20 Medical Internships for High School Students
Among the varied career aspirations of academically successful high school students, becoming a physician is often near the top. Practicing medicine is a demanding career with a long training commitment, but one that can be incredibly rewarding for those who embrace the journey.
Additionally, becoming a doctor is by no means the only path into medicine, a field with a vast range of career possibilities in caretaking, policy, and management. In high school, students can take advantage of opportunities to shadow or intern in hospital and care administration settings, not only to boost their extracurricular profile on their college applications, but more importantly, to explore different career paths within medicine.
By spending time in a medical environment, high schoolers can begin to decide for themselves whether a career in medicine is right for them and, if so, how they would like to be involved in the healthcare apparatus, be it in clinical work, drug discovery and development, or hospital administration. The best way for high school students to develop informed opinions on this range of occupational prospects is to participate in a medical internship.
High school students more broadly interested in the biological sciences, be sure to check out our blog post on 25 biology internships for high schoolers. Also, for students with interest in biotechnology and applications of artificial intelligence to medicine, you may be a good fit for InspiritAI’s AI Scholars Program, in which you will develop an AI for Social Good Project and learn how computer science can enhance your work through a project in AI + Biology or AI + Healthcare. Otherwise, here are:
20 Medical Internships for High School Students
1. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Students from diverse backgrounds are invited to perform basic research with Stanford faculty and fellows at this eight-week program focusing on a medically oriented project. The goals of the program include increasing interest in biological sciences and medicine in high schoolers, helping students understand how scientific research is performed, and increasing diversity of students and researchers in STEM.
2. Fred Hutch Cancer Center Summer High School Internship (SHIP)
The SHIP is an eight-week paid internship for high school students including one week of hands-on training in lab techniques and seven weeks of supervised work in a Fred Hutch faculty member’s research lab. Participating high school students also attend weekly workshops and seminars in addition to making a final presentation during the final week of the internship.
3. Harvard Medical School Project Success
“Project Success: Opening the Door to Biomedical Careers” is a program for Boston and Cambridge high school students, particularly underrepresented students, to participate in paid, mentored, four-week summer research internships at Harvard Medical School. The program is augmented by seminars, workshops, site visits, and career counseling.
4. Red Cross Bay Area Leadership Development Center (LDC)
A four-day conference at Loma Mar’s Redwood Glen Camp & Conference Center, LDC provides opportunities for youth ages 13-18 to develop and cultivate core leadership skills and to participate in workshops on topics such as disaster preparedness, international services and more.
5. National Human Genome Research Institute Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research
This program immerses students in an environment devoted to better understanding the underlying causes of human genetic disease. High school students in the program attend the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Summer Seminar Series, intended to increase the breadth of a student’s experience. At the end of the summer, students present at the annual NIH Summer Research Program Poster Day. Students earn a monthly stipend, depending on their education level.
6. University of Chicago Research in the Biological Sciences (RIBS)
Cancer research, blood preservation, mathematical modeling of genetic evolution––the University of Chicago prides itself on being a leading research institution in these fields. The university’s four-week intensive training program is designed to expose students to a broad range of molecular, microbiological, and cell biological techniques currently used in research labs.
Most of a typical RIBS day will be spent in the lab to give high schoolers a taste of “life at the bench.” Lectures will also be presented to students to provide background and introduce new concepts.
7. The Wistar Institute High School Program in Biomedical Research
Boasting the motto “A Summer of Science for a Lifetime of Learning,” Wistar’s High School Fellowship in Biomedical Research offers high school students the hands-on opportunity to take part in experimental research projects in areas such as cancer biology, genetics, vaccine development, bioinformatics, and infectious diseases. Students will be introduced to valuable research skills including searching and reading scientific literature and effective scientific communication.
8. Medical College of Wisconsin Apprenticeship in Medicine (AIM)
AIM provides carefully selected high school students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to stimulate their interest in careers in medicine, biomedical research-and allied health. AIM emphasizes academic preparation, achievement, and career awareness.
9. J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) Internship Program
The JCVI Summer Internship Program is a highly sought-after opportunity designed to mentor and inspire the next generation of scientists. The in-depth, structured research experience includes a dedicated mentor, collaboration and networking with world-class scientists, hands-on participation in research projects, access to state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and a judged poster presentation.
10. Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Summer Volunteer Program
As an outreach initiative with the objective of training the next generation of cancer researchers, the summer research volunteer program at Georgetown Lombardi puts students in touch with experts devoted to preventing, treating, and curing cancer. Participating high school students gain access to research scientists who work in a range of fields across Georgetown University Medical Center. The high school program runs for 8 weeks, during which students work full-time on independent research projects under the guidance of a research scientist.
11. Scripps Research High School Student Summer Internship Program
At the Scripps Florida campus in Jupiter, Florida, high schoolers engage in a nine-week hands-on research experience for rising juniors and seniors in Palm Beach and Martin Counties. The program exposes students to contemporary issues in basic biomedical research and is committed to increasing the number of underrepresented students pursuing undergraduate and graduate programs in the biological and chemical sciences.
12. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center High School Summer Program
Now in its 63rd year, the Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program in Biomedical Sciences introduces interested and qualified Texas rising seniors to a research environment and provides firsthand experience in the varied career opportunities available at the nation’s leading cancer research and treatment center. Up to seven students are selected to participate in the ten-week program.
During the program, students work in MD Anderson labs five days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The laboratory experience is supplemented by seminars and activities such as abstract, poster, and elevator speech competitions.
13. Washington University School of Medicine Young Scientist Program (YSP)
YSP aims to attract historically excluded groups in science to scientific careers by bringing resources and scientists directly to teachers and students in the St. Louis area. To achieve this mission, the program features paid summer research internships, hands-on scientific demonstrations, field trips to Washington University campuses, and individual and personalized mentoring.
14. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Summer Internship in Biomedical Research
The NHLBI is another division of the NIH that holds a summer internship for high school students in biomedical research. The program invites top high school students 17 years or older to conduct research under award-winning scientists and principal investigators. The Director of the Office of Education at NIH holds a number of info sessions for this program which can be viewed at the linked website.
15. Salk Institute Heithoff-Brody High School Scholars Program
In partnership with the Biocom Institute Life Science Young Leaders High School Internship program, the Heithoff-Brody Summer Scholars program is an eight-week paid internship for San Diego County residents. Besides conducting research under a mentor in a Salk lab, students will participate virtually in seminars, workshops, data analysis projects, and other enrichment activities, before presenting their research projects at the end of the internship.
16. Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE)
Massachusetts high school students are introduced to the world of cancer research through placement in real research settings at local cancer research institutions with the goal of encouraging pursuit of future careers in the biosciences. The stipended four-week program gives practical meaning to academic course work and expands high schoolers’ interest in basic, clinical, and/or population science research.
17. Forsyth Institute Student Scholars Summer Internship Program
An eight-week internship for Massachusetts high schoolers, the student scholars program pairs students with Forsyth faculty researchers as mentors. Interns learn basic laboratory techniques by participating in their mentors’ research projects and present their findings at the end of the program. 86% of Forsyth student scholars have gone on to work in a science-related field while 49% went on to work specifically in a health disparities field.
18. Magee-Women’s Reserach Institute (MWRI) High School Summer Internship Program
MWRI is an independent research institute and one of the largest institutes in the nation focusing on reproductive biology, women’s health, and infant health. The high school summer internship program allows students to participate in basic, translational, or clinical scientific research for four weeks under the guidance of an investigator at MWRI or Magee-Women’s Hospital.
19. Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills and Education Center Summer Internship
This summer internship is an intensive course for high school students considering careers in science and medicine designed to provide knowledge of cardiothoracic surgical anatomy and physiology as well as surgical techniques that will be utilized in pre-medical and medical training. Interns will achieve the goals of understanding principles of cardiac and thoracic diseases and surgery, demonstrating fundamental surgical skills, and practicing cardiothoracic surgical procedures.
20. TGen Helios Scholars
Helios Scholars at TGen is a paid, eight-week summer internship program open to graduating seniors in Arizona. Interns work full-time on a research project under the mentorship of a TGen scientist to unravel the genetic components of diabetes, neurological disease, and cancer. Internships are available in all areas of translational bioscience: laboratory research, computational biology and bioinformatics, mathematics and statistics, and research administration.
