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Medical Physician Engineers, Scientists, and Clinicians Preparatory Program

The Medical Physician Engineers, Scientists, and Clinicians Preparatory program (MPESC-Prep, pronounced ‘em-pesk’) is designed to establish a multifaceted training program designed to ensure talented, diverse high school and college students are exposed to opportunities for STEM related professional development and mentorship with the end goal of preparing future physician-scientists, physician-engineers,  biomedical researchers and clinical care providers.

High school student participants are selected from public schools in the greater Indianapolis area and must be in grades 10, 11 or 12 to participate. Undergraduate students are selected from three partner institutions with an established commitment to diversity and mentorship. These include the Weldon College of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University, Indiana University (Indianapolis and Bloomington), and Hanover College — a distinguished liberal arts and residential college that has committed to the recruitment of diversity scholars. 

MPESC-Prep considers multiple factors in determining eligibility as an under-represented student in the biomedical sciences. Factors include the consideration of Pell Grant recipients, rural students, first-generation college students, students with disabilities, students who experienced homelessness or qualified for free and reduced lunch, along with various racial and ethnic backgrounds. Please read the Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity for more information.

Apply for the 2025 MPESC program

The next MPESC-Prep summer program will be held from June 2 to July 25, 2025.

Applications are open until Jan. 15, 2025.

Three female students pose in front of a poster during an MPSEC poster session in 2022
Male student working in a lab during the MPESC program

Program Details

Both MPESC-Prep experiences have an eight-week research-intensive summer program with clinical exposure and opportunities to network with peers, higher-level trainees and faculty leaders in both scientific research and clinical care.

Students are supported during the academic year and encouraged to return to the same laboratory year after year.  As students advance through their undergraduate training they are supported in their applications to pursue professional and/or graduate school degree programs.

High school students receive a $4,000 stipend for participating in the summer program. Undergraduate students receive a $3,500 stipend for the summer program and an additional $1,300 for the fall semester experience. IU Indianapolis Campus Housing is provided for some undergraduate students on a case-by-case basis.

The 2025 MPESC-Prep summer program will be held from June 2 to July 25.

Applications are open until the deadline of Jan. 15, 2025.

Apply via the undergraduate student application

Apply via the high school student application

Contact Us

Please contact mpesc@iu.edu and Shari Parker at shupchur@iu.edu for more information.



Program Faculty Leaders

9949-Clapp, D.

D. W. Clapp, MD

Chair, Department of Pediatrics

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61576-Soranno, Danielle

Danielle E. Soranno, MD

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

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Featured Story

Tapia, Alejandro_IBMG
Pediatrics

MPESC Student Attends IU School of Medicine Graduate School

Get to know Alejandro Tapia, a first year graduate student and one of the first members of the Medical Physician Engineers, Scientists and Clinicians Preparatory program (MPESC-Prep).