10 Medical Internships for High School Students in Boston
- Estelle Reardon
- Dec 15
- 7 min read
Topics We Cover:
Medical internships for high school students in Boston can jumpstart a healthcare career by allowing teens to explore different fields, gain real-world experience, and begin developing essential skills.
Why Do Internships in High School?
An internship does more than merely provide a work experience—it can open doors. For example, completing a medical internship for high school students in Boston, or internships in general, can also help you get into a top college. The University of Chicago’s student-run consulting group, Prism, found that just under three-quarters of undergraduates attending U.S. News Top 50 universities completed at least one high school internship.
High school internships show colleges that you’ve taken your interests beyond the classroom—pursuing your passions, confirming your commitment, and gaining real-world experience along the way. Together, these elements help you stand out in a large, competitive pool of applicants.
A high school internship also paves the way to securing college internships and helps smooth admission into pre-professional organizations like pre-med clubs, undergraduate research groups, and campus EMS.
How to Find Medical Internships for High School Students in Boston
Online search tools and curated lists are a great jumping-off point for finding medical internships for high school students in Boston. One resource that truly stands out is StandOutSearch. As the largest free online database of high school internships, StandOutSearch makes it easy to find opportunities that fit your needs, offering filters for interest area, location, and format (in-person, remote, or hybrid).
MIT Admissions’ curated list of high school internships and summer programs has also proven useful. The drawback to official internships—like those on the aforementioned list—is that they’re commonly highly competitive. There’s more interest in high school internships than open positions.
Students serious about securing a medical internship for high school students in Boston will want to launch a cold outreach strategy. More simply, they’ll want to connect with professionals or businesses about internship opportunities. Further below, you’ll find email templates and tips to help you start the cold outreach process strong.
10 Medical Internships for High School Students in Boston
Less than one in five students are accepted into the majority of the medical internships for high school students in Boston listed below; therefore, we recommend applying to at least five programs. If an opportunity jumps out at you, mark its deadline in your calendar!
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect empowers exceptional high school students by linking them with online internships that align with their career aspirations, such as medicine, business, and technology. Powered by StandOutSearch—the nation’s largest free internship database for high school students—StandOut Connect provides incredible access to opportunities that can shape academic and professional futures.
Recognized by Forbes and launched with strategic investment from the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, StandOut Connect offers a fantastic first step to a future career.
Ages: Freshmen-Seniors
Location: Boston, MA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Contact for more info
The Mass General Brigham (MGB) Summer Jobs Program offers high schoolers from Boston, Chelsea, and Revere the opportunity to gain firsthand experience working in a health center. Participants build skills and career readiness, engage in professional development workshops, and explore careers in the health and science fields.
Ages: Sophomores and Juniors
Location: Worcester, MA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 2
This four-week residential program exposes participants to a number of career paths in biomedical research and healthcare. Participants engage in academic enrichment activities focused on science, communication, and information technology—they also complete a research project, experience clinical and biomedical research settings, and connect with healthcare professionals and scientists.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Boston, MA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
Interns in this six-week summer program work on the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) campus for 30 hours per week. Participants are placed in departments, including:
Radiology
Transport
Materials management
Research labs
Over the course of the program, students build professional skills, explore healthcare careers, and gain insight into community health.
Ages: Rising Juniors and Seniors
Location: Boston, MA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: April 3
Volunteers in this program gain up-close insight into patient care and the inner workings of a hospital through working at least one recurring three-hour shift per week, over eight weeks, at the Boston Medical Center. Participants will also have the chance to attend a weekly lecture series featuring healthcare professionals such as surgeons, physicians, social workers, and hospital administrators.
Ages: Rising Seniors
Location: Cambridge, MA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: January 21
The Broad Summer Scholars Program is an extremely prestigious program that connects talented high schoolers with scientists conducting cutting-edge research. Opportunities are available in fields like:
Cancer biology
Chemical biology
Computational biology
Infectious disease
Psychiatric disease
Interns spend six weeks exploring scientific careers, attending talks, and creating a poster summarizing their research. They also go to social events and connect with like-minded peers.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Waltham, MA
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: Rolling
This program pairs high school students with internships at small life science companies and research institutions. Interns gain firsthand biotechnology and biomedical experiences while developing professional skills. Since the program launched in 2016, over 1,000 students have engaged in internships at over 140 organizations.
Ages: Sophomores and Juniors
Location: Boston, MA
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: December 1
The Young Empowered Scientists for ContinUed Research Engagement (YES for CURE) Program is a multi-year program for high schoolers interested in scientific research. Participants engage in mentored research, tackle an advanced scientific curriculum, and develop professional skills. They’ll also connect with professionals and peers, attend conferences, and explore potential careers.
Ages: Sophomores and Juniors
Location: Boston, MA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 6
The Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) program helps high schoolers interested in science build knowledge and skills through mentored research, training, and events. Participants also present and attend conferences, explore careers, and connect with leading scientists and similarly motivated peers.
Ages: Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors
Location: Cambridge, MA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
The Student Scholars program is an eight-week internship involving an introduction to basic lab techniques and working on a research project. Participants explore STEM while building valuable transferable skills like creative thinking and problem-solving. The program culminates with participants presenting a scientific poster to the local scientific community.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Medical InternshipsÂ
While the internships above represent some great opportunities, they’re not for everybody. If you’re still searching for an internship that’s just right for you, you’ll want to prepare a cold outreach strategy. Many people find cold outreach stressful, but the guide and templates below should help ease any anxiety.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Locate small companies—where you can help provide administrative support, data collection, and lab preparation—using LinkedIn. Focus on small companies, which are commonly understaffed and more willing to take on a high school student as an intern.
When reaching out to professionals about potential internships, try to make personal connections, like having attended the same school, rooting for the same sports team, or even a shared love of the same medical TV show. Always prioritize safety when connecting with professionals you don’t know—virtual meetings or interviews are the safest option.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
Search university faculty listings online to identify professors who might be open to student involvement in their research. Keep in mind, landing a remote role is challenging. In most cases, high school students are brought into labs for hands-on support—for example, cleaning glassware or operating basic equipment.
One exception is computational research, which involves analyzing large datasets using programming languages such as Python or R. You can learn these languages on your own, for free, often within a few months, through platforms like Coursera’s Python for Everybody and R Programming course.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
Aim to send at least 50 personalized emails to prospective internship providers as part of your cold outreach strategy. Each message should include your resume, which should be limited to a single page at the high school level. Our resume template and tips, and the University of Chicago’s resume toolkit, can help you create a professional, polished resume that increases your chances of landing an internship.
For best results, share your resume via a Google Drive link rather than attaching a PDF or Word document, since attachments can sometimes affect email deliverability. Make sure your sharing settings allow anyone with the link to view the file. Strengthen your application by including examples of your work—such as documentation of projects you’ve assisted with—and highlight any relevant experience, like volunteering at a local hospital or holding CPR and First Aid certifications.
Email Template for Finding a High School InternshipÂ
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.Â
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].Â
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,Â
[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].Â
I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!Â
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Conclusion
Searching for medical internships in Boston as a high school student requires determination. Whether you’re applying through formal programs or reaching out via cold outreach, the process can be competitive and sometimes discouraging. Still, many students find that the effort pays off, providing valuable early exposure to the medical field and a stronger foundation for future opportunities.
If you found this article helpful, consider saving it as a resource or sharing it with someone else exploring similar paths. Best of luck in achieving your internship goals!