10 Paid Medical Internships for High School Students
Paid internships offer high school students a great opportunity to gain real-world experience. These opportunities provide you with hands-on experience in a professional environment, allowing you to explore different career paths and refine your interests. These opportunities can significantly enhance your resume, showcasing your dedication and skillset to college admissions officers. You’ll have the chance to network with industry professionals, gaining mentors and potential future job opportunities.
Working directly in a hospital setting allows you to learn first-hand how healthcare professionals operate, interact with patients, and tackle real-life challenges. This exposure not only builds your technical knowledge but also enhances soft skills like communication, empathy, and teamwork—qualities essential in healthcare.
In this blog, we’ll explore 10 paid medical internships for high school students interested in pursuing careers in healthcare.
Project Success is your chance to dive into the world of biomedicine through a paid summer research internship. Exclusively for Boston and Cambridge high school students, this six-week program focuses on underrepresented and disadvantaged students interested in biomedical careers. You’ll be placed in a Harvard Medical School research lab, attend seminars, visit hospitals and biotech organizations, and receive computer training.
Mentors and research advisors will support you throughout the course, offering career guidance and helping you build the required technical skills. The program aims to nurture your interest in biomedical careers, develop your critical thinking, and ensure you have the resources needed to pursue your academic and professional goals in the biomedical field.
Location: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Stipend: Paid internship, amount unspecified
Application Deadline: February 2, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Dates: July 8 – August 1, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Students who:
Reside in Boston or Cambridge
Are in grade 11 or 12
Have a minimum GPA of 2.70
Are at least 16 years old by the program start date
Have completed courses in algebra, biology, and chemistry
The Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research offers you the chance to work alongside some of the world's leading scientists to explore the causes of human genetic diseases. This program immerses you in cutting-edge research, focusing on developing new methods for detecting, preventing, and treating genetic disorders.
Alongside hands-on lab training, you'll attend the NIH Summer Seminar Series, where top researchers present the latest findings in biomedical and clinical research. The program also includes career development workshops led by the National Human Genome Research Institute. At summer's end, you’ll present your research at the NIH Summer Research Program Poster Day.
Location: National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, MD
Stipend: Paid internship, but participants are responsible for their own travel and housing arrangements
Application Deadline: Applications typically close around mid-February and are accepted on a rolling basis
Dates: Varies as selections are made throughout the open application period
Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 17 years old and enrolled at least half-time in high school or college. Graduating seniors are required to provide an admission letter from the college they will attend in the fall
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Summer Program offers you a unique chance to explore a career in Allied Health within a leading cancer research environment.
This 10-week program in Houston allows up to 10 selected students to engage in hands-on research guided by MD Anderson faculty. Working full-time in the lab, you’ll learn the skills and discipline needed to succeed in biomedical research. The experience is enriched with faculty-led seminars and exclusive competitions, including abstract and poster presentations. The program concludes with a participant presentation and celebration luncheon.
Location: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $6,800 stipend for the 10-week program; $6,120 for the nine-week program
Application Deadline: January 17, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Dates: June 3 – August 9, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Current Texas high school seniors, aged 18 or over by program start
The Summer Child Health Research gives you the chance to dive into pediatric research. You’ll work alongside faculty from Children’s Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado, gaining practical lab experience. Every Friday, you’ll attend seminars to deepen your knowledge. At the program's end, you’ll present your findings through a written summary and oral or poster presentation, and if your research is accepted for a scientific meeting, the internship will cover your travel expenses. This is a great chance to enhance your research skills, contribute to child health, and boost your resume.
Location: Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
Stipend: $3,500
Application Deadline: February 3, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Dates: June 3 – August 2, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: High school seniors who are Colorado residents and over the age of 18
The High School Summer Internship Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital is an eight-week paid internship for Cincinnati-area graduating seniors interested in biomedical sciences. Participants work 20 hours a week, shadowing mentors in pediatric specialties such as Critical Care, Endocrinology, and Human Genetics. As an intern, you’ll attend weekly luncheons for networking and professional development and participate in hands-on training with simulated pediatric patients in the SIM Center.
The program offers a blend of research, clinical exposure, and opportunities to explore multiple specialties. By the end, you get to present your experiences at a graduation event, gaining skills to aid your future studies and career in medicine and research.
Location: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH
Stipend: $13/hour
Application Deadline: Applications for the 2025 cohort will open in early November and close on February 1, 2025
Dates: 8 weeks following the Orientation Day on June 3, 2025
Eligibility: Residents of the Cincinnati metropolitan area who will graduate from high school in Spring 2025
The Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP) is an eight-week paid internship aimed at 11th-12th graders from underrepresented backgrounds in biomedical science. You’ll start with two weeks of hands-on lab training, learning techniques such as DNA isolation and gel electrophoresis. For the remaining six weeks, you’ll work in pairs within a research group, guided by a mentor.
Weekly activities include interactive presentations on ethics, data visualization, and college essay writing. The program requires a Monday–Friday, full-time commitment. SHIP concludes with a presentation to the Fred Hutch community, summarizing your experience and future academic goals, making it a good introduction to biomedical research.
Location: Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle, WA
Stipend: Interns will receive a stipend, but the exact amount has not been specified. Students are responsible for their own housing and transportation
Application Deadline: March 31, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Dates: June 24 – August 16, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: High school students entering their senior year or final term after the summer
The Stanford Medical Youth Science Program is a five-week summer program for low-income, first-generation high school juniors from Northern California. You'll spend your days on Stanford’s campus engaging in hospital internships, academic lectures, and hands-on research projects. The program focuses on health disparities, allowing you to work in small groups to address real-world public health issues.
You’ll also attend seminars on anatomy and research methods and sessions designed to prepare you for college applications. Throughout the program, you’ll be mentored by health professionals, faculty, and college students. This tuition-free program helps you build your network, gain valuable experience, and develop a solid foundation for future studies in medicine.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free. Stipend of $1,250 provided. Students are responsible for their own housing and transportation
Application Deadline: March 15, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Dates: June 24 – July 26, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Current high school juniors in Northern California
The Summer Student Research Program at the University of California, San Francisco’s Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland is a nine-week research opportunity for high school and college students. You’ll be paired with a mentor to work on a clinical or laboratory project, engaging in hands-on research, weekly seminars, and journal clubs. The structured curriculum requires you to complete personal statements, research abstracts, and detailed proposals. The program concludes with a research symposium where you’ll present your findings to a scientific audience.
Location: Interns will be placed in local clinics and basic science labs in the San Francisco Bay Area
Stipend: Stipends can vary between $3,000 – $4,300
Application Deadline: February 16, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Dates: June 3 – August 2, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors who have completed at least one year of math and biology, maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher, are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and are from a background under-represented in science
Wistar Institute’s High School Fellowship allows you to spend four weeks in a state-of-the-art lab, learning lab techniques and working on science projects. Open to 15 high school students, this program teaches you to read scientific literature, explore careers in biomedical research, and present your findings. To apply, you have to submit a personal statement, two recommendations, and your high school transcript. Wistar encourages applications from students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds, providing a unique chance to gain skills in the biomedical field.
Location: Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA
Stipend: $1,000
Application Deadline: Applications for the 2025 program will open in January
Dates: July – August, 2025
Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 16 years of age, have successfully completed at least one high school science course, and be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including booster
The Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI) High School Summer Internship Program offers a unique six-week research experience focused on reproductive biology, women’s health, and infant health. As an intern, you’ll work on your own research project under the guidance of MWRI investigators, gaining hands-on experience in basic, translational, or clinical research. In addition to lab work, you’ll attend Lunch & Learn sessions where faculty share their journeys in biomedical science. The program concludes with a presentation of your research findings to MWRI faculty, staff, and fellow interns. Recent projects have explored topics like fertility preservation, ovarian cancer, and maternal health.
Location: Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI) or Magee-Womens Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA
Stipend: Interns are eligible to receive a stipend of $1,800 if their household qualifies for the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program for Pennsylvania
Application Deadline: January 31, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Dates: 6-week program starting on June 17, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors over 16 years old by the program start date who have a permanent residence in the southwest Pennsylvania region
Looking for an immersive internship experience?
Check out Ladder Internships!
Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program where students work with startups and nonprofits across various industries from around the world! As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is important for the startup and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship. Apply now!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.