Medical Internships for High School Students

Thinking about a future in medicine or a related field? Medical school is an exciting but rigorous path. If you enjoy working in the science field or helping others through medical care, this may be the right path for you. You also may want to consider attending one of the many high school medical internships to ensure this path is what you want.

As a high school student, you should consider applying for summer medical programs for high school students. Programs range from research-intensive (working in a lab, conducting trials, comparing data) to hands-on clinical experiences (learning to suture, taking vitals, diagnosing patients) and may highlight any number of different specialties.

Medical internships may even make great gap year ideas for high school students.

They may be offered through a university, an area hospital or clinic, or a research organization, and may be open to local residents or students worldwide.

20 Medical Internships for High School Students

Medical summer programs for high school students are an excellent way for students to test the waters.

Here are 20 internships for medical field careers available for high school students.

• Achieve In Medicine (AIM-High)
• Arthritis Foundation Summer Science Internship Program
• Center for Disease Control (CDC) Museum Disease Detective Camp
• Della Keats Health Sciences Summer Program
• Health Care Career Exploration Camp
• High School Senior Summer Internship Program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
• Indiana University Simon Cancer Center Summer Research Program
• Kendall Smith Healthcare Exploration Summer Program
• Lifespan Summer Youth Employment Program
• Magee-Women’s Research Institute High School Summer Internship Program
• Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) Summer Research Internship
• Medical Immersion Summer Academy (MISA)
• National Student Leadership Conference on Medicine & Health Care
• NIH High School Summer Internship Program
• Penn Medicine Summer Program for High School Students
• Stanford Medical Youth Science Program
• Summer Child Health Research Internship
• Summer Medical Academy
• The Center of Excellence High School Summer Enrichment Science Academy (HSSESA)
• The Seacole Scholars Program

These programs allow medical opportunities for high school vs. college students to see if this field is something they want to pursue in college and eventually as a career. Research each one to find the program that best fits your needs.

Achieve In Medicine (AIM-High)

Eligibility:
High school students
Must have a minimum GPA of 3.2 to be eligible for this program

Cost:
$1200 (Day Camp)
$1800 (Residential Camp)

Location:
Nova Southeastern University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

The Achieve in Medicine program is a 5-day medical school program. Nova Southeastern University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine hosts this program and offers it to all high school students. The program allows students to gain hands-on experience alongside NSU medical students and staff.

Students can choose from a day camp or a residential camp. The residential camp is an on-site camp with dorm rooms for boarding while the day camp is a full day of instruction, events, and networking.

 Arthritis Foundation Summer Science Internship Program

Eligibility:
High school juniors and seniors
First and second-year college undergraduates
Age 17 or older
Must live in or attend school within northern California

Cost:
No cost. Participants work 40 hours per week for 8 weeks. High school students are paid $1,500 in total.

Locations:
University of California San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
Stanford University (Stanford, CA)

Over 8 weeks, you will receive hands-on experience learning about rheumatology and immunology, with a focus on arthritis and related autoimmune diseases. You may participate in either basic/bench laboratory research or patient outcomes-oriented research.

Center for Disease Control (CDC) Museum Disease Detective Camp

Eligibility:
Must be a student entering junior or senior year
Must be 16 or older

Cost:
No cost

Location:
CDC Headquarters (Atlanta, GA)

If you’re more interested in collecting and analyzing data than treating patients, this 5-day non-residential program may be for you.

While topics vary year to year, some examples include public health interventions, global health, infectious disease, chronic disease, injury prevention, data analysis, surveys, school wellness programs, violence prevention, environmental health, emergency preparedness, outbreaks, scientific communication, laboratory technology, disease surveillance, epidemiology, and public health law.

Expect a demanding but exciting experience, with re-created outbreaks, mock press conferences, a laboratory session, introductions to chronic disease surveillance and public health law, lectures from well-known CDC scientists, and more.

Della Keats Health Sciences Summer Program

Eligibility:
High school juniors and seniors
Residents of Alaska
Must meet one or more of the following criteria: come from an ethnic minority background, live in rural Alaska, be a first-generation American, be the first in your family to go to college, speak English as a second language, be economically disadvantaged

Cost:
No cost. Participants receive a small stipend to help cover food and expenses.

Location:
University of Alaska Anchorage School of Medical Education (Anchorage, AK)

This 4-week residential program is designed to foster, affirm and encourage your interest in the medical field. During your time at the University of Alaska campus, you will explore different healthcare professions and get a taste of college life.

Health Care Career Exploration Camp

Eligibility:
High school sophomore, junior or senior
Residents of Nebraska and Iowa

Cost:
No cost.

Locations:
CHI Health Immanuel (Omaha, NE)
CHI Health Lakeside(Omaha, NE)
CHI Health, Good Samaritan (Kearney, NE)
CHI Health, St. Francis (Grand Island, NE)
CHI Health, St. Elizabeth & Nebraska Heart (Lincoln, NE)

These week-long day camps provide a close-up look at a variety of healthcare careers. You will learn from experts in fields including but not limited to: athletic training, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, speech and language pathology, radiation therapy, and respiratory care.

High School Senior Summer Internship Program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Eligibility:
High school senior
Graduating from Cincinnati metropolitan area high school

Cost:
No cost. Participants work 20 hours per week, and are paid up to $1328.

Location:
Cincinnati, OH

If you’re a senior about to graduate from a Cincinnati area high school, you have the opportunity to design an 8-week non-residential internship to fit your interests in pediatric medicine.

Choose which specialty and faculty member you would like to work with and whether you’d like to focus on clinical shadowing, research, or a combination of both. Your experience will be completely unique, but you will meet with program peers weekly for some hands-on training with computerized simulated pediatric patients, a tour of the Radiology Department, and a presentation.

Indiana University Simon Cancer Center Summer Research Program

Eligibility:
Students who have completed their junior year
Must have GPA of 3.0 or higher
Must display an aptitude for science and math

Cost:
No cost. Participants work 40 hours per week for 8 weeks and receive a stipend (amount varies).

Location:
Indiana University Cancer Center (Indianapolis, IN)

This 8-week non-residential summer program is designed to expose students from underrepresented populations to biomedicine and behavioral science and encourage them to pursue careers in these fields.

You will interact with and learn from other students and faculty while conducting laboratory-based research, computer-based database research, and clinical research. You will also attend workshops to learn about professional development. At the end of the program, you will present your work.

Kendall Smith Healthcare Exploration Summer Program

Eligibility:
High school junior or graduating senior

Cost:
No cost.
A limited number of scholarships are available.

Location:
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (Park Ridge, IL)

You will spend 5 weeks learning about various healthcare careers, and immersed in learning in the hospital area of your choice, including the ambulatory surgery center, adult nursing unit, adult or pediatric physical therapy, and administrative office. At the end of the residential program, you will give a presentation about your experience. This is one of the various hospital internships for high school students.

Lifespan Summer Youth Employment Program

Eligibility:
Ages 16-18
Residents of Providence, Mount Hope, and Newport

Cost:
No cost.
Participants work 24 hours per week for 7-8 weeks and earn $8.10 per hour.

Location:
Lifespan Health System (Providence, RI)

More than 80 Lifespan youth employees are given the opportunity to explore a variety of healthcare careers and network with industry professionals.

During the 8-week non-residential paid program, you may be placed in departments such as radiology, physical therapy, cardiology, nursing, respiratory care, and more. You will gain personal and professional experience, and perhaps even permanent employment.

Magee-Women’s Research Institute High School Summer Internship Program

Eligibility:
Junior or Senior in high school
All applicants must have permanent/primary residence in the local southwest Pennsylvania region
Students under the age of 18 who are selected for the program will be required to obtain a work permit

Cost:
No cost.

Location:
Magee-Women’s Research Institute (Pittsburgh, PA)

Magee-Women’s Research Institute High School Summer Internship Program gives high school students the opportunity to participate in basic, translational, or clinical scientific research. During the 4-week program (160 total hours) you will work on your own research project under the guidance of the staff at MWRI or Magee-Women’s Hospital.

Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) Summer Research Internship

Eligibility:
Applicants must be entering their junior or senior years in a Palm Beach or Martin County high school in the Fall of 2024.
Applicants must be 16 years of age or older by the start date of the summer internship.
Applicants must be available to work full-time and legally authorized to work in the United States

Cost:
No cost.

Location:
Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) (Jupiter, FL)

This is a 6-week internship designed for juniors and seniors who are interested in neuroscience. This includes brain structure, function and development, and advanced imaging techniques, and the various technologies used in neuroscience. You will also conduct research in the laboratory, gaining hands-on experience in various categories.

Keep in mind that students are expected to work full-time but are also compensated at a rate of $11.50/hour.

Medical Immersion Summer Academy (MISA)

Eligibility:
Age 15 or older
Grades 9-12

Cost:
$900

Location:
Oakland, CA

MISA offers 5 days of hands-on skills training, mentorship, and clinical immersion. You will be introduced to medical research and step into the shoes of MD workshops.

Through the simulation lab, you will gain hands-on training of medical techniques and procedures including EKG, suturing, CPR, splinting, and taking vitals. Though the program is non-residential, you will interact daily with medical experts and leaders and have the opportunity to shadow them in a busy urban hospital and area clinics.

National Student Leadership Conference on Medicine & Health Care

Eligibility:
Ages 14-18
Must have completed at least one year of high school

Cost:
$3095-3395 (depending on location)
Scholarships are available

Locations:
American University (Washington DC)
Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA)
Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA)
Northwestern University (Chicago, IL)
Rice University (Houston, TX)
University of California, Berkley (San Francisco, CA)
University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN)

This 9-day residential summer program will give you a glimpse of all aspects of the medical field. Interactive lectures and small group workshops will focus on leadership topics such as personality styles and group dynamics, conflict resolution, public speaking, and ethical decision-making.

You will participate in clinical rounds, gaining hands-on experience in suturing, testing vital signs, tying surgical knots, and identifying cranial nerves. You will work with a team to research a controversial health issue and brainstorm interventions, then put that knowledge to the test by diagnosing and treating patients in an outbreak simulation exercise.

Guest speakers include top researchers in the medical community. Off-campus you will get a behind-the-scenes look at prominent sites around the city, with tours specifically tailored to the area of medicine.

NIH High School Summer Internship Program

Eligibility:
Must be 17 years old or older by June 15, 2024
Must be a high school junior or senior at the time of application,
Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident

Cost:
Free

Location:
National Institute of Health (NIH) (Bethesda, MD)

This internship allows students to work with some of the world’s leading biomedical research scientists. Internships last 8 weeks wherein students will join in on activities like lectures from NIH investigators, career and professional development workshops, and seminars for college preparedness.

The internship’s stipend varies yearly and depends on the level of education completed before beginning the internship.

Penn Medicine Summer Program for High School Students

Eligibility:
Ages 16-18
Grades 11-12

Cost:
$7925

Location:
University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)

Students will spend 4 weeks at the University of Pennsylvania, learning all things medicine. Join in interactive lectures and labs on topics such as transplant surgery, emergency medicine, cancer, resuscitation science, kidney disease, and sports medicine.

Try your hand at suturing, drawing blood, and minimally invasive surgical techniques at Penn’s Clinical Simulation Center. You will even have an opportunity to dissect an eye and a brain! Weeknights may be spent at scheduled activities both on and off campus, and on weekends you can choose from a variety of trips to regional destinations like New York City and Washington DC.

Stanford Medical Youth Science Program

Eligibility:
Residents of northern and central California (specified counties)
Low-income and/or underrepresented minority students
High school sophomores and juniors
B average in science classes

Cost:
No cost

Location:
Stanford University (Stanford, CA)

Low-income and underrepresented groups will be introduced to health-related career opportunities and undergraduate life at Stanford University during this 5-week residential program. You will participate in laboratory workshops, attend lectures by university professors and medical professionals, and work in the hospital.

The program’s mentoring and team approach to learning will be apparent throughout, with leadership workshops that focus on networking, public speaking, and multicultural issues. You will also receive college admission counseling and guidance in essay and resume writing.

On campus, ten Stanford undergraduates will direct the program and live in residence housing with participants. Each Sunday there will be time scheduled for family visits.

Summer Child Health Research Internship

Eligibility:
Rising senior in high school, undergraduate, graduate, or first-year medical student

Cost:
No cost. Each student will receive $3500 to assist with travel and housing costs.

Location:
Children’s Hospital Colorado/University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (Aurora, CO)

Students will spend 9 weeks researching and learning all about child health. You will have the opportunity to choose your mentor from a long list of highly respected faculty in the Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Colorado, with varied interests and areas of expertise such as stem cell biology, neuroscience, nutrition, hematology, gastroenterology, neonatology, and more.

At the conclusion of the program, you will provide a written summary and presentation of your research experience.

Summer Medical Academy

Eligibility:
Ages 15-19
Consideration is given to geographic proximity to San Diego

Cost:
$1975

Location:
Rady Children’s Hospital and University of California San Diego (San Diego, CA)

This 2-week non-residential program is designed to inspire students with an interest in healthcare to become caring, insightful health professionals. Through lectures, interactive discussions, hands-on skills clinics, group projects, career panels, and team building and networking activities, you will reflect on your motivation for pursuing a career in the medical field and identify a specific area of interest.

You may also consider the condensed Weekend Medical Academy in which you will focus on a timely healthcare topic or career field. For example, 2018’s programs highlighted mental health and nursing.

The Center of Excellence High School Summer Enrichment Science Academy (HSSESA)

Eligibility:
Students entering their junior or senior years
Must be in a college preparatory curriculum
Must have taken and passed biology or chemistry, a mathematics course, and two English courses with a C or better
Must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher

Cost:
No cost

Location:
Howard University College of Pharmacy (Washington DC)

This 6-week residential program is aimed at encouraging underrepresented minority students to pursue careers in pharmacy or other health professions.

You will learn about the expectations within these fields, sample some of the required courses including biology, chemistry, medical terminology, mathematics, and computer science, and gain career exposure in clinical settings.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will be spent in classes, and Tuesday and Thursday will be spent at clinic hospital sites. Weeknights and weekends will be spent in scheduled tutorials, workshops, and excursions.

The Seacole Scholars Program

Eligibility:
Must be between the ages of 16 to 19
Must possess a valid CNA license.

Cost:
Free

Location:
Rhode Island Hospital  (Providence, RI)

This is a 7-week paid summer internship where accepted students work on nursing units for 4 days of the week and then 1 day will be spent attending Lifespan Workforce and Youth Development training.

A perk of this program is that it offers career counseling after graduation, which can help you make connections and find employment.

How to Know if a Medical Career is Right for Me

Whether a career in medicine is a good choice for you or not is a very personal decision. While most physicians choose a career path in order to help people through science and healthcare, it is not always for everyone.

Some things to consider when deciding on a medical career path include:

• Commitment: Careers within the medical field require a huge commitment to your patients.
• Education: The medical field is always evolving and requires you to stay up to date with new information.
• Collaboration: Physicians must be able to work in a team atmosphere.
• Flexibility: Most medical jobs are in demand and require physicians and other medical professionals to work a set schedule.

Once you have a medical career path in mind, it may be a good idea to shadow a professional in that specific career. This will give you a glimpse into what to expect.

Pros and Cons of Medical Internship Programs for High School Students

Medical programs for high school students can be a great learning opportunity and overall experience. However, they are not without some drawbacks. It’s important to understand both the pros and cons of choosing a program for you.

Pros:

Medical programs offer a lot of great opportunities, so let’s take a look at the pros.

• You will get a real-life look at what it’s like to work in the medical field. This will give you a good feel if this is the right path for you.
• You will meet like-minded students who share the same passion as you do for science or medicine.
• These programs look good on college applications that show your commitment to the medical field
• You can earn money toward your college education with a paid internship.

Now that you know some of the pros, it’s always important to also consider the cons.

Cons:

While these medical programs can be a great learning experience, they do not come without some drawbacks that you should consider as well.

• Medical programs can be expensive. Make sure you do your research as to the cost of each program and what is included. Most programs do not offer housing and that would be an added expense.
• Summer medical internships for high school students are extremely competitive
• Some programs are more research-based rather than hands-on. Depending on your career path, this may not be a good fit for you.

Be sure to research the program that best suits your needs. Consider all of the pros and cons, and make sure your application is complete and submitted prior to the deadline.

Choosing a Medical Internship Program

When you are working toward a medical career, choosing the right medical internship program can be really important. But, how do you know which program is right for you? Consider these points:

• Interest: What is your main interest in the medical field? Consider if you are looking into a more research-based career or a patient-care career. Some programs are based solely on research while others are set in a hospital and offer shadowing and hands-on experiences.
• Cost: Medical programs can be expensive. It’s important to have a budget in mind when making your choice. Remember to consider living expenses and housing as well. You can also look for an all-expenses-paid program or a program that offers a stipend or pay for students.
• Time: Some medical programs require a large time commitment. It’s important to know how much time you can devote to your summer program. Do you want to spend full-time hours shadowing or researching, or would you rather spend a few hours per week? The more intensive experiences will require a larger time commitment.

It’s important to do your research before making a decision. Check out the various requirements of each program, costs, what you’ll learn, and what is expected of you. This can help narrow down your choices and choose the right program for you.

How Long Are Medical Internships for High School Students?

Medical internship programs for high school students typically take anywhere from 5 days to 12 weeks. The length of a medical internship is really dependent on what will be covered throughout the internship.

Shorter programs, like the Disease Detective Camp, hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC, is a 5-day camp where students learn about the various components of public health. However, longer programs, like the NEI Summer Intern Program, hosted by the National Eye Institution range from 8 to 12 weeks. In this program, students engage in a long-term research study.

The longer programs typically offer more hands-on experience and learning opportunities, however, the shorter programs give students an educational experience and insight into their chosen career path.

How Does an Internship Impact Your Chances in College?

When you should start thinking about college comes sooner than you may think and colleges look for extracurriculars that showcase your passion for your chosen path and your overall commitment to the program. While attending a medical program does not guarantee you admittance into college, it does show that you are serious about your career and education.

Colleges receive many applications, and many of those applicants have great overall grades, so a great way to stand out is by adding extracurriculars, like a medical program, to your application. Many medical programs and internships for high school students are highly competitive. If you’re accepted into one of those programs, it may help colleges see your potential.

Medical Internships for High School Students

A medical program is a great step toward your career path. It allows you to gain some hands-on experience and see what it is like working in the medical field.

Acceptance into a medical summer internships for high school students also shows prospective colleges that you are committed and stand out among the pack. This can be a great asset as you start applying to very competitive college programs.

Whether you are looking for a research-based medical career or one that is more focused on patient care, there are plenty of medical programs and internships for high school students. Get started today researching the various programs and choose one that is right for you! It’s never too early to start thinking about your future.