At the National Student Leadership Conference on Medicine & Health Care, serving as a health professional becomes a reality. While at the NSLC, you will perform clinical rounds, learn medical examination and surgical techniques, and participate in diagnosis and treatment while solving the mystery of a fatal outbreak sweeping the nation. You and your team will grapple with controversial medical issues, learn about today’s health care challenges and explore advanced scientific research in areas such as cancer and HIV/AIDS.
College Credit is Available for This Program
The National Student Leadership Conference has a unique partnership with American University to offer college credit for our high school summer programs. The American University is distinguished as a premier global university and known for turning “ideas into action and action into service.” As a result of this NSLC/AU alliance, students attending the NSLC’s summer programs for high school students have the opportunity to take college credit classes taught by American University faculty at all NSLC locations. This credit option enhances your education within the framework of your program experience, without interrupting NSLC activities.
Read more about earning college credit through your NSLC program.
Program Highlights
Clinical experiences
Learn and practice suturing and surgical knot-tying with a surgeon
Visit medical facilities
Interact with practicing physicians, scientific researchers, medical school students and residents
Diagnose and treat patients
Participate in a challenging medical outbreak simulation
Dates & Locations
American University
Washington, DC
- June 16 - June 24
- June 28 - July 6
- July 9 - July 17
- July 21 - July 29
- August 2 - August 10
Georgia Tech
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA (Housed at Emmanuel College)
- June 24 - July 2
- July 6 - July 14
- July 19 - July 27
- August 1 - August 9
Northwestern University
Chicago, IL
- June 29 – July 7
- July 11 – July 19
- July 23 – July 31
- August 4 – August 12
Rice University
University of California, Berkeley
San Francisco, CA
- June 11 – June 19
- June 22 – June 30
- July 3 – July 11
- July 15 – July 23
- July 26 – August 3
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Washington
Vanderbilt University
Learn Essential Medical Skills from a Surgeon
Hands-On Simulations
The NSLC on Medicine & Health Care uses an interactive approach to learning that gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the challenging complexities of the medical profession. Our youth leadership summer medical programs for high school students will expose you to the techniques of doctors and other medical professionals during hands-on clinical rounds, including:
Suturing, Testing Vital Signs, Surgical Knot-Tying and Identifying Cranial Nerves.
In addition to learning these clinical and surgical techniques, you will explore other areas of study and career paths with health care. You will work with your team to identify a public health issue affecting your community. Then, you will develop an intervention to address that concern.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, you and your team will work quickly to diagnose and treat your patients in a true-to-life outbreak simulation.
Exclusive Guest Speakers
While at the NSLC’s summer high school medical program, you will meet with and learn from leaders in the medical community. In past years, NSLC students have heard from special guest speakers including the Surgeon General, the Director of the American Red Cross and top medical researchers from the National Institutes of Health and the J. David Gladstone Institutes.
In past years, guest speakers have included:
Dr. Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, National Institutes of Health
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy
U.S. Surgeon General
Dr. Rachel Brem, M.D.
Director, Breast Imaging and Intervention Center
Dr. Michael Terry, M.D.
Head Team Physician, Chicago Blackhawks
Dr. Warren Wallace, M.D.
Associate Dean for Admissions, Feinberg School of Medicine
Dr. Cindy Chang
USOC Chief Medical Officer, 2012 London Olympics
Dane Peterson
CEO of Emory University Hospital
Dr. Costas Hadjipanayis, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief of Neurosurgery, Emory University Hospital Midtown
Dr. Ira Schwartz, M.D.
Director of Admissions, Emory University School of Medicine
Tour World-Renowned Medical Facilities
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
An important part of the NSLC summer high school medical program is seeing the sites around some of our nation’s greatest cities. These trips are designed as both sightseeing tours and exclusive educational trips specifically tailored to the area of Medicine.
These trips may include:
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
- F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services
- MedStar Health Simulation Training & Education Lab (SiTEL)
- Walter Reed Medical Center
- The Smithsonian Institution
- Historic D.C. Monuments at Night
- Baltimore Harbor
- Capitol Hill
- Emory University Hospital
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Emory University Nursing Simulation Lab
- World of Coca-Cola
- Georgia Aquarium
- Harvard Medical School
- Harvard University & Harvard Square
- Historic Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
- University of Illinois, Chicago Simulation Center
- Navy Pier
- Magnificent Mile
- Texas Medical Center
- The Health Museum
- Space Center Houston
- Kemah Boardwalk
- Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Trauma Center and Learning Lab
- Gladstone Institutes at University of California, San Francisco
- University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry
- Fisherman’s Wharf
- Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square
- UCLA Medical Center
- California Science Center
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Santa Monica Pier
- Farmers Market
- University of Washington School of Medicine
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Space Needle
- Pike Place Market
- Museum of Pop Culture
- Vanderbilt Medical Center
- Grand Ole Opry
- Riverboat Cruise
- Science Museum (BodyQuest)
Leadership Training
At the heart of each of our youth leadership programs is a curriculum designed to build concrete leadership skills that will help you succeed. From the beginning of your program you will learn to work as a team during an exciting Ropes Challenge Course. Interactive lectures and small-group workshops will give you an opportunity to build upon your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
Leadership topics tailored to the Medicine & Health Care program include:
- Personality Styles and Group Dynamics
- Conflict Resolution
- Public Speaking
- Ethical Decision-Making
Your NSLC tuition is all-inclusive. Your tuition covers course materials, housing, on-campus meals, social events and transportation throughout your program.
We offer a comprehensive scholarship program to assist qualified students with the cost of NSLC tuition, based on financial need, academic merit and extracurriculars.
Fundraising is a great way to raise funds to contribute toward your NSLC program tuition while also forging relationships with leaders in your community.