Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Build a medical research proposal with Polygence during 2 weeks at UC Berkeley for high school students, then continue through 10 mentor sessions.
Rated 4.3 out of 5 for the instructor by students who took this course in 2026.
Course Description
A healthcare breakthrough often begins with a carefully framed question. Students choose a topic in medicine or public health, examine what researchers already know, and learn how to turn an area of interest into a focused study that could produce useful evidence.
The academy introduces literature review, research ethics, qualitative and quantitative methods, data collection, analysis, and community-engaged research. Students practice writing PICO questions, evaluate source quality through a literature scavenger hunt, work through a data challenge, and consider the budget and ethical choices behind clinical research. Abstract and visual-data workshops help them communicate the logic of a study clearly.
This hybrid academy combines an on-campus experience with Polygence’s Core Research Program. During the campus program, each student develops a medical research proposal, abstract, and professional scientific poster, then presents the work in a symposium-style setting. Afterward, students join a virtual cohort and are matched 1:1 with a Polygence research mentor in their field of interest. Across 10 virtual sessions, the mentor helps each student continue the project at an individual pace toward a research paper, symposium presentation, podcast, or another appropriate final format.
This two-week full-day academy is part of Summer Discovery at UC Berkeley, held on the university’s campus. Students spend the full program focused on one intensive academy. The academy is available to residential and commuter students. Beyond class, students connect focused academic work with campus life, growing independence, and clearer direction about what students may want to study or pursue next.
What Will You Do?
• Build a medical research timeline and investigate how evidence develops
• Search and evaluate scientific literature for quality and relevance
• Formulate a focused research question using the PICO framework
• Design a study and address data, budget, and ethical considerations
• Write an abstract and create visual material for a scientific poster
• Present and defend a proposal in a mock research symposium
• Continue the project through Polygence’s Core Research Program and 10 one-to-one virtual mentor sessions
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Formulate a researchable medicine or public-health question from scientific literature
• Design and justify an ethical study using appropriate methods and data
• Communicate a research proposal through an abstract, poster, and oral presentation
Students will leave the campus program with a medical research proposal and scientific poster, a plan for continuing the project through Polygence mentorship, stronger evidence and communication skills, and clearer direction for further study.
Why Medical Research Skills Matter?
Medical research skills help students distinguish a compelling health question from one that can actually be investigated. They learn to trace a claim to evidence, judge the quality of a source, choose methods that fit the question, and consider how study design affects the conclusions that can be drawn.
Ethics and community-engagement exercises add another layer. A technically sound project must also consider consent, risk, representation, and the people affected by the research. Writing an abstract and building a poster develop precision because students must explain purpose, methods, and significance without hiding behind jargon. These habits support future work in medicine, public health, biology, health policy, and other evidence-driven fields.
Who Should Attend?
This academy is for high school students who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and want to investigate how medical and public-health knowledge is produced. It fits students interested in medicine, biology, epidemiology, health policy, data, or research and those who want to test an academic interest through a substantial independent proposal.
Students do not need a completed research question before arriving. They should be ready to read scientific material, work steadily on one topic, revise after feedback, and discuss ethics with care. The course is a strong fit for students who enjoy asking what evidence supports a healthcare claim and how a better study could answer what remains uncertain.
Students should also be ready to continue after the campus program through 10 one-to-one virtual sessions with a Polygence mentor matched to their field of interest.
Recommended Program
Based on students surveyed in Summer Discovery’s 2026 UC Berkeley program.
Why UC Berkeley?
UC Berkeley gives high-school students the opportunity to pursue serious academic exploration in a campus environment shaped by scientific inquiry, new ideas, and an active connection to the wider Bay Area. The Berkeley Hills, distinctive architecture, and green spaces make the experience feel different from an ordinary school routine.
Students learn alongside peers, become more independent, and experience the pace and possibility of university life. The Bay Area context adds exposure to a region influenced by research, technology, entrepreneurship, culture, and public debate. For families, the value is not campus prestige alone. It is the combination of academic depth, community, and a student gaining clearer insight into the subjects, environments, and possible directions that genuinely motivate them.
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive