The UCLA Pre-Med Summer Scholar Program is a one-week, in-person program run by UCLA Health Volunteer Services at the Westwood hospital. It introduces high school students to a range of medical professions through surgical skills sessions, imaging and pathology, CPR and Stop the Bleed training, a provider panel and research lab tours. It is open to U.S. citizens in 10th through 12th grade who are at least 16, runs 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM for five days and does not include housing.
The program is short and hands-on, and it fills a specific niche: a hospital-based week at a major academic medical center for students who already plan on medicine. Here is who can apply, what the week includes, how the application works, how selective it is and how it fits with other medical summer programs for high schoolers.
UCLA had not posted summer 2027 dates as of November 1, 2026. Dates and deadlines below are from the 2026 cycle; check the official page for updates.
What Is the UCLA Pre-Med Summer Scholar Program?
The Pre-Med Summer Scholar Program is a student program of UCLA Health Volunteer Services at the UCLA Health hospital in Westwood. According to the official program page, its purpose is to show students a variety of medical professions so they can make a more informed decision about a career in medicine.
The David Geffen School of Medicine’s pipeline programs page describes it as an intense, one-week, primarily educational program with medical guest speakers and hospital tours. It is run by the hospital, not by UCLA Summer Sessions, which is why searches for a UCLA “pre-college” medical institute often lead to the wrong pages.
Who Can Apply to UCLA Pre-Med Summer Scholars?
The program is open to U.S. citizens in high school who are current sophomores, juniors or seniors not yet in college and who have a strong desire to attend medical school. Students must be 16 when they take part, under hospital policy. The page lists no GPA requirement. International students are not eligible because the program is limited to U.S. citizens.
When Is the Program and What Is the Format?
In 2026, UCLA offered two five-day sessions: June 22 to 26 and June 29 to July 3. Students choose one session, and first choices are not guaranteed. Each day runs from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on site.
The program is commuter only. UCLA’s page states plainly that it is not a “summer camp-like” program, and housing and parking are not included. Students from outside Los Angeles need a local place to stay with family and a plan for daily transportation to Westwood.
What Do Students Do During the Week?
The week is built around hands-on stations and conversations with clinicians. Activities listed from past years include:
- Robotic and laparoscopic surgical skills practice
- Imaging and pathology sessions
- Suturing practice
- A question-and-answer panel with healthcare providers
- CPR training, plus Stop the Bleed training and certification
- Tours of basic science research labs
- A closing ceremony
Because activities can change from year to year, treat the list as a guide to the style of the week rather than a fixed schedule.
Is the UCLA Program Clinical Experience?
The program takes place in a hospital and introduces students to clinical departments, but it is primarily educational: skills stations, simulations, talks and tours rather than time with patients. Most admissions readers would see it as pre-clinical enrichment. Our explainer on pre-clinical vs. clinical programs covers how the two differ.
How Do You Apply to UCLA Pre-Med Summer Scholars?
The application is shorter than most selective programs. For the 2026 cycle, UCLA asked for:
- One short essay
- A resume
- A signed parent consent and waiver of liability
The page does not mention recommendation letters, transcripts or an interview. The 2026 timeline was:
| Step | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| Application opened | February 2 |
| Application deadline | March 9, 9:00 AM |
| Acceptance emails | April 1 |
| Enrollment confirmation due | April 15 |
If the 2027 cycle follows the same pattern, the window will be about five weeks long in February and March, so have your essay and resume ready by late January.
What Is the UCLA Pre-Med Summer Scholars Acceptance Rate?
UCLA does not publish an acceptance rate or class size. Figures on third-party websites are estimates. With only two one-week sessions, a 16-and-older age rule and a U.S. citizenship requirement, the applicant pool is narrower than for national programs, but places are limited, so a clear, specific essay matters.
How Do You Write a Strong Essay and Resume?
With only one essay and a resume, each piece carries weight. In the essay, explain one specific experience that drew you to medicine, what you have done since to explore it and what you hope to learn from a week at UCLA Health. Avoid general statements about wanting to help people; a concrete moment and a clear question read better.
On the resume, list science courses, volunteering, HOSA or health clubs, jobs and leadership roles, with dates and hours. Our guides to writing a pre-med resume in high school and getting into a competitive summer medical program walk through both.
What Other UCLA Programs Are There for High School Students?
UCLA runs several smaller programs related to health and science, many of them for Los Angeles students:
- Turner-UCLA Allied Health Internship: a one-week summer program for high school students and recent graduates, run by the UCLA Community Engagement Program, where students shadow entry-level clinical and administrative roles.
- UCLA Brain Research Institute NeuroCamp: a neuroscience program for students in grades 9 to 12; it ran eight days over two weeks in 2026 with 30 students, for Los Angeles County residents.
Details for both are on UCLA’s Turner-UCLA page and the Brain Research Institute’s outreach pages. UCLA Summer Sessions’ 2026 pre-college series did not include a health track.
How Does UCLA Compare With Other One-Week Medical Programs?
Among one-week programs, UCLA stands out for being based in a working hospital and for its short application. Here is how it compares with two other well-known one-week options.
| UCLA Pre-Med Summer Scholars | Georgetown Medical Academy | Harvard Medical School MEDscience | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setting | UCLA Health hospital, Westwood | University campus, Washington, D.C. | Simulation lab at Harvard Medical School, Boston |
| Who can apply | Grades 10 to 12, age 16+, U.S. citizens | Grades 8 to 12, age 15+, 2.0 GPA | Grades 9 to 12 |
| Format | Commuter, 9:00 to 4:00 | Residential or commuter | Day program |
| Application | Essay, resume, parent consent | Personal statement, school reviewer form | Essays, Teacher Assessment |
How Should You Prepare for the Week?
Treat it like a week in a professional workplace. Plan your daily commute to Westwood in advance, including parking or transit, since parking is not included. Review basic anatomy and medical vocabulary so the imaging and pathology sessions make sense, and write down two or three questions for the provider panel, such as how a specialist chose their field or what their first year of training was like.
Bring a small notebook and spend ten minutes each evening writing down what you practiced, who you met and what surprised you. Those notes become the raw material for essays, interviews and thank-you messages.
What Should You Do After the Week?
Send thank-you notes to the staff and speakers within a week, then decide on your next step. A one-week program works best as a starting point: follow it with hospital volunteering during the school year, HOSA or a longer summer program with more responsibility. Our guides to what to do after a pre-med program and pre-med programs during the school year cover both.
An Abroad Option: Our High School Internship in Kenya and Peru
If a week of skills stations leaves you wanting more time inside a hospital, our high school hospital internships in Kenya and Peru place students ages 15 and older in public and private hospitals in Mombasa, Nairobi and Cusco 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 and week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who runs the UCLA Pre-Med Summer Scholar Program?
UCLA Health Volunteer Services runs it at the Westwood hospital. It is not part of UCLA Summer Sessions or a UCLA pre-college institute.
How old do you have to be?
You must be 16 when you take part, under hospital policy, and a current sophomore, junior or senior in high school.
Does UCLA provide housing for Pre-Med Summer Scholars?
No. The program is commuter only, and housing and parking are not included.
Can international students apply?
No. The program is open to U.S. citizens in high school.
Do you get a certification during the week?
Past programs have included CPR training and Stop the Bleed training and certification. The program does not offer academic credit.
