UC Irvine School of Medicine MedAcademy UCI MedAcademy

Each day runs from about 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday to Friday. Breakfast is served at 8:30 AM and lunch is provided too. Programming starts promptly at 9:00, and UCI expects you to be picked up right at 4:00 PM, when its supervision of students ends.

The week mixes lectures on topics such as clinical reasoning, anatomy and CPR with hands-on sessions. You practice resuscitation in the UCI Medical Education Simulation Center and learn the basics of suturing and ultrasound in procedure workshops. You also interview and examine standardized patients (actors playing patients) before working with your team toward a diagnosis.

Away from the simulations, current UCI medical students describe their lives in a forum, experienced faculty and volunteers teach you about being a physician-leader, and advocacy sessions cover how doctors can stand up for their communities' health. Games and team puzzles help the group get to know each other.

Bring a water bottle, sunscreen, walking shoes and any prescriptions you need in a clear plastic bag. A laptop or tablet can be handy but isn't required.

UCI wants students who do well in science classes, or have improved in them, who are interested in healthcare and who show passion and leadership at school or in their community. Improvement in science counts, so top grades aren't the only way in.

You need to be a high school student aged 15 to 19, and students who have just graduated can apply too. You must have turned 15 by the first day of the session you attend, which matters if you're 14 and your birthday falls in early summer, because you may need to pick a later week. UCI doesn't publish how many students it accepts or how many apply.

Tuition is $2,000 for the five-day session, and it's due two weeks before your session starts. Breakfast and lunch are served every day, while getting to and from Irvine each day is up to your family.

The tuition is nonrefundable, so it's worth making sure your summer plans are settled before you pay.

Partial and full scholarships are available for students facing financial hardship. You ask for financial help when you submit your MedAcademy application, and UCI then emails you a separate scholarship application. UCI doesn't publish scholarship amounts.

You apply through UCI's online application form, which opens on 1 February 2027.

1. 1

   Line up your reference

   Choose one person from your high school, such as a teacher, coach, counselor or administrator, who can speak to your character and work ethic, and have their name and email ready. Family members and relatives don't count.

2. 2

   Write your three essays

   Each answer is capped at 1,500 characters, not words. You'll write about why you're applying and what you hope to gain, an experience that shows your strengths or growth, and a health issue you've seen in your family, school or community, including what you think causes it and what could help.

3. 3

   Submit by 1 March 2027

   Upload your unofficial transcript to the form and submit by 11:59 PM Pacific time, since late applications aren't accepted. If you need a scholarship, ask for financial assistance on the form.

4. 4

   Get your reference letter in

   Your reference emails their letter to medacademy@hs.uci.edu with the subject line "Reference for (applicant name)" by the same 11:59 PM Pacific deadline on 1 March 2027.

5. 5

   Hear back in mid-April

   UCI plans to send acceptance notifications then, although the timing may change.