10 Medical Internships for High School Students in Los Angeles
- Estelle Reardon
- Feb 6
- 8 min read
Topics We Cover:
Medical internships for high school students in Los Angeles can be an important first step to a career in healthcare for Southern California teens. Whether you dream of being a physician, researcher, or a supporting role like a medical writer or public health analyst, an internship can help you build the experience, skills, and insight needed for a successful career.
Why Do Internships in High School?
What’s the benefit of medical internships for high school students in Los Angeles? High school medical internships, and internships in general, are a proven way to distinguish yourself in the college admissions process. They demonstrate ambition, show you’ve pursued your interests outside of the classroom, and indicate that you’ve verified your career goals with real-world experience.
In college applicant pools where everyone has an impressive academic profile, working a high school internship is a differentiator. Consider that, according to PRISM, a student-run consultancy at the University of Chicago, almost three-quarters of students at U.S. News Top 50 universities completed at least one high school internship.
Engaging in a high school internship can also help you secure internships in college and gain admission to pre-professional groups and opportunities—for example, pre-health clubs, pre-med societies, clinical research groups, and hospital volunteer programs.
How to Find Medical Internships for High School Students in Los Angeles
Using online search tools and lists is an effective way to discover medical internships for high school students in Los Angeles. One valuable resource not to overlook is StandOutSearch. The largest free online database of high school internships, StandOutSearch is easily browsed using filters such as:
Location
Field of interest
Format (in-person, virtual, hybrid)
Compensation (paid vs. unpaid)
MIT Admissions also provides a helpful collection of prestigious summer and official internship programs.
There are commonly more students interested in official internships than open positions; consequently, they’re often extremely competitive. This makes cold outreach a valuable tool for high schoolers serious about landing an internship. Cold outreach—contacting potential internship providers you haven’t met—can feel daunting, but the tips and template provided below make the process much simpler.
10 Medical Internships for High School Students in Los Angeles
Many of the medical internships for high school students in Los Angeles listed below have acceptance rates less than 20%. Because of this, we recommend applying to at least five opportunities.
If you see an internship that looks like a good fit for you, write the deadline on your calendar, so you don’t miss out on an excellent experience!
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program pairing high-achieving high school students with online internships tailored to their interests. Opportunities are available in everything from the medical field to business to the arts. Interns spearhead a project, build real-world experience, and many are invited to continue in their position after the internship officially concludes.
StandOut Connect is supported by StandOutSearch, the largest free online database of high school internships, and was launched with help from the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The program has been featured in Forbes.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: Rolling
This volunteer program offers opportunities in over 40 departments, providing teens a chance to explore a broad spectrum of healthcare careers. Volunteers are asked to commit to working at least 100 hours over the course of a year.
In addition to building firsthand healthcare experience, volunteers grow their network of working professionals and get the fulfillment and happiness that comes from helping others.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
Students in this summer volunteer program support a variety of hospital operations, including transporting patients, providing wayfinding assistance, and helping departments with tasks such as delivering patient mail and newspapers.
Depending on their assignment, “volunteens” get an up-close look at a working hospital, gain clinical exposure, and hone skills like communication and customer service. Volunteers are asked to work at least 50 hours.
Ages: Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 9
While not a medical internship per se, this summer educational program helps high schoolers build the skills needed to pursue a healthcare career. Participants explore a variety of medical careers and gain insight into what it’s like to work in the medical field through hands-on activities and lectures from medical guest speakers.
In the past, the program has covered topics and activities like:
Robotic and laparoscopic surgical skills
Imaging
Pathology
Suturing
CPR training
Stop the Bleed training and certification
Basic science research lab tours
Ages: 15 and up
Location: Valencia, California
Timeline: Summer/Fall and Winter/Spring
Deadline:
Summer/Fall: May 15
Winter/Spring: November 15
Teen volunteers gain real-world experience working in a hospital in this volunteer program. Opportunities are available in a number of positions, including:
Gift shop representative
Patient unit support
Art for Healing
Music for Healing
Clerical support
Volunteers can also gain more direct medical experience by serving in patient units, where they assist with tasks such as answering patient calls, making rounds, and turning over rooms, or in the women’s unit, where they help care for mothers and newborns.
Ages: Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: January 19
Students increase their knowledge of healthcare careers in this five-day summer program—shadowing healthcare professionals, networking with like-minded peers, and getting an up-close look at the workings of a hospital.
Students also receive hands-on training in CPR and first aid, as well as learn skills such as how to take vital signs.
Ages: Juniors
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: February 1
High schoolers in this intensive yearlong medical program gain biomedical research experience while building college readiness. Over the summer, participants engage in a laboratory-based internship—learning terminologies and techniques not commonly covered until college and graduate school, and writing an abstract detailing their accomplishments.
Throughout the academic year, students work with college counselors to gain a better understanding of the application process, college selection, and financial aid. They also take campus tours, SAT preparatory courses, and build college readiness in workshops focused on everything from time management to note-taking.
Ages: 14-17
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Winter/Spring, Summer, Fall
Deadline:
Winter/Spring: December 4
Summer: April 2
Fall: August 6
If you’re a high school student interested in a career in healthcare, volunteering at Cedars-Sinai is an invaluable experience. It offers the opportunity to interact with patients and healthcare staff and is a rewarding way to learn firsthand how a large medical center operates. Teen volunteer duties often include:
Data entry
New patient orientation
Answering phones
Delivering flowers and amenities
Ages: 15-17
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Rolling
High school volunteers assist patients and visitors, provide administrative support, and gain real-world experience in a healthcare environment. Volunteers are asked to complete 112 service hours over the seven-week program.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 30
Students in this 10-week summer program learn about the health sciences, statistics, and computational science—building the skills necessary for successful careers in translational medical research. For example, participants will:
Learn core concepts in translational science, genetics, and mobile health technologies
Understand how translational research studies and clinical trials are designed and analyzed
Gain exposure to the end-to-end clinical trial process
Strengthen skills in presenting scientific ideas and research findings
Access to this prestigious program is extremely competitive—just 40 students (a combination of high schoolers, undergraduates, and graduate students) are admitted.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Medical Internships
There’s no need to worry if none of the medical internships for high school students in LA above are right for you. What you will want to do instead is form a cold outreach strategy—that is, contacting businesses or organizations you don’t have a prior relationship with about potential internship opportunities.
Many find the uncertainty of putting themselves out there nerve-wracking, but the guide and templates below should make the process less stressful.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
LinkedIn is a valuable resource for discovering hospitals, clinics, and facilities that may host an internship. Look for smaller groups, which often operate short-staffed, and are more likely to take on a high schooler to help with:
Administrative tasks
Patient help
Unit support
Outreach
When reaching out to professionals you don’t have a connection with, try to find something to bond over, like volunteering at the same organization, a shared hobby, or a passion for the same sports team. Make your safety a priority when initiating conversations with people you don’t know—it’s a sound strategy to schedule meetings and interviews virtually, rather than in person.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
Browse online university faculty pages to find professors who might be open to having a high school student help with their research. However, understand that remote research positions are rare. Most professors bring high schoolers in to assist with hands‑on lab work, which obviously can’t be done from home.
The one area where remote work does happen is computational research, where you’re working with big datasets. Computational research positions generally require beginner‑level coding skills in Python or R. The good news is you can teach yourself either language for free in a couple of months using online courses like Coursera’s Python for Everybody or R Programming.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
You’ll need a polished resume when contacting professionals as part of your cold outreach strategy. Whether you have an existing resume or still need to craft one, our resume template and tips are full of valuable information on creating a resume that will help you land internships. The University of Chicago’s resume toolkit is another resource worth consulting.
The more internship inquiries you make, the better your odds of securing a position. We recommend sending queries to at least 50 potential internship providers. When reaching out, include a Google link to your resume and ensure the link’s settings allow anyone with it to view its contents. Links work better than Docs and PDFs, which can disrupt delivery.
Also, be sure to include any relevant work or experiences—for example, shadowing a nurse at the local hospital, volunteering at a clinic, or supporting health education outreach programs.
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 pursuing well‑known programs or reaching out to doctors and researchers on your own, finding a medical internship in Los Angeles as a high school student is about sticking with it. These spots are typically tough to land, but in the end, most students feel the effort was worth it to get a jump on their career.
If this article helped you out, feel free to bookmark it as a reference or pass it along to someone else who’s searching for an internship. Best of luck in your internship hunt!