About HEART:

The Harvard/MIT Equitable Access to Research Training (HEART) MD-PhD Summer Program was established by Harvard/MIT MD-PhD students in 2022 in response to a need for increased diversity in the physician-scientist career path. The HEART Program is a fully-funded summer program for undergraduate students interested in pursuing MD-PhD training. It is a track of the Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program. Students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine—broadly defined—are especially encouraged to apply.

Program Highlights

Over the course of ten weeks, six HEART Scholars will:

• Live with other HEART/SHURP Scholars in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, MA
• Work on a research project under the mentorship of a Harvard faculty member
• Learn how to prepare oral, written, and poster presentations of their research
• Present a poster at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium
• Present an oral presentation at the Annual SHURP Symposium
• Gain longitudinal mentorship with HEART Program leadership and a current MD-PhD student mentor
• Participate in weekly seminars and workshops
• Shadow clinicians at Harvard teaching hospitals
• Gain hands-on experience in clinical simulations and skills workshops

Financial Support:

HEART Scholars receive a competitive stipend (typically $5,000), housing near the Harvard Medical School campus, and reimbursement for travel expenses to/from Boston.

Important Dates:

Applications for the 2024 HEART Program must be submitted before February 1, 2024 via the Leadership Alliance SR-EIP website. Applicants must also complete the HEART Supplementary Application by February 1st, so we highly recommend submitting the SR-EIP application by mid-January. The 2024 program will run from Tuesday, May 28 to Saturday, August 3.

Click here to apply