Joining a club or entering a competition is one of the best ways to explore medicine outside the classroom. You learn real skills, meet other students who share your interests, and build experiences that look great on high school and college applications later. Here are the most valuable options for middle school students.

Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad is a national STEM competition with teams of 15 students competing in 23 events. Many middle schools have teams, and if yours does not, you can start one.

Events relevant to medicine: Disease Detectives (epidemiology), Anatomy and Physiology (body systems), Forensics, and Heredity (genetics). Each event has study guides and practice tests available on the Science Olympiad website.

How to join: Ask your science teacher if your school has a team. If yes, attend the informational meeting (usually in September or October). If no, ask a science teacher to be the coach and recruit 14 other students. The registration fee is typically $60-120 per team, often covered by the school.

Website: scioly.org

Tip
Even if you do not win, the preparation process teaches you more than months of regular classwork. The study materials for Disease Detectives alone cover topics you will see again in college epidemiology.

Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)

HOSA is the largest health science student organization in the country. While most chapters are in high schools, some middle schools have HOSA chapters, and the organization actively encourages middle school expansion.

What you do: Compete in health knowledge tests, practice first aid and CPR skills, attend healthcare career workshops, and participate in community health projects.

How to join: Check if your school has a chapter at hosa.org. If not, a teacher can start one by contacting your state HOSA organization. Annual membership is approximately $20 per student.

Science Bowl

The National Science Bowl is run by the U.S. Department of Energy. Teams of 4-5 students answer rapid-fire questions in biology, chemistry, physics, math, and earth science. Regional competitions happen in January through March.

How to join: Ask your science teacher. Registration is free. Practice questions are available at science.osti.gov/wdts/nsb.

Science fairs

Science fairs let you design and conduct your own experiment. This is real research experience, even at the middle school level.

Project ideas related to medicine: Does hand sanitizer really kill bacteria? (test different brands on agar plates), How does exercise affect heart rate recovery time? (measure classmates before and after activity), Does music affect concentration during studying? (timed tests with and without music), How does sleep duration affect reaction time? (simple online reaction test with a survey).

How to participate: Most schools host their own fair. Winners advance to regional and state competitions. The top pathway is: school fair, regional fair, state fair, then the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) for the most advanced projects.

Be Careful
Do not pick a project that is too complex for your experience level. A simple, well-executed experiment with clear data beats an ambitious project with messy results every time.

Start a health science club

If your school does not have a relevant club, you can create one. Here is how:

Step 1: Find a teacher sponsor. Ask your science teacher or school nurse. They need to agree to supervise meetings.

Step 2: Write a one-page proposal. Include the club name (suggestions: Future Health Leaders, MedExplore Club, Health Science Society), mission statement (one sentence), planned activities (guest speakers, first aid training, health awareness campaigns), meeting schedule (twice a month is sustainable), and expected membership (start with 5-10 students).

Step 3: Present to your principal or activities director. Most schools welcome student-initiated clubs because they show leadership.

Step 4: Recruit members. Make flyers, announce in classes, post on school bulletin boards.

Expert Advice
Starting a club is one of the most impressive things you can put on a future college application. It shows initiative, leadership, and genuine interest, all things admissions committees look for.

Other competitions worth knowing about

National Health Quiz Bowl: Teams answer health and medicine trivia questions. Check with your state HOSA chapter for middle school eligibility.

Future City Competition: Design a city of the future that addresses a health or environmental challenge. Teams of 3 students plus a teacher mentor. Free to enter. See futurecity.org.

eCYBERMISSION: A free, web-based STEM competition from the U.S. Army for students in grades 6-9. Teams identify a problem in their community and propose a solution using science and math. Health-related projects are common winners. See ecybermission.com.

For Parents
Parents: these competitions have registration deadlines, usually in the fall. Mark them on your family calendar now. Most are free or very low cost.
Last verified: April 2026