Discovery Program

The Northwestern Medicine Discovery Program (NM Discovery Program) is a school-year health care career exploration program for Illinois high school students run by Northwestern Medicine. It is aimed at students interested in health care who may not otherwise have many chances to explore medical careers. Participants meet once a month, usually on the third Saturday from 9 am to noon. Sessions include hospital tours, talks from guest speakers, group discussions, and hands-on activities. The program also builds professional skills, offers community service and leadership experience, and lets students network with health care professionals. The Central Chapter runs a two-year program, while the other chapters run a one-year program.

Must be at least 15 years old and entering sophomore or junior year of high school (suburban chapters accept a limited number of seniors). Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Must commit to attending monthly meetings and community partner activities, with no more than two excused absences. Apply with an online student application, school transcript, and academic recommendation form. For the 2026-2027 cycle, the application opened August 3, 2026, and was due September 28, 2026. Decisions were to be sent by October 31, 2026.