Medical Innovation, Research and Entrepreneurship

One-of-a-kind opportunity to work alongside OC's top leaders

Providing the next generation of STEM leaders the multidisciplinary skills needed to thrive in the biotech entrepreneurial world. Students will work alongside OC's top leaders in innovation, medicine, science, and law. Students will learn adaptability, resilience, and problem solving through project-based coursework by solving real-world unmet pediatric clinical needs.

Course Info and Schedule

Eligibility Requirements
High school students not in one of the three participating Regional Occupational Programs (Coastline ROP, College and Carrer Advantage, ROP North Orange County ROP) or college students are encouraged to apply.

Program Dates
Virtual Orientation: Tuesday, August 27, 2024
September 2, 2024 - November 22, 2024 | Tuesdays & Thursdays
Tuesdays | 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Virtual
Thursdays | 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM In-Person at ULP
No class the week of October 28

All students are considered for need-based scholarships at the time of application. There is no application process. ULP will notify scholarship recipients at the time of acceptance.

The tuition is $1,500 - The ULP Cohort is Full

How do I enroll?

If you are in any of the school districts below please contact the respective person. If you are not in any of the respective school districts below you may use the Apply Now button above.

Coastline ROP - Huntington Beach, Irvine, Newport-Mesa, Saddleback Valley, and Tustin Unified

Laurie Eberhart, Program Assistant at Coastline

E: leberhart@coastlinerop.org | T: 714-979-1979

College and Career Advantage (CCA) - Capistrano and Laguna Beach Unified

Jillian Dean, Instructional Coach at CCA

E: jmdean@capousd.org | T :949-234-9464

North Orange County ROP (NOCROP) - Anaheim, Brea Olinda, Fullerton, Los Alamitos, and Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified

Jeff Beasca, Instructional Programs Administrative Assistant at NOCROP

E: JBeasca@nocrop.us | T: (714) 502-5893

When does the class meet?

During the Spring and Fall class meets every Tuesday and Thursday from 4:00pm - 6:30pm.

During the Summer class meets Monday to Thursday from 9:30am - 2:30pm.

How long is the program?

The program runs for 11-weeks during the Spring and Fall and is 3-weeks during the Summer.

Is there an enrollment fee?

If you are in any of the school districts below there is no enrollment fee. If you are not in any of the respective school districts below there is a tuition fee of $1,500.

Please contact the respective person below for any additional questions.

Coastline ROP - Huntington Beach, Irvine, Newport-Mesa, Saddleback Valley, and Tustin Unified

Laurie Eberhart, Program Assistant at Coastline

E: leberhart@coastlinerop.org | T: 714-979-1979

College and Career Advantage (CCA) - Capistrano and Laguna Beach Unified

Jillian Dean, Instructional Coach at CCA

E: jmdean@capousd.org | T :949-234-9464

North Orange County ROP (NOCROP) - Anaheim, Brea Olinda, Fullerton, Los Alamitos, and Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified

Jeff Beasca, Instructional Programs Administrative Assistant at NOCROP

E: JBeasca@nocrop.us | T: (714) 502-5893

Will I receive credit?

If you are enrolling through an ROP you will receive 2.5 UC-transferable units.

If you are enrolling through ULP you will not receive credits.

Who are the industry speakers?

Speakers from our previous sessions include:

George Tolomiczenko - Executive Director at Merkin Institute for Translational Research

Nadine Afari - Manager of Research Programs at CHOC Children's Hospital

Neil Sahota - IBM Master Inventor at United Nations AI SME

Murthy Simhambhatla - CEO at SetPoint Medical

Sanjay Shrivastava - Senior Director, Business Development at Johnson & Johnson

Jiaxiao Zhang - Patent Attorney

Ryan Foland - TedX Speaker, Co-Author of Ditch the Act

All that I have to say is that the MIRE program was an excellent experience. Everyone was nice, supportive, understanding, and fun. I had a great time and an unforgettable experience.

Fernanda S.

Spring 2023

MIRE helped me collaborate with others and learn to create professional pitches! This was a great experience for me to learn and grow!

Kaylee T.

Spring 2023

I want to say that this program was amazing, and it helped me learn so much. I enjoyed interacting with my group, and using my problem-solving skills.

Mariam G

Fall 2022

I loved this program, I learned so much about all the different aspects of medical research and developing a medical product or device. This program was a great opportunity for me, so thank you to all that made it possible.

Nimrat K.

Summer 2022

My favorite part about the program was the problem section portion because they provided a list of problems accompanied by testimonies of specialized CHOC individuals who explained what the problem was and how it impacted their patients.

Gupta L.

Summer 2021

Collaborating with new people and expressing our creativity to solve real-world problems was the most rewarding for me.

Alyssa N.

Summer 2020

Educator Testimonials

Rachelle Blinoff-Mudd

NOCROP

A great opportunity for students to connect with biotech industry professionals and it gives students a good perspective on all the possible careers paths within biotechnology.

Carolann Baldridge

NOCROP

It was incredible to see the students really open up, innovate, collaborate, and critically think with other students, and to really watch them interact with professionals in the field was an incredible experience.

Medical Innovation, Research and Entrepreneurship

One-of-a-kind opportunity to work alongside OC's top leaders

Course Info and Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions

MIRE Partners

Student Testimonials

Educator Testimonials