10 Medical Internships for High School Students
- Estelle Reardon
- Oct 8
- 7 min read
Topics We Cover:
A medical internship for high school students can pave the way to a career in healthcare, setting students up for success both academically and professionally.
Why Do Internships in High School?
Medical internships for high school students provide a foundation for future success. PRISM, a consultancy, found that 70% of students attending a U.S. News top 50 university engaged in at least one internship during high school.
Medical internships—and internships in general—for high school students help them explore career interests, gain real-world experience, and stand out in competitive college admissions. Students also gain insight into potential career paths, allowing them to make more informed decisions about their futures.
Students who have completed at least one high school internship also have a simpler time securing internships in college. They also find it easier to gain admission to pre-professional and student-run organizations, such as pre-med and pre-health clubs, as well as undergraduate research organizations.
How to Find Medical Internships for High School Students
Online search tools and lists are a great way to discover medical internships for high schoolers. The StandOutSearch database is a notable tool—it’s the largest free online database of internships for the high school age group and is quickly searched using filters such as location, field of interest, and format (in-person, remote, hybrid). MIT Admissions has also collected a helpful list of high school internships and summer programs.
Official high school internships are typically very competitive; consequently, students who are serious about landing one will want to develop a cold outreach strategy—that is, a plan for contacting potential internship providers to secure a position. Further below, you’ll find more information about creating a cold outreach strategy, along with email templates to give your internship search a jump start.
10 Medical Internships for High School Students
The majority of the internships listed below have acceptance rates less than 20%. To boost your chances of acquiring an internship, we recommend applying to a minimum of five opportunities.
If an internship below excites you, be sure to mark its deadline on your calendar so you don’t miss out.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program developed with support from the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation that pairs talented high schoolers with online internships. Opportunities are available in a range of fields, including:
Arts
Engineering
Finance
Law
Math
Medicine
Science
Technology
StandOutConnect is backed by StandOutSearch—the largest free online catalog of high school internships—and has been featured in Forbes.
Ages: 14-18
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
During this six-week paid summer research program, participants are exposed to a wide-ranging oncology-focused curriculum on-site at the cancer center. Students are paired with a faculty mentor and engage in a summer research project.
Research projects may take place in the laboratory, clinic, or office setting—providing participants the chance to explore a particular facet of cancer research in greater depth. The program culminates in a poster session where students present their projects.
Ages: Junior or Senior
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Timeline: School Year
Deadline: Contact for deadline
The UNMC High School Alliance is a one-year program for high school juniors and seniors. There’s an option for select juniors to return for their senior year. Participants take college-level classes, perform hands-on research, and observe and shadow healthcare professionals (from physicians to pharmacists).
Over the course of the program, participants learn firsthand what it’s like to be a healthcare provider or researcher, explore topics like anatomy and infectious disease, and connect with professionals working in the healthcare field.
Ages: Sophomore-Senior
Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: April 6
This six-week high school fellowship has participants shadowing physicians, nurses, and health professionals at Stillwater Medical Center and area clinics—observing everything from surgeries to births to emergency treatment.
Participants gain a wide breadth of experience, normally visiting both of Oklahoma’s medical schools as well as specialized centers like the Dean McGee Eye Institute, the Oklahoma Blood Institute, Integris’ Paul Silverstein Burn & Wound Care Unit, the Oklahoma Cancer Specialists and Research Institute, the Behavioral Sciences at OUHSC, and the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy.
Ages: Sophomore or Junior
Location: Worcester, Massachusetts
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 2
HSHCP is a four-week, tuition-free, residential program that provides high school sophomores and juniors an opportunity to explore careers in biomedical research, biotechnology, and the health professions while developing their academic and communication skills.
Participants engage in classes focused on language arts, mathematics, and information technology. They also learn about cultural and contemporary health issues, and have the chance to gain firsthand healthcare experience through an internship working with physicians and other healthcare professionals.
Ages: 16-19
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
This ten-week summer program brings together the next generation of cancer researchers for inspiration and training. Participants have the unique opportunity to conduct research in a specialized children’s cancer research environment and are exposed to both basic and translational research.
Participants gain real-world experience with methods in areas including:
Bioinformatics
Classical genetics
Genomics
Molecular imaging
Proteomics
Structural biology
Participants will also hone their communication skills—building confidence in public speaking and learning to present data and defend their conclusions effectively.
Ages: 16-19
Location: Denver, Colorado
Timeline: All year
Deadline: Rolling
High school volunteers assist professional staff and support patient services. Volunteers provide empathy, sensitivity, warmth, and friendliness—easing and brightening a patient’s hospital stay or clinic visit while gaining hands-on healthcare experience in a hospital setting.
Ages: 14-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: All year
Deadline: Rolling
Medicine Encompassed is an entirely student-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that welcomes high school students (both national and international) to become members. The organization looks for individuals with a fervor for STEAM, biology, and various branches of medicine.
Medicine Encompassed believes, as part of its mission, in providing opportunities for every student interested in pursuing careers in these fields.
Ages: 16-17
Location: Farmington, Connecticut
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: April 1
The High School Student Research Apprentice Program at UConn’s School of Medicine is a five-week summer program for 11th- and 12th-grade students interested in medicine, dental medicine, or biomedical research. Participants gain research experience in a basic science or clinical lab.
Ages: Juniors and Seniors
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
More than 900 students have participated in Hawaii Pacific Health’s Health Careers Summer Internship since its inception in 2004. Participants in this six-week paid internship program learn about how hospitals work, interact with healthcare professionals, and explore careers in healthcare.
Internship opportunities are available at Hawaii Pacific Health and its network of medical centers, including:
Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children
Pali Momi Medical Center
Straub Medical Center
Wilcox Medical Center
Kauai Medical Clinic
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Internships
If the opportunities above aren’t right for you, you’ll want to develop a cold outreach strategy. While this can seem daunting at first, the guide and template below should make the process considerably more straightforward.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Searching LinkedIn for small companies to intern at is a great first step to obtaining an internship. Small companies often need extra help, making them more likely to take on a high school intern to assist with tasks like greeting patients, organizing records, and data entry.
When reaching out to professionals, try to find something personal to connect over. For example, having attended the same high school, having a shared hobby, or a passion for the same sports team.
Keep in mind, when connecting with professionals you don’t know, it’s safest to meet or interview virtually.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
Online university staff directories are a great launchpad for discovering professors to reach out to for research positions. Remote research positions for high schoolers are rare, as high schoolers often assist with manual jobs, such as cleaning and maintaining lab equipment.
Computational research is the exception, however, these positions typically require a basic knowledge of Python or R. Fortunately, you can learn these coding languages on your own, for free, with resources like Coursera’s Python for Everybody and R Programming courses.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
Set a goal of sending at least 50 inquiries to potential internship providers. When emailing possible internship hosts, make sure to include your resume. We recommend sending a Google link, as PDFs and Docs can cause delivery issues. Before sending, ensure the link’s share setting allows anyone with the link to view its contents.
If you don’t have a resume—or want to refresh your current one before sending it to professionals—our resume template and tips provide everything you need to create an attention-grabbing resume that will help you stand out and secure internships. The University of Chicago also has a helpful free resume template and guide.
Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
If you are unsure how to structure your outreach emails to potential internship providers, here are some basic templates you can customize to your needs.
Template for Finding an Internship
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Mr./Ms.____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I read about your company on LinkedIn and found the concept quite interesting. For context, [briefly state how the company relates to your interests or experience].
I was wondering if you might be looking for interns. I know I would have a great deal to learn from working with you, and I would love to contribute in any way I can. I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Template for Finding a Research Position
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Professor/Dr. ____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I recently read your paper on [restate the abstract] in [name of publication] and was quite intrigued by [part you found interesting]. I was wondering if I might be able to intern for you over this summer. [Elaborate on your relevant skills and experience and why you are passionate about the field].
I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Conclusion
Whether you’re aiming for well-known programs or diving into cold outreach, the key to landing a high school medical internship or research position is perseverance. These roles can be tough to secure, but the experience is worth it for the head start it gives to your future career.
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