Summer 2025 Program Dates:
June 7, 2025 – July 7, 2025
The Summer 2025 Program Application is closed, please check our website in November for the next application cycle.
Helix 2022 Summer Medical Program
Helix 2019 Summer Medical Program
The Helix Summer Medical Program is a free, four-week summer program in the Bay Area that guides students through an exploration of different careers in the healthcare field. While this may change in the future, the entirety of the Summer 2025 Helix Summer Medical Program will be in-person.
Helix’s Core Curriculum is developed in close consultation with Dr. Gustavo Valbuena, MD-PhD, who is the Head of Curriculum at the Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program. We strive to ensure that our educational materials are engaging and immersive through four major themes. Students should expect to spend approximately 9 – 10 hours per week on course material, including attending guest speakers, learning seminar sessions, and watching lessons.
Students will begin working on their capstone Social Determinants of Health Project (SDOH) through carefully curated online modules. At the end of the summer program, students will have the opportunity to present their research to the Bay Area healthcare community, including providers from Kaiser Permanente and UCSF.
Students will be partnered with a physician from Kaiser Permanente and receive 1-on-1 mentorship to learn more about career trajectories in healthcare. Students will be provided with prompts and topics to guide them through their mentorship experience.
Students are introduced to various fields of health and science, such as psychology, nutrition, genetics, and anatomy.
Students are exposed to practical laboratory protocols, such as bacteria culturing, blood typing, and dissection, and learn basic emergency medical techniques.
Students network with healthcare providers in different fields and are matched with a mentor in the student’s field of interest after the program.
Requirements
AGE
You must be at least 16 by the first day of the program in order to qualify. Unfortunately, due to state regulations governing some program activities, there are no exceptions to this rule.
TUITION
We offer this program free of charge! Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support!
LOCATION
The 2025 Helix Summer Medical Program will be held in-person at the UC Berkeley campus, Kaiser Permanente hospitals, and other healthcare centers.
TECHNOLOGY
Please contact us if you require accommodations to participate in our online program.
Mandatory Parent Orientation
A parent orientation will be held in April 2025 (details to follow) in order to inform parents about the program. At least one parent must be present for the student to be allowed into the program. Paperwork and legal materials will also be due at this orientation. This is absolutely mandatory and non-negotiable. We reserve the right to rescind your student’s acceptance should you fail to attend this orientation.
Helix Medical 