Penn Medicine
Summer Program
In-Person for 2022. Application is now closed.
Penn Medicine Summer Program
for High School Students
Spend four weeks experiencing the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine intensive summer program designed for high school juniors and seniors interested in medical careers. Modeled after actual first year Penn Med classes, you’ll gain exposure to the basics of medical training including practical experiences, simulations and live demonstrations. Plus, you’ll live the life of a college student on Penn’s campus, located in University City in Philadelphia, PA. Experience dorm life, campus living, attend classes, and make life-long friends!
The high-tech, jaw-dropping learning spaces at Penn Medicine are every medical student’s dream. You’ll learn from highly accredited doctors and faculty at Penn Medicine who are involved throughout the program. Students sometimes get the opportunity to observe a live surgery. This is a highlight, but cannot be guaranteed. As the doctors share their stories and expose you to the many diverse specialties and opportunities available to pursue in medicine, this program will certainly confirm for you how rewarding it can be when you choose to follow after your passion.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
You must be entering Grade 11 or 12 during the 2022 – 2023 school year and you must have taken (or currently be taking) High School Level Biology in order to apply for admission to this summer program. Because this program takes place in a hospital, Penn Medicine is requiring that all participants are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
The Admissions process follows a fixed timeline. In order to complete an application for admission, you will be required to submit the following application requirements (Deadline was extended until March 11th):
- Extracurricular Activities (Provide descriptions of three extracurricular activities.)
- Honors or Awards (Highlight up to three honors or awards you have received.)
- Essay (Upload an essay. Essay prompt: “Aside from an assumed interest in medicine, why are you specifically interested in the Penn Medicine Summer Program for High School Students?” Do not exceed 300 – 350 words.)
- School Information (Include name of school, address, phone, type of school, guidance counselor information, GPA, etc.)
- Academic Transcript with Fall 2021 Grades reflecting your Biology course grade.
(Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. You will upload the transcripts yourself.) - Contact information for two Recommenders. (these are the teachers/counselors/others who you will then ask to write your Letters of Recommendation for the program)
- Two Letters of Recommendation (The first letter must be from a STEM Subject Instructor. Instructions will be in your online account after you submit your application. The recommenders will either complete the online recommendation form via a link that you provide to them via email, or they can email a traditional letter on letterhead to info@boldsummers.com). Your name should be referenced in the name of the file from the teacher.
Experience Your Summer
at the University of Pennsylvania
At the Penn Med program, you may:
- Learn CPR, first aid and emergency tourniquet use
- Learn to suture & tie surgical knots
- Learn to identify lung and heart sounds
- Learn to perform skin biopsies
- Learn to draw blood, start an IV, and perform a spinal tap
- Learn minimally invasive surgical techniques
- Attend labs in gross anatomy, pathology, microbiology and urine analysis
- Watch either a live or simulated surgery
A Typical Day at Penn Medicine
Morning
7:45 AM – Rise and Shine
8:15 AM – Breakfast and Residential Advisor check-in
9:00 AM – Walk to morning classes
9:30 AM – Classes begin
12:00 PM – Break for lunch
Each morning, you will participate in interactive lectures and teaching sessions delivered by Penn doctors and clinicians on the day’s featured topics, including surgery, emergency medicine, cancer, resuscitation science, kidney disease and sports medicine.
Lunch
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
Enjoy your lunch hour selecting from over 15 food options around the Perelman Center and on Penn’s campus. Select from restaurants, cafes, healthy take-out options or the incredible line up of food trucks that park along Spruce Street.
Afternoon
1:30 PM Classes, Labs or Simulations Begin
4:00 PM End of Afternoon sessions
Whether it’s intubations or blood draws in the simulation center, dissections or pathology exercises in the labs, this is when Penn Med really becomes hands-on. Learn from doctors, medical students and other professionals as they give you a deep dive into first year med school.
Evening
4:00 PM – Classes are out and it’s time to relax and have fun before dinner. It’s your choice: shower, do your laundry, listen to music, get coffee, visit the campus bookstore, play frisbee, join a pick up soccer game, – it’s your choice!
5:30 PM – Group line up for announcements, mail, team games, entertainment and the schedule for the evening!
6:15 PM – Dinner
7:30 PM – Evening Activity (examples might be: Casino Night, Theme Dance with a DJ, Karaoke Night, Escape Room, Talent Show, or Philly Photo Scavenger Hunt)
Campus Life at Penn Medicine
College Life
From meeting your new roommate, walking to class on the beautiful campus, eating in the dining halls, and taking classes in the historic buildings, you’ll get a taste of what life as a college student is really like. You’ll love the modern amenities, air-conditioned dorms, snack shops, WiFi and state-of-the-art buildings.
Diverse Experience
Many students come from around the world to join us each summer. Every year we hear how much students enjoy meeting people from all over the country and the world and how it opened their eyes to different traditions, cultures, countries and more.
Weekend Trips
Trips are offered every Saturday to regional destinations of your choice like New York City, Ocean City, Washington, DC, and more. Sundays are for relaxing and sometimes exploring the Philadelphia area. Trip schedule is flexible, and adjusted based on current events in each location.
Evening Activities
Bowling, dances, casino night, and more – every evening there is a planned event. Sometimes we stay on campus and other nights we’ll travel to a local venue for an off-campus activity.
Through medical-school like lectures and hands-on lab activities, Penn Med allowed me to learn so much new information and bring my understanding of human anatomy and biology to a new level.
The Penn Med Hospital, Doctors and Faculty
The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania was the nation’s first medical school! The high-tech, jaw-dropping learning spaces at Penn Medicine are every student’s dream. Students also have the rare opportunity to observe a surgery.
You’ll learn from the highly accredited Penn Medicine doctors and faculty, who are involved throughout the program. Current medical students support small groups during the practical learning sessions to ensure correct techniques with one-on-one assistance.