UC Irvine School of Medicine MedAcademy
Irvine, United States
About UC Irvine School of Medicine MedAcademy
UCI MedAcademy is a five-day summer day program run by the UC Irvine School of Medicine for high school students aged 15 to 19, including students who have just graduated. You must be at least 15 by the first day of your session. The program runs Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the UCI Medical Education Building in Irvine, California. The week gives you a sample of medical training. You practice the basics of resuscitation in UCI's Medical Education Simulation Center, learn suturing and ultrasound in procedure workshops, and interview standardized patient actors before working with a team toward a diagnosis. Lectures cover topics such as clinical reasoning, anatomy and CPR. Current UCI medical students talk about their lives in a forum, and the program also includes sessions on leadership and on how doctors advocate for community health. UCI lists three in-person sessions for 2027: 21 to 25 June, 28 June to 2 July and 12 to 16 July. It notes that the dates may change. Tuition is $2,000, and UCI offers partial and full scholarships to students with financial hardship. MedAcademy sits inside a large medical school. The UC Irvine School of Medicine traces its roots to 1896, has 24 departments and says it has more than 1,000 faculty members.
Teaching style
MedAcademy mixes hands-on practice with classroom teaching. UCI says each day combines lectures, small groups, panels, games, procedure workshops and simulation. All of the clinical work is simulated. You won't observe real patient care. Instead, you practice on simulation equipment and with trained patient actors. Teamwork is built into the week, from diagnosing a standardized patient as a group to solving competitive puzzles with your cohort. Faculty, volunteers and current UCI medical students do the teaching.
Reputation & Succeed take
MedAcademy's standing comes from the wider medical school, because UCI doesn't publish participant numbers, acceptance rates or outcomes for the program itself. The UC Irvine School of Medicine says the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) reaccredited it for a full eight years in 2025. UCI also says U.S. News & World Report ranks it among the top 50 medical schools in the nation for research. It adds that U.S. News has rated UCI Medical Center among the nation's best hospitals for 20 consecutive years.
Our take
In Succeed's view, MedAcademy gives a curious student a concrete taste of medical training without a long commitment. Simulation, procedure practice and patient-actor interviews in a medical school building are more hands-on than a lecture series. The trade-offs are real, though. It's a day program, and UCI doesn't mention housing, so students from outside the Irvine area would need to arrange their own stay. The $2,000 tuition is nonrefundable and due two weeks before your session starts. UCI doesn't say whether you get a certificate, and it makes no claim about any effect on college or medical school admissions. We'd suggest applying if the week itself appeals to you. If cost is a barrier, ask for financial assistance in your application so UCI sends you the scholarship form.
Who this provider suits
Who should choose them
This may suit you if you're 15 to 19, still in high school or just graduated, and want to find out whether medicine fits you before you commit to a pre-med path. UCI says it looks for students who do well in their science classes, or have improved in them, who are interested in healthcare and who show passion and leadership in their school or community. It works best if you can get to Irvine every day, since sessions run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Who it may not suit
Who should skip it: students who want to watch real doctors at work, because UCI says the clinical experiences are simulated. It's also a risky choice if you can't commit to your session dates, since tuition is nonrefundable. Students who won't be 15 by the first day of their session aren't eligible. If you want a research project or a longer program, a five-day introduction is too short to give you that.
Accreditations & Recognition
Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
Frequently asked questions
Programs by UC Irvine School of Medicine MedAcademy
ProgramSummer Healthcare Experience
Organized by UC Irvine School of Medicine MedAcademy
Cost
From $1,550
Duration
1 week
ProgramSummer Online Research Program
Organized by UC Irvine School of Medicine MedAcademy
Dates
June to July 2026, 2 sessions
Location
Online
Cost
From $2,350
Duration
3 weeks
