Medical Scholars Program

Welcome to one of the most advanced, hands on medical mentorship programs in the country for high school students with a passion for service. This immersive program is offered as part of the Osborne Head and Neck Foundation’s Medical Academy and provides accepted Scholars with unprecedented access to opportunities typically reserved for medical students.

Ready to get started? Learn More Below.


Youth Leaders of Global Change

Our goal is to inspire the next generation of leaders to make a difference in the world through a profession rooted in community. Medicine is not simply a career, it’s a life’s passion and a vehicle for change.

In the Medical Academy students learn about the realities of what it takes to pursue and practice medicine for the betterment of humanity through hands on experience.


Explore the Medical Scholars program

What Is The Foundation?

The Osborne Head and Neck Foundation changes lives through medical, educational, and business development programs that build stronger and healthier communities.

Our network of compassionate supporters invest in humanitarian programs all over the world, including Medical Missions, need based surgical and clinical care, and Impact Missions focused on lifting children out of poverty.

The Medical Academy strives to inspire future leaders in medicine to join our organization and continue to care for the most vulnerable among us, long into the future. Learn more about our services here.

About the Medical Scholars Program

This highly competitive program is the prerequisite for Medical Mission participation and Internships through the Foundation’s Medical Academy. It is geared towards high school students who will be starting their junior or senior year in the fall of the upcoming academic year and is designed around connection and collaboration. A significant time commitment and a high level of professionalism are required of all accepted Scholars.

Dates: June 10, 2024 – June 28, 2024
Academic Level: High School Students in 10 – 12th grade
Scholarship Value: $8,000 – Private donors and corporate sponsors cover the operational expenses of students accepted into the program, ensuring a diverse pool of applicants from all backgrounds. Incidentals not covered include masks, Covid-19 testing, scrubs, and lab coats.

Program Features

  • Facilitated as a hybrid in-person and remote learning experience for Los Angeles based students. Remote learning is also available for accepted students outside the geographical area of LA County.
  • Mentors include some of the countries most well respected medical experts from over a dozen disciplines.
  • Meet the program faculty here.
  • OR Orientation and OR scrub-in techniques
  • Hands-on laboratory training including suturing and knot tying
  • Introduction to clinical rounds; taking vitals, bedside manor and more
  • Medical School interview and application guidance
  • Opportunities for medical writing and publication
  • Grand Rounds presentation
  • Didactics and practicals
  • Connection with like-minded peers and leaders, forming a lifetime of mentorship and support

Medical Disciplines featured

Our faculty and mentors include some of the countries most well respected medical experts in a wide range of disciplines. Student Scholars learn about potential career paths, cutting edge medical procedures, and the academic trajectory of each discipline. Explore past subject matter below and get to know your mentors.

  • ANESTHESIA
  • COLORECTAL SURGERY
  • CYTOPATHOLOGY
  • DERMATOLOGY
  • EMERGENCY MEDICINE
  • FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY
  • GYNECOLOGY
  • NEUROSURGERY
  • OBSTETRICS
  • OPHTHALMOLOGY
  • ORTHOPEDICS – SPINE SPECIALIST
  • OTOLARYNGOLOGY
  • PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE
  • PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGIST
  • RADIOLOGY
  • RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
  • THORACIC SURGERY

Welcome to Your Community

The Alumni Network fosters a community of Medical Academy graduates who work together and create opportunities to volunteer, mentor, and lead in ways that we can make a positive impact in the world.

Together we support each other in our personal goals, empower each other to create positive change in our own communities, and strive to live a life that uses our talents and encourages others to do the same.

How To Apply:

2024 scholarship application is Now Closed.
All applicants will be emailed regardless of acceptance by May 3, 2024.

What You Will Need
All documents must be submitted as a PDFs

  • A gmail account is required to upload your documents
  • Cover sheet (see sample)
  • School Transcript
  • Personal Essay (see additional instructions below)
  • Letter of recommendation from a teacher
  • Letter of recommendation from a school counselor
  • Resume including education, volunteer, work experience, extracurricular activities, awards and leadership positions. No more than 2 pages.

Personal Essay

This is your time to shine. We want to learn who you authentically are, what motivates you and the impact you hope to make in the world.

Your essay should broadly answer two questions; “Why am I interested in a career in medicine?” and “Why do I want to participate in the Medical Scholars Program?”

Format Requirements: 12 point font, 1 – 1.5 pages

School counselors and teachers may upload their letters of recommendation here.

Student Reviews

Name: Waynelle Ize-Iyamu
High School: Viewpoint School
Grade: 12
College Plans: I plan to attend a 4 year university and then Medical School

WHY WAYNELLE APPLIED TO THE OHNI STUDENT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM: I have always been told I was going to be a doctor, but I also love biology, anatomy, and many sciences, so I wanted to do this program to help gain insight on if I actually wanted to be a doctor or was it outside influences? I also applied because I wanted to learn about applying to medical school and be able to talk to professional doctors about all the question I had. The program is very intellectually engaging and I applied because I wanted to know if I could intellectually perform at a such a high intensity for a prolonged amount of time and still enjoy what I’m doing.

PROGRAM REVIEW: The program accomplished all the things I hoped it would do. I was able to definitively answer my question on if I really wanted to be a doctor or was it my parents instilling their beliefs on me. I learned new skills like writing SOAP notes, suturing, and holding long professional conversations with adults. This program helped me gain confidence in my intellectual abilities, my dreams and changed my outlook on life. MSP relies on more than just intellect it also requires and teaches teamwork, communication, confidence, practicality, and empathy.


Name: Natalie Glassman
High School: Culver City High School
Grade: 12
College Plans: 4 Year University

WHY NATALIE APPLIED TO THE OHNI STUDENT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM: I applied to the Medical Scholars Program because I wanted an authentic view of the medical field and the opportunity to get an early start on my education. I was also looking for a program that would offer me hands-on experience, and MSP seemed like the perfect place to get that.

PROGRAM REVIEW: I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into this program, but it far exceeded any expectations that I did have. From the very first day, we were immersed in the medical world and we got to participate in activities that high school students likely wouldn’t have the opportunity to do anywhere else. The doctors were always interested in teaching us and making sure we understood what was going on, whether that be in clinic or in surgery. Getting to see how the doctors interact with patients, and getting to interact with patients ourselves, was invaluable and taught me lessons that I’ll carry with me in the future. Besides all of the medical knowledge I gained, I also formed amazing relationships. As students, we bonded so quickly with both one another and with the OHNI team, and if I had the choice I would repeat the program in a heartbeat.


Name: Malaika Jamal
High School: Granada Hills Charter High School
Grade: 12
College Plans: Attend a 4-Year University; Major: Biology, Minor: Neuroscience; Pre-Med

WHY MALAIKA APPLIED TO THE OHNI STUDENT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM: I applied to this amazing program because I believed that this invaluable and rewarding opportunity would give me the professional opportunity to kick-start my career and achieve academic success. I hoped that participation in this program would permit me to make the best progress toward my ambition, satisfy the demands of my interest in medicine, and make a positive impact in my life. I wanted to meet people who could inspire me, challenge me, and teach me about all aspects of medicine so that I one day could enter this profession.

PROGRAM REVIEW: This program has been one of the most insightful and rewarding programs that I have ever been to. I am truly grateful to have been able to gain this experience. OHNI exceeded my expectations in every possible way. I was able to gain an accurate representation of what it is like to be in the medical field and I concluded the program feeling much more confident about my decision to pursue a career in medicine. I was able to see surgery for the first time and I was exposed to concepts that I did not really give much thought to such as medical ethics, importance of trust, and looking at things from a different point of view.
I honestly loved how the program challenged me. Regardless of where my knowledge was at, each question was met with an answer and each doctor was able to thoroughly explain and further my insight.
I was able to grow as a person because all of the doctors really become your role models and are there to make sure that you have the best experience. From amazing people to amazing life lessons, I could not have spent my summer at a more amazing internship.
OHNI is definitely the place to be because I know that I would never want to leave!


Name: Sarp Kurtoglu
High School: Beverly Hills High School
Grade: 11
College Plans: 4 year university

WHY SARP APPLIED TO THE OHNI STUDENT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM: I knew that I wanted to do medicine as a career because of my strength and interest in biological sciences. However, I did not know what I was going into. I wanted a real experience that could show me all of the aspects of medicine and patient care.

PROGRAM REVIEW: It was a very unique experience. The doctors, the staff, their vision, and the clinic are very unique. This program helped me understand that I want to go into medicine. They showed us all the aspects of medicine, from ethics to suturing to patient communication to the doctors’ responsibility. I really appreciated that all of the staff and doctors gave us this opportunity.