Summer Programs
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
The application for SURF 2026 will open on October 24, 2025. The application deadline is January 16, 2026. Program decisions will be emailed on or before February 13, 2026.
SURF provides various summer research opportunities for undergraduate students interested in careers in medicine and research. Participants work under the guidance of an HCOM researcher to expose students to the challenges, excitement, and satisfaction of research. Past participants have even finished the program with papers submitted for publication.
Summer Scholars
The application for Summer Scholars 2026 will open on or before November 21, 2025. The application deadline is January 16, 2026. Program decisions will be emailed on or before February 13, 2026.
Summer Scholars is a program designed for aspiring physicians from communities experiencing health care disparities or medical provider shortages, as well as those who are educationally or economically disadvantaged. For more than 40 years, participants from these communities have been selected to participate in the rigorous 4-week program, which offers an immersive experience designed to provide participants with a realistic introduction to the first-year curriculum at Heritage College and to foster academic, career, and personal success. College faculty and medical students teach courses in medical morphology, histology, immunology, and biochemistry. There are also workshops on the admissions process, learning strategies, time management, and other areas relevant to the medical school experience. Annually, the program accepts 24 applicants who have encountered barriers that have impeded their path to medical school but are passionate about practicing medicine in populations and communities with limited medical resources and access to healthcare.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SUMMER SCHOLARS
NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates
The program provides undergraduate students (psychology, social work, biology, pre-med, and education) with an in-depth, hands-on experience focused on gaining clinical research skills, learning the application of the scientific method to develop hypotheses, and training on how to design and conduct research studies on treatment-related issues for children with social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Students are also trained in the ethical conduct of research.
Learn more about the REU program
Diabetes Institute Summer Interprofessional Research Experience (DISIRE) Summer Undergraduate Program
The DISIRE curriculum is designed to educate undergraduates who may not have a background in diabetes but are interested in the field of diabetes research. It is interdisciplinary-focused and consists of online instruction, weekly seminars, journal club didactics, a group capstone project, and research with a mentor. The online course will be an abridged version of 鈥淒iabetes: From Bench-to-Bedside鈥, an existing, comprehensive course that explores the genetics, physiology, treatment, self-management, and psychosocial care of diabetes. Students participating in the apprentice-based research experience will develop research skills and build self-efficacy.