FutureDoctors
Learn With Leaders
HPAIR, Harvard College

For aspiring doctors

Global Pre-Med Challenge

Public health and innovation.

Discover. Build. Defend.

One track built around real medical thinking, judged by practising mentors across two rounds. Eight mentor-led masterclasses run alongside, so every entrant is prepared for the qualifier and the live final.

Early bird entry$60 USD $90
Who can enterGrades 8 to 12
Apply for the competitionExplore the curriculum
  • One track
  • Individual entry
  • Two rounds
  • Global and online

Three cohorts run across 2026 and 2027: Cohort 1 begins 21 November 2026, Cohort 2 on 13 February 2027 and Cohort 3 on 8 May 2027. Every cohort runs ten Saturdays from its first masterclass to its live final.

What it is

One competition, one way to prove you belong in medicine.

The students we mentor are drawn to the same thing: real health problems that still need solving. This competition asks them to find one, understand who it affects, and design something original that could change it.

Every entrant follows the same route across two rounds: an opening challenge that anyone can enter, and a live final in front of a judging panel. Eight mentor-led masterclasses run alongside, so every entrant is prepared for both rounds.

The essentials
  • Open to high school students, grades 8 through 12, from any country
  • Individual entries only
  • Two rounds: an opening qualifier, then a live final
  • Live rounds run over video conferencing, so students compete from anywhere
  • All work original, with no plagiarism and no AI-generated submissions
  • Judged by practising doctors and Learn With Leaders mentors
  • Eight mentor-led masterclasses, four before each round
  • Three cohorts across 2026 and 2027; pick the start that fits your schedule
Compete

From idea to exploration, then live defence.

Follow a real health gap from the first question to a solution you can test, strengthen and defend before a judging panel.

  • /01

    Notice something

    A clinic queue, a missed diagnosis, a village without cold storage. Entrants start with a health gap they have actually seen or read about.

  • /02

    Ask the harder question

    Why has nobody fixed it? Mentors push entrants past the obvious answer until the real barrier shows up.

  • /03

    Make the case on camera

    Three minutes, one idea, no slides to hide behind. This is the Round One entry every judge watches.

  • /04

    Break your own idea

    Cost, ethics, who gets left out. Entrants find the weak spots themselves, which is how doctors think.

  • /05

    Rebuild it stronger

    Masterclass weeks turn a video pitch into a live case a panel of clinicians will take seriously.

  • /06

    Stand up and defend it

    Live, on the record, answering questions you were not given in advance. Most students never get this at school.

The track

One route into medicine.

A two-round journey from an opening qualifier to a live final in front of the judging panel.

The competition track

Public Health & Medical Innovation

Find a real health gap. Pitch a solution worth funding.

Students with big ideas, creativity and strong communication.

Not sure what problem to pick? Start with our public health project ideas.

Individual entry · Grades 8–12

Register for the competition
Round One

Innovation Pitch Video/ Pitch deck

A three-minute video pitch stating the problem, the proposed solution, and why it would work.

Round Two

Live Pitch and Judge Panel

A startup-style live pitch followed by Q&A, where judges test feasibility, originality and depth of thinking.

The rounds

Two rounds. An open qualifier, then a live final.

Round One is open to every entrant. Shortlisted entries advance to a live round in front of the judging panel.

The track

Public Health & Medical Innovation

Round One

Innovation Pitch Video/ Pitch deck

Students identify a specific public health problem, whether it involves access to care, a specific disease burden, or a gap in existing health infrastructure, and develop an original idea for addressing it. Each entry records a three-minute video pitch that explains the problem, presents the proposed solution, and makes the case for why the idea would work. The format rewards creativity and communication, letting students with strong ideas but less formal research experience compete on equal footing.

Round Two

Live Pitch and Judge Panel

Finalists present their idea live to a panel of judges in a format similar to a startup pitch competition, followed by a question-and-answer period where judges test the feasibility, originality and depth of the thinking. This round rewards students who can defend and refine an idea in real time, a skill that translates directly to clinical and research settings.

Full curriculum

Nine weeks. One competition entry.

Move through the weeks to see each live masterclass for the cohort you select. A results week follows Round One, and the grand finale is on 23 January 2027.

Week 1 · Before Round One

Live mentor-led session every Saturday, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM UTC, apart from the results week after Round One

Week 1 · Sat, 21 Nov 2026

Before Round One

Understanding Public Health Problems: Where Do the Biggest Gaps Exist? (live session 60 min)

Students explore how public health challenges emerge across healthcare access, disease prevention, health disparities, infrastructure and patient outcomes. The session helps students move beyond broad topics and identify problems that are specific, meaningful and grounded in evidence.

Competition outcome

Developing the idea and the video pitch

Competition schedule

From registration to the live final.

Registrations are open for three cohorts. Pick a cohort to see its schedule; its live final will be held on 23 January 2027.

  1. 01

    Enter

    Open now

    Register individually for the Public Health & Medical Innovation challenge.

  2. 02

    Prepare

    Sessions 1–4 · 21 Nov – 12 Dec
  3. 03

    Refine

    Results week, then sessions 5–8 · 19 Dec – 16 Jan
  4. 04

    Compete

    Live final · 23 Jan
Rules and judging

What is required, and how entries are scored.

Every cohort runs ten Saturdays from its first masterclass to its live final; the selected cohort runs 21 November 2026 to 23 January 2027.Standard entry is $90 USD per student, with early bird entry at $60 USD.

Eligibility

The essentials

  • Open to high school students, grades 8 through 12, from any country
  • Individual entries only
  • Two rounds: an opening qualifier, then a live final
  • Live rounds run over video conferencing, so students compete from anywhere
  • All work original, with no plagiarism and no AI-generated submissions
  • Judged by practising doctors and Learn With Leaders mentors
  • Eight mentor-led masterclasses, four before each round
  • Three cohorts across 2026 and 2027; pick the start that fits your schedule
Competition rules

Public Health & Medical Innovation

  • Open to high school students in grades 8 through 12, competing individually.
  • Round One video pitches must be no longer than three minutes and should clearly state the problem, the proposed solution and its intended impact.
  • Videos must be original work; unlicensed footage, music or AI-generated content in the video itself is not permitted.
  • A set number of finalists advance to Round Two, with each finalist given a fixed presentation window followed by judge questions.
  • Presentations take place over video conferencing software.

Judging criteria

  • Round One: originality of the idea, clarity of the pitch, understanding of the problem.
  • Round Two: feasibility, originality, quality of responses to judge questions.

Want to know how to prepare? Read How to Win a Pre-Med Competition: What Judges Look For. More guides on the Future Doctors blog.

$60$90

Early bird, per student

Entry fee

Standard entry is $90 USD per student and early bird entry is $60 USD. Either way it covers Round One, Round Two and all eight live masterclasses. After you submit the application you will be taken straight to the secure payment page to complete your entry. Three cohorts run across the 2026-27 season; pick the start that fits your schedule when you apply.

Apply for the competition
Mentors and judges

Who teaches, and who scores.

Masterclasses are led by current Harvard undergraduates pursuing medicine and neuroscience. Round Two entries are scored by practising mentors and clinicians.

Enaya Ahmad
Harvard '26

Enaya Ahmad

Neuroscience & Chemistry · Global Health minor

Senior at Harvard College. Researches brain tumor biology in the Shakhnovich and Rabkin Labs (senior thesis). Physics Teaching Fellow at Harvard Extension School and Director of Operations & Technology for Harvard Model Congress Middle East. Humanitarian Affairs Intern at the United Nations.

Jessica Zhuo
Harvard '27

Jessica Zhuo

Neuroscience · Mind, Brain, Behavior track

Junior at Harvard College. Researches deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression at the Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics (Brigham & Women's / Harvard Medical School). Volunteer EMT with Harvard CrimsonEMS and co-president of the Asian American Women's Association.

Rohan Tyagi
Harvard '27

Rohan Tyagi

Neuroscience & Computer Science

Junior at Harvard College. Researches neurodegenerative disease mechanisms at the Yankner Lab (Harvard Medical School). Teaching Fellow for introductory neuroscience and active mentor for first-generation pre-med students.

Han
Harvard '26

Han

Human Developmental & Regenerative Biology

Senior at Harvard College. Researches stem-cell-based therapies at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Peer advisor for pre-med concentrators and contributor to the Harvard College Global Health Review.

Awards and recognition

USD 500 in awards, plus scholarships for all.

Prizes are announced live at your cohort's grand finale, and every entrant leaves with a scholarship towards a Learn With Leaders online programme.

USD 500

Total awards for the top three finalists

Top 3

Full scholarship

Top 20

30% scholarship

All others

15% scholarship

Awards and full scholarship

Top three finalists

A total of USD 500 is awarded to the top three finalists, announced live at your cohort's grand finale, along with a full scholarship for any Learn With Leaders online programme.

Continued learning

Six months of masterclasses

Competition winners receive free access to Learn With Leaders masterclasses for the following six months.

Certification and scholarships

Recognition for every entrant

Every entrant receives a certificate of participation. The top twenty receive a 30% scholarship on any Learn With Leaders online programme, and all other entrants receive 15%.

Registrations are open.The live final will be held on 23 January 2027.

Leave your details and we will send the full brief and everything you need to be ready for the first masterclass on 21 November 2026.

Register Your Interest

Questions? Email team@learnwithleaders.com.

Rules & questions

Before you enter.

Apply for the competition