High School Mentorship in Academic Health Care Administration

Each time you go to the doctor’s office, you interact with an assortment of different people: a receptionist, a nurse, a doctor, maybe even a radiologist or pharmacist. But did you know that there are teams of professionals making sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes?

You Don’t Have to be a Physician to Make an Impact in Health Care

Academic Health Care Administrators play a vital role in managing and coordinating operations within academic medical centers, outpatient clinics, laboratories, and clinical trials.

The Department of Surgery's mentorship program offers high school students a unique opportunity to explore the various career paths in academic health care and medical research administration.

Whether you excel at writing, math, or graphic design, you’ll be introduced to a career path that suits your skill set all while learning how to engage professionally with people of all backgrounds and experiences.

Want to find out what goes on behind the scenes? Apply here!

About the Program

This 4-week program is 100% virtual. Program hours are typically three hours each day, Monday to Wednesday from 8AM-11AM PDT.

Throughout the program, you will be paired with students from other high schools and will gain valuable insights into key functions such as:

• program management
• regulatory compliance,
• budgeting, human resources,
• and strategic planning.

At the conclusion of the program, mentees will work together on teams to prepare a presentation for all mentors and team leads and take a final exam.

Who Should Apply

• Students currently enrolled in high school with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. (There is no age requirement)
• Participants can be anywhere in the US and its territories, however, program sessions are live from 8AM-11AM Pacific Time.
• The program is NOT for students interested in becoming healthcare providers (doctors, nurses, etc.)

Application Requirements

• Current high school transcript
• Short Constructed Responses about your favorite classes, extracurriculars, and presentation experience.
• A one-page personal statement describing why they are interested in academic healthcare administration
• One letter of recommendation from a teacher, coach, or guidance counselor (no family members)

*The program has been suspended for the summer of 2026.