10 Medical Internships for High School Students in New York
- Estelle Reardon
- Sep 24
- 7 min read
Topics We Cover:
Medical internships for high school students in New York allow students to gain real-world experience in fields of interest—allowing them to build valuable skills and gain insight into potential academic and career paths. These are just a few of the reasons why interest in high school internships is on the rise.
Why Do Internships in High School?
Why do opportunities like medical internships for high school students in New York matter? According to PRISM, a consultancy, 70% of students attending a U.S. News top 50 University complete at least one internship while in high school. These opportunities enable students to distinguish themselves in the admissions process and demonstrate their interest in their chosen fields.
In addition to helping pave the way to college admission, high school internships make it easier to secure college internships and professional positions after college. They also make it easier to gain entry into pre-professional organizations like pre-medical societies or pre-health clubs.
How to Find Medical Internships for High School Students in New York
Online search tools and lists are a great place to start looking for medical internships in New York, as well as high school internships in general. StandoutSearch is a notable tool—it’s the largest free online database of high school internships and is searchable using a number of filters, including season, location, and area of interest. MIT Admissions also provides a helpful list of high school internships and summer programs.
One drawback of official internship programs is that they’re typically very competitive. A cold outreach strategy—a plan for contacting potential internship providers to secure a position—is a smart way to improve your chances of landing a position. To help get your cold outreach strategy started and make the process less daunting, we’ve included email templates below.
10 Medical Internships for High School Students in New York
Most of the medical internships for high school students below are highly selective. There are considerably more high school students looking for internships in New York than there are official programs that provide them. We recommend applying to at least five opportunities to boost your odds of landing a position.
If you see an opportunity that excites you, take a moment to write the deadline on your calendar!
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program designed to connect high-achieving high school students with virtual internships aligned to their career interests, including finance, law, medicine, STEM, and the arts. The initiative is supported by StandOutSearch, the nation’s largest free internship database for high school students.
The program has been featured in Forbes, was developed with investment from the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and offers students unparalleled access to early professional opportunities.
Ages: 16 and above
Location: New York City, NY
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 15
SNP is a two-week course that explores how the brain works and how it relates to daily life. Participants are introduced to neuroscience through activities like:
Engaging in interactive lectures
Reading and presenting scientific articles
Designing an experiment
Connecting with real-life scientists
Visiting research facilities
Students will even get to dissect a brain!
Ages: Rising Juniors and Seniors
Location: New York City, NY
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Contact for deadline
Participants in this program examine how science, medicine, and the experience of health and illness converge. During the interdisciplinary program, students will engage with anthropologists, philosophers, historians, physicians, scientists, and journalists while exploring themes like:
Biomedicine as a cultural system
The politics of surveillance and care
The performance and rituals of healing
The structure of the US public health system
Participants will also gain experience developing a research project and cultivate a deeper understanding of qualitative research.
Ages: 16 or older
Location: New York City, NY
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: April 1
Students in this high school research program gain firsthand experience with cutting-edge research and careers in science. Participants are assigned to a research team and engage in a five-week research experience connecting with like-minded peers and mentors. At the conclusion of the program, students become Research Ambassadors to their high schools and develop a program for their school.
Ages: Sophomore or Junior
Location: New York City, NY
Timeline: Year-Long
Deadline: March
Students in this paid year-long internship program conduct scientific research under the guidance and mentorship of real-world museum scientists. The program schedule includes two four-hour sessions per week during the school year and a four-week summer institute. Participants work on never-before-done research projects while building hard skills such as coding and analyzing data, as well as soft skills like teamwork and communication.
Ages: 14-18
Location: Hybrid (New York, NY and Online)
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
Participants in this program build foundational knowledge in cellular and molecular biology, genomic science, and computer programming. Students in the program work on bioinformatics projects using open-access genomic data and engage in weekly in-person learning experiences.
Ages: 16-17
Location: Buffalo, NY
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
If you’re a high school junior, get first-hand scientific research experience to make those all-important decisions about a college science major and future career in science or healthcare. At Roswell Park’s Summer Cancer Research Experience Program, you’ll work with experts on your own independent research project.
Participants explore how fields like math, physics, and engineering are integrated with biology in cancer research. They’ll also use statistics, be exposed to research ethics, learn the fundamentals of cancer sciences, and examine the use of emerging technologies like AI.
Ages: 14-18
Location: New York City, NYÂ
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 7
Each participant in the HOPP Summer Student Program is assigned to an 8-week, biomedical or computational lab-based internship in a Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) research lab. Students are paired with a mentor who supervises their activities, helping them develop appropriate skills.Â
Over the course of the internship, students complete a self-directed project that provides value to their mentor and/or Principal Investigator’s overall research objectives. Outside of the lab, they'll attend events offering insight into the world of translational medicine and research.Â
Ages: 14-18
Location: Amherst, NY
Timeline: School Year
Deadline: TBD
The Mini-Veterinary School is a five-week lecture series given by veterinary professionals. Each week, participants are led on a journey of discovery featuring a topic covered in veterinary school. Graduates will not be eligible to practice veterinary medicine, but will have a better understanding of their pets’ health and insight into veterinary school!
Participants will also receive a certificate attesting to the completion of 10 hours of veterinary science.
Ages: 14-18
Location: Hybrid (New York, NY and Online)
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
Students in this program will work in a variety of labs and clinical departments within the Mount Sinai Health System while learning about the real-world application of scientific concepts. Students connect with department leaders and engage in both in-person and virtual learning.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School InternshipsÂ
If none of the medical internship opportunities in New York listed above are the right fit for you, you’ll want to launch a cold outreach strategy. Many high schoolers find cold outreach intimidating, however, the guide below will make the process simpler and less anxiety-inducing.
Remember, when reaching out to professionals you don’t know, use caution—the safest option is to interview and meet virtually.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School InternshipÂ
LinkedIn is an excellent resource for finding potential internship providers. Small companies are often shorthanded, which makes them more likely to take on a high schooler to help with tasks like updating records, data entry, or preparing presentations.
When reaching out to professionals, try to find common interests—for example, being from the same hometown, having the same hobby, or having a passion for the same sports team.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research PositionÂ
Online university staff directories are a logical place to find professors to contact about research positions. Remote positions are rare, as high school interns commonly assist with tasks like organizing and maintaining equipment.
The exception is computational research. However, those positions generally require a basic knowledge of Python or R to parse large data sets. Luckily, you can learn those languages for free within a few months with resources like Coursera’s Python for Everybody and R Programming Course.
How to Structure and Send Outreach EmailsÂ
For a successful cold-outreach strategy, target at least 50 potential internship providers. When emailing possible internship hosts, make sure to include a link to your resume, as Docs and PDFs can negatively impact deliverability. Limit your resume to one page and make sure the share setting on the link allows anyone to view it.
If you don’t have a resume, no worries! Our resume template and tips article provides everything you need to know about crafting a resume that will help you land an internship. The Univeristy of Chicago has also published a helpful resume template and guide.
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
Whether you’re applying to established programs or pursuing opportunities through cold outreach, perseverance is key when seeking a high school internship or research position. These experiences can be challenging to secure, but many students find the effort worthwhile for getting an early start on their careers.
If you found this article helpful, consider saving it for later or sharing it with a friend. Best of luck on your internship search!