JumpStart Program for 11th & 12th graders

An educational outreach program for 11th and 12th graders who have shown a passion and commitment to pursuing science and healthcare professions at the college level and beyond. The JumpStart program for juniors and seniors provides students with an in-depth look at life as a pre-med student, medical student, and a medical professional. It provides participants with the opportunity to learn about medical careers, problem-based learning, teamwork, conflict-resolution, and strength utilization. The program also provides important leadership development skills as successful applicants will serve as student mentors and advisors for the 9th and 10th grade students in our Health Professions Enrichment Program (HPEP). VTCSOM partners with Virginia Tech’s College Access Collaborative, the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers, and school districts in southwest Virginia. This program is open to eligible students statewide with a focus on students in southwest Virginia.

We host the program in the Southwest and Southside regions. The Southwest program takes place at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine campus in Roanoke and the Southside program takes place at Sovah Health in Danville.

The program provides students with a realistic look at what life is like as a pre-med student, medical student, and a medical professional. The program consists of two Saturday sessions at either the Virginia Tech’s Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke or Sovah Health in Danville. These sessions provide students with hands-on, minds-on opportunities to learn about medical careers, problem-based learning, teamwork, conflict-resolution, and utilizing your strengths.

Students are required to remain fully engaged with the program during both sessions. As a capstone, rising 10th grade HPEP students will have the opportunity to participate in a free 4-day summer residential program at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. This summer program enriches their experience with and knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Health disciplines (STEM-H), promoting an increased awareness of career opportunities in the health professions. Our summer residential program is held in June each year.

Applications for the 2024-2025 JumpStart program are now closed.  Applications for the 2025-2026 will open in fall 2025. 

If you are interested in participating in this or other youth programs at VTCSOM, please provide your contact information so we can add you to the listserv.

Please contact us at Inclusivevtc@vt.edu if you have questions or need additional information.