for the summer. This is five days a week, from 8 AM through 5 PM, and allows students to experience life as a researcher.
On top of the laboratory experience, you will attend seminars with faculty, participate in group activities, and have the opportunity to complete a research poster or presentation. All participants have a chance to present their individual research at the end of the program at a luncheon.
The program runs from June through August (the 5th of June through the 11th of August in 2023). While students are expected to participate for the full ten weeks, they understand that some schools have different schedules. If your school years ends after the start of the program, you can get special permission to only attend the final nine weeks.
UPWARDS Summer Program
This program is open to both high school students and undergraduates, and is meant to introduce underrepresented students to STEM fields and medicine. The high school track accepts ten students each year, who must be current freshmen to juniors in order to apply.
Accepted students are paired with a faculty member to conduct full-time research over the summer at MD Anderson. You will also take coursework and receive training in lab and research methodology. There is a $6000 stipend for in-person participants in the program.
In order to be eligible for this program, you must be an underrepresented racial or ethnic minority, economically disadvantaged, have disabilities, or be a first generation student.
DACCPM Summer Research Program
The Division of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, & Pain Medicine (DACCPM) program is a 6-12 week program open to high school students (who are 16 or older), undergraduates, and medical students who have completed their first year of med school. It provides students experience in both laboratory and clinical settings.
Participants are matched with a mentor from the division, and learn from them in the laboratory or clinic while working on whatever the mentor’s specialty is. On top of this, participants learn to conduct literature reviews, and are given a chance to present their research findings to their fellows at the end of the program.
As this is a program that matches mentors with students, you should mention any specific areas of interest in your application. While there is no guarantee of getting matched with a researcher in your area, they do try to match students with mentors based on their stated research interests.
Applying to Summer Programs
All of these programs may be applied to through a single portal, and have application elements in common. While each program is distinct, they make use of a common application format and requirements. The applications are submitted online through Slate; they open in November, and close in January or February (depending on the program in question).
The application requires the following:
- Completing the online application form.
- The supplemental demographics form.
- A curriculum vitae or resume.
- A personal statement, which covers your prior research experience and your interest in the program.
- Two letters of recommendation
- An unofficial transcript
Note that you are only allowed to apply to a single program at a time through the portal. If you want to apply to another program, you must make another account, using a new email address.
As a final note, none of the programs provide housing for any of the participants. If you are not from the Houston area, you are expected to find your own housing for the duration of the program you are attending. Most applicants to the high school programs are from Houston for this reason.
Final Thoughts
These are all summer programs, but that is the norm; high school students do not have enough free time during the school year to commit to what these programs require. Most medical opportunities for research therefore occur during the summer. For a list of other such opportunities, see our guide to summer programs.
We hope this article has given you an idea of what kinds of research summer programs exist generally, and which of the programs at MD Anderson may be right for you specifically. Of course, you may prefer to find something closer to home, or are looking for advice on how to approach the application for one of these programs. To hear how we can help you, schedule a free consultation today. We have a depth of experience connecting students with the right opportunities for them, and are always happy to hear from you.
