Georgetown University’s Medical Academy is a one-week summer program in Washington, D.C., that introduces high school students to medicine through lectures and hands-on labs such as suturing, orthopedic casting and a patient simulator, with teaching from Georgetown University Medical Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital physicians. It is open to current 8th through 12th graders who are at least 15 and have a GPA of 2.0 or higher, in residential or commuter format. It is noncredit and ends with a certificate of participation.
The Medical Academy is one of the best-known university programs for teens interested in medicine, and one of the shortest. Here is who can apply, what a day looks like, how admission works, how it compares with Georgetown’s other science academies and where it fits among other medical summer programs for high schoolers.
Georgetown lists its summer 2026 sessions as the latest posted cycle and says summer 2027 details will be announced on November 16, 2026. Check the official page for 2027 dates.
What Is the Georgetown Medical Academy?
The Medical Academy is one of the noncredit “Academies” in Georgetown University Summer Programs for High School Students, run through Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies. The official program page says it introduces students to the field of medicine, covering anatomy and physiology, surgery, cancer and biomedical ethics, and introduces Georgetown University Medical Center, including the School of Medicine.
Instruction involves Georgetown faculty and physicians from MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Students who complete the week receive a Certificate of Participation and a final grade on a noncredit transcript, according to Georgetown’s Academies overview.
Who Can Apply to the Georgetown Medical Academy?
Students currently in grades 8 through 12 with at least a 2.0 GPA can apply, and they must be at least 15 years old by check-in. In practice, the age rule means most 8th graders are not yet eligible. International students are welcome: the Academies do not require TOEFL scores or a student visa, though health insurance is required.
When Does the Medical Academy Run?
Each session lasts one week. For summer 2026, Georgetown offered three sessions: June 21 to 27, July 5 to 11 and July 12 to 18. Each session has a residential option, with students living on campus, and a commuter option. There is no online version of the Medical Academy; Georgetown runs a separate, self-paced Pre-College Online Program.
What Do Students Do in the Medical Academy?
The week mixes lectures, labs and off-site visits, with an evening capstone project. Georgetown’s sample weekday schedule runs:
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM | Lecture, off-site visit or lab |
| 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM | Lecture, off-site visit or lab |
| 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM | Capstone project |
| 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM | Residential activities |
The labs are the main draw. The program page lists suturing, orthopedic casting, small mammal dissection and use of a patient simulator, along with skills such as taking blood pressure, listening for heart sounds, practicing blood draws and examining organs from human body donors. Georgetown’s science and medicine page also describes patient simulations and “mystery diagnosis” scenarios.
Is the Medical Academy Clinical Experience?
Not in the usual sense. The Academy is pre-clinical: students practice skills in labs and on simulators and learn from physicians, rather than working around real patients in a hospital. That makes it a strong introduction for younger students and a useful first step before a clinical program. Our explainer on pre-clinical vs. clinical programs covers the difference.
How Do You Apply to the Georgetown Medical Academy?
The application, described on the how-to-apply page, has two main parts:
- A personal statement of 300 to 500 words.
- A School Official Reviewer Form completed by a counselor (preferred), advisor, teacher or principal, who also verifies your GPA.
The early bird deadline is January 31 and the final deadline is May 15; applications after that are reviewed case by case. Decisions arrive by email up to three weeks after a complete application, as they are made. Admission does not guarantee a seat, because registration is first come, first served, so applying early gives you the best choice of sessions.
How Selective Is the Medical Academy?
Georgetown does not publish an acceptance rate or class size for the Medical Academy. The stated requirements, a 2.0 GPA, a personal statement and a school reviewer form, are lighter than those of research programs that admit a few dozen students. The bigger risk is timing: popular sessions fill, so treat the early bird date as your real deadline.
How Does the Medical Academy Compare With Georgetown’s Other Academies?
Georgetown runs several science and health academies with different lengths and depth. According to its academy finder and program pages:
| Academy | Length | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Academy | 1 week | Introduction to medicine: anatomy, surgery, cancer, ethics, skills labs |
| Medical Immersion Academy | 3 weeks | A snapshot of a first-year medical school curriculum, including cadaver dissection |
| Nursing Academy | 1 week | Nursing fundamentals and specialties, with a patient simulator |
| Biotechnology for Science and Health Academy | 2 weeks | Lab-based biotechnology for students with a science background |
| Forensic Science Academy | 2 weeks | Forensic investigation methods |
Students who want more depth than one week can look at the three-week Medical Immersion Academy. Students drawn to nursing can compare the Nursing Academy with other nursing programs for teens.
Is the Georgetown Medical Academy Worth It?
It is worth it if you want a concentrated, hands-on introduction to medicine on a university campus and you are early in high school. One week of suturing, casting, simulation and physician-led lectures can confirm an interest and give you specific moments to write about. It is not a substitute for longer-term experience, so plan what comes next.
The strongest use of the week is as a starting point. Follow it with steady school-year activity such as hospital volunteering or HOSA, and later with a program that puts you in a hospital or lab for longer. Our guide to pre-med programs during the school year covers the first step, and what to do after a pre-med program covers how to build on the week.
Residential or Commuter: Which Should You Choose?
Choose residential if you live outside the Washington area or want the full campus experience, including evening activities with other students. Choose commuter if you live within easy reach of campus and would rather sleep at home. Both formats share the daytime program of lectures, labs and visits. The sample schedule also includes an evening capstone block, so commuters should ask the program office how evening sessions work for them before planning transportation.
What Should You Write in the Personal Statement?
Write about one specific reason you want to study medicine and what you hope to learn during the week. A moment with a family member’s care, a science class that changed how you think about the body or a question about a specialty all work, as long as you explain why it matters to you. Keep it within the 300 to 500 word range, read it aloud and ask a teacher to check it. Our guide to writing a strong high school internship application covers personal statements step by step.
How Do You Prepare for the Week?
Read the welcome materials closely, review basic anatomy and medical vocabulary, and bring a notebook for the capstone. Write down two or three questions for the physicians before you arrive, and note the cases and skills that stand out each evening. If you are commuting, plan for a full day from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
An Abroad Option: Our High School Internship in Kenya and Peru
If you want longer, hospital-based experience after a campus academy, our international medical internships for high school students place students ages 15 and older in public and private hospitals in Mombasa and Nairobi, Kenya, and Cusco, Peru, for two to twelve weeks. Under supervision and within their training level, interns rotate through general medicine, pediatrics, emergency care, surgery and women’s health, assist with noninvasive tasks and join community health outreach; they do not diagnose, prescribe or perform invasive procedures.
Programs include daily medical language lessons, a global health seminar series, a mentor, gated housing with 24/7 staff, a certificate of completion and a physician-authored recommendation letter. Sessions run in summer and winter; see the program dates, and read what to expect from a summer medical internship for a sample day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old do you have to be for the Georgetown Medical Academy?
You must be at least 15 by check-in and currently in grades 8 through 12, with at least a 2.0 GPA. Georgetown states that the age minimum has no exceptions.
Does the Georgetown Medical Academy give college credit?
No. The Academies are noncredit. Students who complete the program receive a Certificate of Participation and a final grade on a noncredit transcript.
Can international students attend the Georgetown Medical Academy?
Yes. Georgetown does not require TOEFL scores or a student visa for the Academies, but students must have health insurance.
Is there an online Georgetown Medical Academy?
No. The Medical Academy is in person, with residential and commuter options. Georgetown offers a separate Pre-College Online Program with self-paced courses.
When should I apply?
By the January 31 early bird deadline if you can. The final deadline is May 15, but registration is first come, first served, so early applicants have the widest choice of sessions.
