Medicine Summer Schools 2025

Universities across the UK offer a wide variety of medicine work experience programmes to give those applying to medicine a good understanding of their future and equip them to have that upper edge in the interview and during the degree. These medicine summer schools can be available for students aged between 13-18 years old. We have broken these down by age so you can compare the offerings. These courses can be pretty competitive due to the wealth of knowledge they offer applicants so be sure to apply or book early. 

These courses can also be costly; however, there are many short courses available online that can subsidise the knowledge offered and allow you some insight into how that medical school may teach. For those who may meet criteria in line with disadvantaged backgrounds, you may be eligible to attend these courses for free or at a minimised cost. 

Below is an overview of the different courses you can find:

Benefits of Attending Medical Summer Schools

Medical schools require applicants to undertake work experience and this is an important part of your medical school application. There are many benefits for students aspiring to be doctors. These include gaining relevant experience in various medical settings, practical clinical skills dats and support with medical school applications such as the UCAT and medical interviews. Students will also get to network with medical professionals, who can answer questions about working in healthcare.

Medicine Summer School Topics

Medicine summer schools offer a variety of topics within their programmes, ranging from human anatomy, biomedicine and diagnostic testing such as taking blood. They may also cover healthcare systems and core skills such as patient communication and history taking. Many summer school programmes offer simulations in palliative care and emergency medicine, allowing students to get first-hand experience in different fields.

Below are my top recommendations offered by both medical schools and external providers across the UK:

Medicine Summer School

1 and 2 week programmes – hands-on medical experience in Central London

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Medicine Summer Schools by Age Group

Medicine summer schools in the UK cater to different age groups, from early taster sessions for younger students to full clinical immersion for older applicants. Whether you’re looking for a medicine summer school for 13 year old or an advanced medicine summer school for 17 year old, the table below shows what’s available at each stage and how it can help you prepare for a future medical career.

Medicine Summer School 13 Year Old

A medicine summer school for 13 year olds usually offers introductory healthcare workshops, basic anatomy lessons, and insights into medical careers. These will most likely be online or day workshop taster sessions. You might find that local STEM workshops will also cover these.

Leicester (Online and in school)

• Online talks and in-school events covering various aspects of medicine, including what it is like to be a doctor, clinical skills needed and the application process

• Experience other Allied Health Professions. 

• Available to Year 7-13

Medicine Summer School 14 Year Old

A medicine summer school for 14 year olds can focus on early exposure to medical sciences, teamwork activities, and simple health-related projects. They are usually online or non-residential days. As well as Leicester above, Keele offers international programmes for students.

Keele (International)

• Short courses and summer school programmes
• 1-6 weeks
• Teaches research skills within medicine research projects.

Medicine Summer School 15 Year Old

A medicine summer school for 15 year olds can provide foundation-level clinical skills, basic UCAT familiarisation, and an introduction to healthcare ethics. These are offered online, through short courses or residential programmes.

Many external providers like Medic Mind, Immerse Education, Oxford Royale and Oxford Scholastica provide residential/non-residential programmes for students from the age of 15. These vary in structure but include clinical skills, UCAT introduction and healthcare-related experience in various settings. You can find out more information about Medic Mind’s medicine summer school below.

Medicine Summer School 16 Year Old

A medicine summer school for 16 year olds often includes clinical simulations, shadowing doctors, UCAT preparation, and interview tips. These tend to be more in-person offerings ranging from a weekend to a few weeks. Students can also access a range of NHS work experience through the NHS Trusts, although these programmes are very competitive and offer few spaces so you will need to apply early.

Lancaster (Residential)

• They offer a joint summer school provided by a conjunction of Lancaster, Liverpool and Edge Hill medical schools.

• It provides students with an in-depth look into core skills needed to the student at an undergraduate level.

• Range of insight into societies and social life across all three University campuses

• You’ll start to tackle evidence-based learning (EBL) in group discussions as well as during independent research. 

• You may also get to participate in clinical skills and anatomy teaching which will provide you with a solid basis of progression for going into your first year at their respective universities 

Medicine WEx Programme

5 days of hands-on medical work experience in Central London

Medicine Work Experience

Medicine Summer School 17 Year Old

A medicine summer school for 17 year olds follow a similar programme as for 16 year olds and will likely feature advanced clinical skills, mock interviews, personal statement workshops, and palliative care experience.

Keele (Online/Residential)

• More research focused on critical research skills needed throughout your medical career

• Introduction to evidence-based learning 

• Insight into academic pathways as a doctor.

• A good grounding in medical ethics and research.

Exeter (Residential)

• Real clinical scenarios in field hospitals with guidance to gain insight into your potential future working environments 

• Practice important qualities of being a doctor, teamwork, leadership and empathy.

• Have talks from medical professionals covering the use of medical diagnostic tools, procedures and your future ambitions. 

For those who are unsure if medical school is for them or want to gain more experience before their interviews then medical summer schools are a great opportunity if you find the time during your busy summer. 

Among other summer school programmes run by both external providers and universities, Medic Mind also offers a medicine summer school where students can choose between 1-3 weeks. It also offers residential and non-residential options.

Medic Mind (Residential)

• Insight from Doctors & Students: You’ll learn pathways training as a doctor in the NHS and practice being a GP, an A&E registrar and Medical SHO!
  
• UCAT Teaching: Our packed schedule includes award-winning strategies proven to improve performance in UCAT. You also get access to 10,000+ Questions. – The only summer school from the list above which offers this
  
• Care for patients on simulated ward: You’ll be immersed into a high-fidelity simulated environment where you’ll deal with emergencies like cardiac arrests, confusion, and infection
  
• Learn to suture and do CPR: You’ll dive into the deep end as you’ll practice CPR on simulated dummies and learn the important skill of suturing

• Palliative Care: Spend the day at a local hospice to learn about palliative care and how to work with end-of-life care.
  
• UCAS & Personal Statement: Together we can begin your medical application, and work on planning your timeline for the next year, including writing your Personal Statement, choosing medical schools and preparing for interviews.
  

There is also an option to attend a placement at a GP practice, where you will shadow GPs and learn about patient communication in consultations, diagnostic testing, treatment plans and referrals. This is my top choice for summer school since it combines a good variety of work experience, UCAT and also clinical skills. You can use the code SUMMER100 to get £100 off.