Prepare to make a positive impact through medicine.

The Wake Forest Summer Immersion Medicine Institute is an unforgettable experience for high school students. Interested in donning the white coat, but not sure what being a healthcare professional is really like? Gain hands-on experience in the medical field and insight into the many career opportunities available within the various disciplines of medicine. You’ll visit healthcare facilities in Winston-Salem, participate in simulations and labs, and learn basic skills like taking blood pressure and suturing.

At a Glance


2024 Dates: Week of June 9 – 14 and week of July 14 – 19

Waitlists have been implemented for both sessions of the 2024 Medicine Institute. Students may still apply, register for different institute sessions, or apply to the Online Immersion Program – study online with Wake Forest anywhere, anytime, at your own pace.

Program Length: Sunday – Friday

Who Can Apply?Current 9th – 12th grade students

Tuition: $3,000

Location: Winston-Salem, NC – Wake Forest University Campus

**Courses carry no secondary school or college credit. Upon completion of the program, an official Wake Forest University Certificate of Completion will be awarded to all Medicine Institute participants.


What You’ll Experience

Topics Covered:

  • Internal Medicine
  • Cardiology
  • Pulmonology
  • Neurology
  • Ultrasound 
  • Cancer Care
  • Surgery

 

Hands-On Experiences:

  • On-site visit to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
  • Tour the Wake Forest School of Medicine and participate in simulation labs
  • Explore technology and the latest in medical advances within the hospital including the rehab center and cardiac cath lab
  • Practice taking blood pressure, listening to the heart and lungs, interviewing standardized patients, working in a suture lab, and conducting an ultrasound
  • Interact, network, and engage with medical school students

*Hands-on experiences are subject to change.


A Day in the Life

Typical Daily Schedule
  • 8:00 am – Morning Meeting and Breakfast
  • 9:00 am – Welcome and Program Introduction
  • 9:30 am – Guest Speaker: Pursuing Pre-Med in College
  • 10:30 am – Travel to Hospital
  • 11:00 am – Guest Speaker: Research in Medicine
  • 11:30 am – Pathways to Healthcare: Medical Student Panel
  • 12:00 pm – Lunch
  • 12:45 pm – Station 1: Ultrasound Lab
  • 1:35 pm – Station 2: Birthing Simulation
  • 2:30 pm – Station 3: Respiratory Management
  • 3:30 pm – Station 4: Cardiovascular Simulation
  • 4:10 pm – Tour of Wake Forest School of Medicine
  • 4:30 pm – Travel to Wake Forest University main campus
  • 5:30 pm – Dinner
  • 6:30 pm – Evening Activities
  • 7:30 pm – Free Time
  • 9:00 pm – Prepare for Bed
  • 10:00 pm – Lights Out

*The “A Day in the Life” sample schedule is subject to change. 

@wakeprecollege #DayinTheLife of a Medicine Institute student at the Wake Forest Summer Immersion Program #WakeForest #Medicine #MedStudent ♬ Walking On a Dream – Empire of the Sun

Meet the Academic Leader

Christina Rinaldi, DO

Academic Leader, Medicine Institute 

Christina Rinaldi is currently an Assistant Professor of General Internal Medicine at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and serves as a Medical Student Clinical Skills Coach for 1st and 2nd year medical students at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Dr. Rinaldi obtained her undergraduate degree from Florida State University in 2014 then went on to complete her medical school training at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Suwanee, GA Campus in 2018. She completed three years of internal medicine residency training, as well as an additional fourth year where she served as a chief resident, at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Dr. Rinaldi’s current interests include teaching medical students and Internal Medicine residents in both the hospital and clinic settings.

@wakeprecollege Behind the door with Dr. Christina Rinaldi, Academic Leader for the Summer Immersion Program Medicine Institute 👩‍⚕️✨🩺 #WakeForest #Medicine #SummerImmersion ♬ Happy Up Beat (Medium) – TimTaj