Baylor College of Medicine High School Visiting Learner Program: Nurturing Future Healthcare Leaders

Baylor College of Medicine is dedicated to fostering a medical community that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our society. This commitment extends to various programs designed to engage and inspire future healthcare professionals, starting from high school students and continuing through medical school. These programs aim to provide educational and practical experiences, enhance competitiveness in the medical school admissions process, and cultivate a workforce dedicated to health equity and service to underserved communities.

Pre-College Programs for High School Students

Baylor College of Medicine offers a range of pre-college programs designed to give high school students a head start in their medical and science training. These programs provide a glimpse into life at Baylor while diving into subjects of interest.

Accelerate Pre-College Program

Accelerate is a program that allows high school students to begin their academic pursuits and get ahead on core course requirements that apply to a range of Baylor degrees but are also transferable to other universities. This program offers a unique opportunity to prepare for college-level rigor.

Students can also earn conditional acceptance to Baylor through the Accelerate2Baylor pathway. Track 1 starts during the junior year, and Track 2 begins the summer before the senior year.

Baylor College of Medicine Academy at James D. Ryan MS

Baylor College of Medicine Academy at James D. Ryan MS is a unique Biomedical Magnet School that offers a rigorous health science-based curriculum to students. The academy uses project-based and hands-on learning, offers high school credits in 7th and 8th grade, and exposure to pathways in biomedical science. Every class is advanced. The academy is open to all students residing within HISD.

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Baylor Summer Opportunities

Baylor offers a variety of summer programs for attendees to explore their interests and spark new passions. These programs include immersive learning experiences, recreational activities, leadership opportunities, and team-building camps.

Baylor TIP

Baylor TIP aims to identify exceptional talent in STEM and the humanities and provide world-class learning opportunities commensurate with students’ exceptional potential. The program aims to provide transformative learning opportunities to pre-collegiate students; identify and recruit diverse students with the ability, interest, and motivation to achieve at exceptional levels; and prepare pre-collegiate students for exceptional achievement by integrating academic excellence and mentorship in a caring environment.

Honors Premedical Academy

The Honors Premedical Academy at Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University provides promising underrepresented students in Baylor’s Bachelor of Science/Medical Doctorate programs, the Premedical Honors College, and the Joint Admission Medical Program with educational and practical experiences to enhance their competitiveness in the medical school admissions process.

JAMP/DocPrep Leadership Program

Each summer, outstanding rising seniors from the Houston Independent School District and South Texas high schools are selected, along with teacher mentors, to participate in the JAMP/DocPrep Leadership Program, a week-long academic enrichment program at Baylor College of Medicine. Participants tour hospitals in the Texas Medical Center and observe surgery from a viewing dome. Program participants interact with Baylor medical students, faculty, and staff.

Medical Student Rotations and Scholarships

Baylor College of Medicine offers medical student rotations that provide a rich and dynamic experience, exposing students to a wide spectrum of patients that challenge and enhance diagnostic and clinical skills.

Emergency Medicine Rotation

The Emergency Medicine rotation provides an in-depth exposure to both blunt and penetrating traumatic injuries at the Level 1 trauma Center. Students will also gain firsthand experience with complex medical and psychiatric emergencies. The primary rotation site is at Ben Taub General Hospital, a publicly funded hospital dedicated to serving a diverse and vibrant patient population. Students also rotate through the Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center Emergency Center, a tertiary care center known for its high acuity and advanced medical services.

Visiting Student Scholarships

The Henry J.N. Taub Department of Medicine offers two $2,000 scholarships for visiting students who demonstrate a strong commitment to health equity, service to underserved communities, leadership, and the ability to overcome challenges. All visiting students are encouraged to apply. Scholarships may be used to cover travel, housing, and other expenses related to the month-long rotation. The stipend will be distributed upon successful completion of the rotation. Students are responsible for arranging their own travel and housing.

Eligibility Requirements

Rising fourth-year medical students in good standing at accredited US medical schools and eligible to participate in VSLO.
Must be eligible for rotation at BCM as a visiting student.
Students must have successfully passed USMLE Step 1 or COMLEX 1.
Must directly apply via VSLO to the BCM 4-week elective and be accepted prior to applying for scholarship support.

Application Process

Complete the VSLO/VSAS Application with all institutional requirements.
Complete the Visiting Student Scholarship application.
Complete three essays (no more than 500 words each).
Submit a Curriculum Vitae.
Submit a Medical school transcript.

The deadline for the scholarship application is June 10, 2025. Applications will not be considered until VSLO/VSAS application has been completed and accepted for a visiting rotation. Application decisions will be made within 4 weeks from the application deadline.

Developing Educators

Baylor College of Medicine is committed to the development of teachers. Teachers are trained in techniques that will help the students thrive. The program provides teachers with in-depth content and helps them understand it so they are able to take it back to their classrooms and break it down for the students so the students understand. It also makes learning fun, and when kids are having fun learning, they are storing information in their long-term memory.

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