MEDscienceLAB
Forensics

Solving a murder mystery happens more often at the lab bench than in the courtroom. The MEDscienceLAB Forensics program will show you how. You and your forensics team will visit a “crime scene,” gather evidence, interview witnesses, test and analyze samples in the laboratory, and work collaboratively to solve a criminal case. This one-week, full-day program in a Harvard Medical School Research Lab will also incorporate realistic cases in our MEDscience Simulation Lab. Join us to explore the science behind crime scene investigation!

Program Highlights

  • Become a crime scene investigator! Your team of forensics scientists will perform medical examinations, collect and analyze evidence, and even interview and interrogate witnesses. At the end of this program you will be able to present a case and its conclusion to any police detective or judge.

  • You will learn and practice forensics lab techniques including DNA extraction, fingerprinting, cellular microscopy, PCR, gel electrophoresis, ELISA, and hair and fiber analysis. Your team will draft a laboratory report summarizing your expert opinion that tells the story of the crime.

  • During our MEDchats, you will meet healthcare and research professionals in order to explore careers in research, public health, biomedical sciences, and medicine.

  • Critical thinking, problem-solving skills, effective communication, and teamwork will help you prepare for college, work, and life! Graduates of MEDscience programs gain the confidence to take the lead and manage a team to solve real-world problems.

“The instructors, the students, and everyone in between have created one of my favorite learning environments I have been in.”

— Student

At a glance

Program Duration

One-week MEDscienceLAB Forensics
Monday 8:30–3:30 Eastern Time
Tuesday-Thursday 9:00–3:30
Friday 9:00–2:00

Location

The MEDscienceLAB Forensics program meets at Harvard Medical School, 210 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115.

Program Fees

One-week MEDscienceLAB Forensics program fee is $2650

Fee includes scrubs and all program materials

Fee includes snacks and lunch

Housing

HMS MEDscience Summer Programs are non-residential programs. Housing and travel are not included and are the responsibilities of families/guardians. Students must be accompanied at their local accommodations by parents/guardians or responsible adults for the duration of the program.

 

Eligibility

Students must be in grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 at time of application.

Students must be at least 16 years old at the start of the MEDscienceLAB Forensics program session.

Alumni of HMS MEDscience programs, semester or summer, may only apply to programs that they have not completed.

MEDscienceLAB Forensics
Program Dates

APPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER 2024 ARE CLOSED

Thank you for your interest in our programs. Please join our mailing list for updates about Summer 2025.

2024 Sessions

Session 1: June 10-14
Session 5: July 15-19
Session 6: July 22-26

Must be at least 16 years old at start of the session

Explore our other programs

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    Work a week-long shift in the MEDscience ‘Emergency Room’ at Harvard Medical School. Train in our state-of-the-art medical simulation emergency room to evaluate, diagnose and treat acutely ill patients in our immersive, one-week, full-day program. Learn and practice clinical skills like suturing, intubation, and inserting IV’s.

  • MEDscienceLAB

    Discover how lab, research, and the clinical aspects of medicine are interconnected. Starting with the patient in our high-tech medical simulation lab, then working in our HMS research lab, learn how medical problems are diagnosed and solved by analyzing patient samples and conducting experiments. Gain practical hands-on skills that are necessary for employment in current clinical research laboratories.

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  • MEDscience@HMS Dental

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