Thank you all, this is very helpful.
It makes sense, joining a program doesn’t entitle him to the PI’s time, but but hopefully next fall after being with the lab the whole year and returning, he could try and ask for a short meeting with the PI. I’m not sure if the PI’s ears will perk up - statistically about 30% graduating students in that area (bio-related) go for a graduate degree so he might hear it all the time. But it’s good to know that it is ok to start that conversation.