If you're a high school student in Maryland interested in exploring healthcare, paid hospital internships offer a unique opportunity to gain experience and a glimpse into medical careers. These internships allow you to work alongside healthcare professionals, learn essential skills, and understand the workings of a hospital or medical facility.

In this article, we’ll introduce you to 8 great paid hospital internships for high school students in Maryland. Each internship provides valuable insights into fields like nursing, research, lab technology, and patient care. 

1. MERIT Health Leadership Academy - Professional Summer Internship

Stipend: Amount not specified

Location: Depends on placement

Application Deadline: November 29

Program Dates: Runs in the Spring, February onwards

Eligibility: High school sophomores who live in Baltimore City or attend a Baltimore City high school

This multi-year program supports Baltimore high school students from underrepresented backgrounds. MERIT offers academic support, college preparation, and career guidance through Saturday classes and individualized mentorship. A highlight of the program is MERIT’s summer internship opportunities. Rising juniors complete a Clinical Internship, shadowing healthcare providers in specialties such as emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and social work. Rising seniors can choose between a Community Health Internship, which allows them to work with public health organizations in Baltimore, or an external research internship, where they conduct laboratory-based research under professional mentorship.

2. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS)

Stipend: Fixed stipend of $500

Location: John Hopkins Department of Medicine, Baltimore, MD / Virtual

Application Deadline: March 1 every year

Program Dates: June – August (8 weeks in person) | July – August (virtual 5 weeks)

Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors can apply, with in-person internship applicants attending a high school in Baltimore City.

The Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Hospital offer an internship in neurological science for eight high school students through the JHIBS program. The virtual program includes educational presentations, skills development, mentorship sessions, and foundational lab techniques. The in-person option offers scientific seminars, one-on-one mentorship meetings, professional training, and opportunities to present your work through oral or poster presentations. You can explore examples of previous projects completed by interns here. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here. 

3. Werner H. Kirsten (WHK) Student Intern Program

Stipend: A stipend will be provided to summer interns. Year-round interns receive credit. 

Location: National Cancer Institute at Frederick, MD 

Application Deadline: January 3

Program Dates: Starts on June 16 (runs for 8 weeks)

Eligibility: Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, be 17 years or older before the program starts, attend a participating school within 30 miles of the NCI-Frederick Campus, and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or provide a third teacher recommendation if their GPA is 2.5-3.0

This internship program gives students experience in medical and biomedical research. The scientific research track covers molecular biology, cancer metabolism, chemical biology, molecular cloning, RNA/DNA sequencing, and cell biology. For those interested in research support, internships are available in bioinformatics, data analysis, IT, science communication, media design, scientific outreach, and partnership development. Summer interns work full-time. School-year interns volunteer approximately three hours daily, five days a week, earning four weighted credits toward their high school diploma.

4. The Summer Academic Research Experience (SARE) at Johns Hopkins University

Stipend: Students receive a stipend of $3,000 after they complete the program

Location: John Hopkins University

Application Deadline: Applications opened on November 1; deadline has not been specified 

Program Dates: June 23 – August 14

Eligibility: High school students from low-income families 

SARE introduces you to biomedical research, providing lab experience and academic support. You will work alongside mentors and doctoral students, learning advanced lab techniques, conducting experiments, and contributing to scientific publications. In addition to lab work, SARE Scholars attend classes on writing, mathematics, bioethics, and scientific analysis. The program teaches essential workplace skills, including communication, networking, and presentation. The program concludes with a scientific presentation, allowing you to share your research findings with peers, mentors, and scientists.

5. High School Scientific Training and Enrichment Program (HiSTEP)

Location: NIH main campus in Bethesda, Maryland

Cost: No cost; stipend of $2,530 provided upon completion of the program

Application Deadline: January 8

Program Dates: July 7 – August 7

Eligibility: Rising 12th graders who will be at least 17 years old by June 1

The HiSTEP program aims to introduce high schoolers to biomedical research, science careers, and the work of the National Institutes of Health. The program focuses on developing leadership skills. It is specifically designed for students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. Past participants have described HiSTEP as a valuable step toward a future in science. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.  

6. Biophysics Research for Baltimore Teens (BRBT)

Stipend: $15 per hour 

Location: Johns Hopkins University

Application Deadline: April 14

Program Dates: June 9 – August 9

Eligibility: Students can attend BRBT in the summer between their junior and senior year and their post-senior year summer. Applicants must live within Baltimore City limits and attend a Baltimore City Public School.

The BRBT program at Johns Hopkins University offers a paid summer internship designed to introduce Baltimore City high school students to biophysics. BRBT combines concepts from biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science. The program’s curriculum teaches you key research skills, from preparing reagents to performing microbiology and DNA/protein engineering techniques. You will attend classes that deepen your understanding of the scientific theories behind your experiments. By interacting with Johns Hopkins faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates, you will gain insights into the pathways that lead to a successful career in science.

7. Short-Term Research Experience Program to Unlock Potential (STEP-UP)

Stipend: Amount not specified (can be up to $2,500 for the entirety of the program)

Location: National Institutes of Health (Maryland)

Application Deadline: February 15

Program Dates: Varies based on the program

Eligibility: High school students who are 16 years of age or older and are U.S. citizens

The STEP-UP program allows high school and undergraduate students nationwide to conduct research. STEP-UP is designed to offer students valuable experience in a professional lab setting with mentors in fields like health, engineering, and more. You can choose your research site—from local colleges and hospitals to universities nationwide. Over 8-10 weeks, you will work full-time on research projects and gain practical lab experience. The program includes a pre-lab training course to help you prepare. At the end of the summer, you will present your findings to peers and mentors.

8. National Eye Institute Summer Intern Program

Stipend: Amount not specified 

Location: Interns will be assigned to one of the two locations: 

• The NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland

• The Twinbrook facility at Fishers Lane in Rockville, Maryland

Application Deadline: February 19

Program Dates: Typically mid-May till the end of June

Eligibility: High school seniors who are at least 18 years old before the start of the internship and are accepted to a U.S. university

The NEI Summer Intern Program offers a chance to engage in biomedical research on vision and eye health. As part of the NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP), you will work alongside scientists to explore ways to prevent, treat, and reverse vision loss. You will learn about age-related macular degeneration, ophthalmic genetics, retinal cell biology, and visual neurobiology. You will gain experience in NEI labs in Maryland, with the opportunity to attend seminars, workshops, and the NIH Summer Intern Poster Day in August. The internships last 8 to 12 weeks, with flexible start dates between mid-May and the end of June.

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 from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, 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.