Join one of the rare high school programs that allows teens a hands-on feel for performing surgery. Students dissect and suture under the guidance of experienced instructors while studying anatomy, terminology, and hot topics in medicine. This pre-med program sells out EVERY SUMMER. Join us this summer for this exciting academic program!
The Biomedical and Surgical Research program brings anatomy to life through discussion and practice of surgical procedures. From case studies and lectures to mock surgical procedures, students spend three weeks learning what it takes to be a surgeon.
Students learn how to tie surgical knots during the first few days of the program. Once they honed these skills, they focused on the body systems and specific surgical procedures. They then explored the circulatory and respiratory systems, performing mock surgeries and blood pressure analysis using a cuff and stethoscope.
Students then focused on the nervous and skeletal systems, performing a complete cranial nerve exam and completing deep tendon reflex exams on each other. This unit included spinal cord dissection, cataract surgery, and more. Following these systems, students moved onto the digestive system, researching and presenting their personal research on diseases and treatments. This unit contains the most complex mock surgeries, with students applying their knowledge to a mock gastric bypass procedure.
Year after year, students who delay in applying find the program is sold out. Complete your application today! You can also join our mailing list to learn more about our programs. Want more? Check out these similar programs: Epidemics, Outbreaks & Contagion, Oncology or Emergency Medicine.
This is a competitive admissions summer research program designed for teens.
This program is perfect for teens looking for a pre-college medical program and for those thinking of pursuing pre-med, or are otherwise interested in careers as a physician, surgeon, MD, or working in an ER or hospital.
For example, students may learn about emergency room situations where a trauma patient is bleeding to death. They may learn techniques to stop the bleeding and how to use imaging and diagnostic tests to determine whether cracked ribs have punctured the heart wall and, if so, when to operate. They may learn about heart disease and bypass surgery as well how to implant a pacemaker. During their labs on the topic, they may implant a mock pacemaker using a real cow heart. The goal is to provide students with the feeling of what it is like to be a surgeon by working on mammalian organs as well as fetal pig specimens. In the classroom, students may research diseases that can be treated with surgical procedures and will develop their own original research project.
Cost and Session Information
Session 1: June 23 - July 11, 2025 |The Newman School, Boston, MA
Session 2: July 14 - August 1, 2025|The Newman School, Boston, MA
Remote: July 7 - July 18, 2025
Testimonials(10)
"Biomedical and Surgical Research was fantastic. Our teacher and TA are so educated and prepared. The dissections were planned well and we covered so much in 3 weeks. I enjoyed meeting all the people interested in the same field as me and my teachers were very fun and knowledgeable."
- Student Comment- July 19, 2019
"I liked learning about the curriculum and all of the different diseases that incorporate different body systems. I enjoyed the hands-on experiences in the lab and working together with a partner. I liked how at this program you are combined with a lot of like-minded individuals that look to pursue medicine and it provided me with a great learning experience from your peers."
- Student Comment- July 12, 2019
"Overall, Biomedical and Surgical Research program was a highly engaging, fulfilling experience. It was definitely a worthwhile choice to invest time, energy and studying into, especially since the material taught was of higher lever and more challenging than the material we are taught at school. Nonetheless, it was taught in a thorough and comprehensive manner by the teacher. Without doubt, Jeff was a very fun and chill teacher who was able to combine learning with an engaging and amusing environment. I had a great time with dissections (it taught me a lot) and also the field trips we did every week. The simulation was definitely one of the highlights, because it taught us to act under pressure."
- Student Comment- August 2, 2019
"I loved the topics we covered, specifically the heart. I enjoyed each dissection, particularly the heart and fetal pig. Ken was one of the greatest teachers I have ever had. He made me look forward to class and I truly enjoyed learning. He also helped me improve my suturing skills and inspired me to see my dream in becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon. Love the field trips too!"
- Student Comment- July 20, 2018
"Throughout this program, I have learned a great deal about the field of medicine, a field I hope to pursue in the future. However, teachers have not only taught me about medicine but shown how to actually perform procedures such as cataract surgery, how to suture, remove kidney stones, etc."
- Student Comment- July 13, 2018
"Jeffrey Robin has been a very amazing and passionate teacher. I really appreciate his efforts to optimize everyone's learning experience both in the classroom as well as in the lab. I loved doing the labs because they gave me first hand experience in the medical field. Through the numerous field trips and presentations that have taken place in the program I obtained invaluable knowledge that I could have not received back at home. Everything about the program has been great. Thank you Jeff and BLI!"
- Student Comment- August 3, 2018
'For me, the program was a great introduction into the field of medicine and surgery with an emphasis on the anatomy we had previously learned. Dr. Robin is obviously extremely knowledgeable in the field of anatomy and medicine and it was a pleasure having him teach our class. Some of the highlights were definitely the dissections and surgeries on the fetal pig and the cows heart. I also thought learning about all the different medical diseases was interesting. '
- Student Comment- July 15, 2016
'The Biomedical and Surgical research program was very informative and included a lot of information that was new yet interesting. The ability to dissect and see the material studied/ introduced in class first-hand was not only helpful and offered a new perspective but it was also fun. The teachers were fun, engaging, and personable. The were very knowledgeable about the material and were eager to answer questions and just engage with their students. '
- Student Comment- July 22, 2016
'I really enjoyed Tap and Ken's engaging exciting teaching style. They made their presentations both informative and entertaining. I also enjoyed the field trips I went on. As they allowed me to see amazing institutions, such as Koch center, MGH and Northeastern. I also enjoyed the dissections we did during labs.'
- Student Comment- July 14, 2017
'For me, the program was a great introduction into the field of medicine and surgery with an emphasis on the anatomy we had previously learned. Dr. Robin is obviously extremely knowledgeable in the field of anatomy and medicine and it was a pleasure having him teach our class. Some of the highlights were definitely the dissections and surgeries on the fetal pig and the cows heart. I also thought learning about all the different medical diseases was interesting.'
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