Future Health Innovators Academy Pathway Programs

REACH Program
Reimagining and Engineering Advances in Clinical Health

The Carle Illinois College of Medicine REACH Program is an immersive summer pathway experience for undergraduate students interested in becoming physicians and exploring medicine through the lens of innovation. REACH prepares future Physician Innovators through an integrated experience that combines health innovation, research and scholarly inquiry, faculty mentorship, clinical exposure, professional development, and medical school preparation. Scholars don't just learn about healthcare challenges—they develop the skills to investigate them, understand the people affected by them, and imagine innovative approaches to solving them.  

SpHERES High School Research Program

Sparking High Schoolers' Excitement for Research in Engineering & Science

The SpHERES High School Research Program at Carle Illinois College of Medicine (CI MED) gives high school students an immersive summer experience exploring research, medicine, health innovation, and careers in healthcare. SpHERES is designed for students who are curious about science and health and want to explore possibilities—including students who are interested in becoming physicians, researchers, scientists, engineers, or other healthcare professionals. Through the program, you'll work with mentors, gain hands-on experience with research, meet people working and studying in medicine and science, and discover how research and innovation can be used to solve real-world healthcare challenges. 

SpHERES is part of the Young Scholars Summer STEMM Research Programs, which partners with engineering departments across campus to share programming and broaden the experiences for participants.

Doctor for a Day

Doctor for a Day is an event established and led by the Carle Illinois College of Medicine chapter of the Student National Medical Association, and is aimed at encouraging students to pursue a career as a physician. CI MED students and faculty welcomed local high school students to the JUMP Simulation Center in Urbana, with workshops in medical skills, including heart and lung sounds, intubation, anatomy, and laparoscopic surgery, planned for the event. The event also included a question and answer panel over lunch with CI MED faculty and students.

Mini Med School

The Carle Illinois College of Medicine Mini Medical School (MMS) program offers fourth and fifth-grade students from participating central Illinois schools an opportunity to partake in an engaging, hands-on learning adventure. The program will allow participants to explore various health professions, and dive into their passions for science, medicine, and innovation. Sessions will be held from September 2026 to April 2027.

Health Innovation Academy

At Carle Illinois College of Medicine, medical students and faculty are re-engineering healthcare by applying engineering principles and advanced technologies to real-world medical challenges. The Health Innovation Academy offers an immersive experience that shows participants how clinicians and innovators approach and solve complex problems. Students explore a wide range of medical and health careers while developing foundational clinical, innovation, and entrepreneurship skills. They also practice technical procedures in the state-of-the-art Jump Simulation Center, a safe and high-tech environment designed for early learners.

The Health Innovation Academy is part of the Illini Summer Academies (ISA) Program.