Health Pathways & Education Outreach

This program matches high school students, in the summer between their junior and senior year of high school, with faculty members who have or are developing a research project. In the last thirty-five years, over three hundred students have participated in the SBI program and many of them are finishing their medical residencies, are working in the biomedicine or biotechnical industries, or are in medical school or doctorate programs at various universities.

Click here to view the 2026 Informational Flyer

Students are chosen each year based on their scholastic abilities. Applications are accepted from a six-county area: Merced, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, and Kings. The number of students coincides with the number of faculty available to work with a student. The faculty member, his or her staff and the SBI student work daily on this project for 6 – 7 weeks. Additionally, there are opportunities for field trips for the group to visit each other’s project site, tour local hospitals and medical facilities, listen to various speakers and participate in discussions with residents. This program is designed to enhance the opportunity for students to develop an understanding of the biomedical sciences while introducing them to a possible career in the healthcare professions. Once the summer program has been completed, students can sometimes present their projects at conferences if the opportunity presents itself. A recent student from the 2024 program presented at the Mycosis Study Group in Colorado Springs this past September! Each student will have a slightly different, but rewarding experience.

Each student works in an independent manner with a mentor daily on a research project for approximately 6-7 weeks, beginning in June until early August.

There are various field trips and experiences scheduled throughout the internship. These experiences may include a tour of the hospital, a hands-on clinical skills workshop, Grand Rounds lectures, and a trip to the Zoo.These trips are scheduled in mid to late July. There are several other local field trips or visits to different aspects of the UCSF program including informal discussions with UCSF medical students and residents, viewing surgery and selected Grand Rounds by various residency programs.

There is no cost for the program to the student. Scholarship funds may be available for eligible students to help offset the costs of transportation.

Student Eligibility

Qualifications

Currently enrolled as a junior in high school
Must be at least 16 years old by June 1, 2026
Must have a 3.0 or better grade point average
Live within the six county area that includes Fresno, Madera, Merced, Kings, Tulare and Mariposa
May be subject to UCSF Covid-19 vaccine requirements, more information to follow

Applications require

One page, typed questionnaire
Letter of recommendation
Copy of high school transcripts, including 1st semester grades of your Junior year (if available)

Selection and Requirements

Complete packet containing all required items
Internships begin in mid June 2025 and end at the beginning of August 2025
Parental permission is required
No more than 3 working day absences during the during the 6 – 7 week period

The UCSF Fresno Summer Biomedical Research Committee will be responsible for the final selection of the intern and the assignment of that intern to a mentor/project.

All Are Welcome

UCSF does not use race, gender, sex, or other protected categories or proxies for protected categories in the selection process.

History of SBI

The Summer Biomedical Internship Program was established in 1988 by a special planning committee of the Board of Trustees of the UCSF Fresno Foundation (formerly known as the UC Valley Medical Education Foundation). The Board adopted the program as a priority project to provide research opportunities to exceptional high school students interested in the biological sciences and health professions.

The SBI program provides students, at an important time prior to the college application process, with an opportunity to gain beneficial insights and experiences that allow for a more thoughtful approach to college selection. Many students receive fine letters of recommendation from their mentors as well as helpful advice on pre-med or biomedical studies. The SBI Program is now in its 37th year with more than 300 past participants

The Summer Biomedical Internship program at UCSF Fresno is made possible from the generous support of private donors and grants. The cost per student averages about $1,000.

If you are interested in supporting a student or making a donation to the SBI program, please click here to make an online donation and note in the area of “Select a Fund” as Summer Biomedical Internship Program.

Our special thanks to anonymous donors over the years for making this program possible.

Research Sites

Volunteer orientation

Each intern is assigned to work with a mentor at a site in Fresno. Some of these sites are hospitals, private offices, clinics or at Fresno State. All students are required to sign up with Volunteer Services at Community Regional Medical Center, in addition to the hospital site where they are assigned. All sites require proof of a TB (Mantoux) test taken within one year; however, if a student needs to be tested, most sites provide this service at no charge. It will take two days for test results during which time the student cannot work on site.

All hospitals require that volunteers participate in a brief orientation session, usually from 1-2 hours. The interns must adhere to all rules, policies and procedures established for volunteers at these institutions. Interns will be under the direct guidance and supervision of faculty.

Dress code

Students are asked to abide by the standard dress code of the facility in which they are working (most standard school clothes are appropriate). The Volunteer Services personnel at each site can answer any questions regarding specifics.

Faculty Mentor Information

Mentor Information From The Summer Biomedical Internship Program

Faculty Application will be available Winter 2025

Dear Faculty:

The UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program is excited to announce the 34th annual Summer Biomedical Research Internship Program! This program has served more than 200 students from over 36 high schools in Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Tulare Counties.

The students in this program are chosen on a strictly academic basis; these students are highly motivated and high achievers who want the opportunity to discover medicine, not by shadowing but by investigating. Typically, the student will help with data collection, chart review, background research in the library and on the Internet, or any other number of tasks that you or your staff need to do for your project. Each project should provide the student with structured research and other biomedical experiences involving regular interaction with faculty and residents.

The goal of the internship is to expose promising high school students to medical careers early on so they can better plan their academic future. It is also hoped that this experience will encourage careers in medical research or a healthcare profession.

This program has served as an excellent outreach tool to the San Joaquin Valley community, providing exposure of the UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program as well as furthering our efforts to recruit future doctors for the Valley.

If you are interested in serving as a mentor to a 2025 Summer Biomedical Research Intern, please return the completed request for student/project description (MS word document) to [email protected] or fax to (559) 499-6411.

The deadline for receiving requests for interns is Friday, April 3, 2026.

Alumni

Dear SBI Alumni:

To date, there have been over 300 graduates from the UCSF Summer Biomedical Internship program. We are pleased to be able to continue to offer this important program to high school students in an effort to attract them to a healthcare profession. This experience is an important tool in helping us build a bigger pipeline of healthcare professionals to care for our population.

We are hopeful that each alumnus has had a positive experience with us at UCSF Fresno. Please know that if you are an alumnus, you can help! We want to keep in touch with you to communicate with you, send you program updates and invite you to events or reunions. Please click on the link to complete the alumni form so that we can keep up to date with you. Thank you in advance for your continual support!

We value your support and feedback.

Give us an update on life after SBI, and share with us how SBI has helped you on your path!

email: [email protected]

Past Alumni participants form