The program offers a unique opportunity for high school students to conduct real science in a working biomedical lab under the guidance of PhD mentors, culminating in a research symposium.
The Scripps Research High School Summer Internship (REACH Program) is an eight-week paid biomedical research internship designed for high school students from partner schools in San Diego County. The program aims to expose students to contemporary issues in biomedical research and provide hands-on laboratory experience and mentorship. Interns participate in a three-day unpaid pre-internship training course, or "boot camp," to learn basic lab skills like pipetting. Following this, students are matched with a research laboratory and a graduate student mentor for a seven-week, full-time internship. They engage in real scientific research, running experiments, learning techniques such as cell culture, PCR, Western blotting, microscopy, and immunoassays, and reading scientific papers. The program also includes weekly seminars from Scripps faculty and structured time for cohort discussions. Students develop critical thinking, technical skills, and a deeper understanding of STEM fields. The internship culminates in a research symposium where students present their projects through a poster or oral presentation. This experience helps students determine if a career in biomedical research is a suitable path before committing to it in college and strengthens their applications for top universities and research careers.
A typical day involves working in the lab from morning through late afternoon, running experiments, learning techniques like cell culture, PCR, and microscopy, and reading scientific papers assigned by their mentor.
This program is best for highly motivated high school students, particularly rising juniors and seniors from San Diego County, who have a strong interest in biomedical research and are looking for a rigorous, hands-on experience in a professional lab setting.
Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
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