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High School Counselors
School of Medicine Visit
UC Irvine School of Medicine provides an opportunity for high school students to visit the campus. During the visit, students will gain exposure to the medical school environment by receiving admissions information and participating in rotations through the Clinical Skills Center and Simulation Center.
Programs generally run approximately three hours. We are able to accommodate groups of 20 or less.
To request a visit, please contact Jessica Flores.
High School Students
Through UC Irvine's High School Medical School Forum, Southern California high school students considering a healthcare career experience firsthand what life is like for a medical student. During the half-day program, students view healthcare providers caring for patients at UC Irvine Douglas Hospital.
Students also receive information about medical school requirements and the application process so they can begin preparing for their journey. The forum includes a tour of the hospital, where students participate in clinical teaching rounds, observe patients being treated and witness the daily workings of Orange County's only Level I trauma center.
Participants can question UC Irvine physicians, medical students and other healthcare providers about their experiences.
UC Irvine's High School Outreach Program is a unique training experience held by the Department of Urology for Orange County students who are interested in a healthcare career. The program invites 20 students from each of Orange County's high schools to participate in hands-on instruction using the latest in minimally invasive surgical equipment. To date, more than 40 high schools have gone through the free program.
Participating students receive a half-day of training in the Surgical Education Center at the UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, where they will don scrubs, learn about the latest in minimally invasive technology by a lecture from one of our urology faculty, interact with physicians, medical students and undergraduate researchers and learn surgical techniques using advanced equipment.
In the training lab, students will spend 20 minutes at each of the following four stations:
- Suturing, where students learn how to sutures wounds and tie knots using standard surgical tools.
- Laparoscopic trainer, where students thread string through small eyeholes and perform other surgical techniques using laparoscopic tools.
- Virtual reality simulator, where students perform simulated laparoscopic procedures.
- DaVinci® robotic surgical system, where students will perform the same exercises done at the other stations, this time with a robotic system. They experience firsthand how the robot's three-dimensional view allows them to complete their tasks with ease.
UC Irvine's Summer Premed Program at UC Irvine Medical Center is an intensive, two-week program designed to foster in high school students an interest in a career in medicine. High school students who have a minimum 3.5 GPA and haven't yet entered into college are eligible to apply.
The program combines lectures from UC Irvine School of Medicine faculty members and hands-on workshops that give students first-rate exposure to the medical field. Students will also get a glimpse at the art of caring for patients at the UC Irvine Medical Center, Orange County's only university hospital and Level I trauma center.
Some of the many program activities include:
- Casting and splinting
- Clinical case studies
- College and career development
- Hospital and undergraduate tour
- Human anatomy laboratory
- Introduction to basic life support
- Nutrition and effects on health
- Physicians and guest speakers
- Robotic and laparoscopic surgery
- Suturing and intubation
- Team projects
- Vitals workshop
- X-ray and ultrasound
Students who take part in the Summer Premed Program find it rewarding:
"I never could have spent a better two weeks during the summer. Thanks to everyone who made this program the best." - Masato Yoshihara, University High School
"Everyone that came into my life from this program has inspired me to change all those things holding me back from getting where I want to go." - Westin Babyak, Northwood High School
UC Irvine's Ultrasound in Medical Education program offers middle school, high school and undergraduate students the opportunity to see how ultrasound technology is used in medicine and learn more about healthcare careers.
Program leaders demonstrate the many ways in which ultrasound works and the new ways in which the technology is used to diagnose and treat patients at UC Irvine Medical Center.
Each participant in the program performs an ultrasound scan on a person. In addition, medical and undergraduate students share the experiences, challenges and rewards of pursuing a career path in the healthcare field.
Learn more information about Ultrasound in Medical Education»UC Irvine's Center for Future Health Professionals was founded in 2007 to inspire youth toward healthcare careers and to provide guidance about how to prepare for attending a health professional school.
The center provides Orange County youth with the opportunities and resources they need to succeed through after-school mentoring programs and workshops led by healthcare professionals. The programs offered by the Center for Future Health Professionals are all free.
- High School Students
- One-on-one mentorship: High school students from underserved areas are paired with undergraduate or postgraduate mentors. The pair meets biweekly at the school site. In addition to providing counseling toward achieving higher levels of education and career path guidance, the mentor guides the high school student on a project related to a health challenge in the community. Students between 16-18 years of age are eligible to participate as mentees.
- Civic engagement projects: The Center for Future Health Professionals believes that civic engagement and service learning contribute to student learning and success, preparing them to be effective contributors to society. In 2010, CFHP provided mini-grants to faculty from different departments to promote civic engagement among high school and undergraduate students. Under the supervision of faculty, high school and undergraduates got involved in projects that strengthened our community. The applications undergo a rigorous review process by the CFHP oversight committee.
- Career workshops: Workshops are held by UC Irvine healthcare professionals from various fields at underserved Orange County high schools. During these workshops, the healthcare professionals talk about their personal path and how they chose their careers. They provide counseling toward achieving higher levels of education and different career paths.
- Middle and Elementary School Students: Small groups of eight to 10 students will meet with a healthcare professional or a postgraduate student for eight to 12 one-hour mentoring sessions. The activity-based curriculum includes team-building, the development of skills necessary to follow a particular healthcare career path and activities related to healthy habits. Groups meet for one-hour sessions for eight to 12 weeks.