Thinking medical school might be in your future? Consider a medical internship, summer program, or community service project now before you wastes time and money trying to get into a college pr-med major. This guide will explain what experiences are open to you as a high school student, what those experiences involve, and how you will benefit from them.
What Medical Experiences Are Available to High School Students? There are lots of ways to get a taste of what it's like to work in medicine. There are many summer medical programs and summer medical internships for high school students across the country. These opportunities range from research experiences to in-hospital experiences. Some of these programs and internships charge you a fee, some are paid for, and some even pay you to attend. Summer Medical Programs for High School Students: Offer high school students the chance to get hands-on experience in medicine (non-research related) such as learning simple medical procedures, watching surgeries, shadowing doctors, working in hospitals, interacting with patients, and more.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH
No cost
Interns are paid $9.30 an hour8 weeks
Mentoring in Medicine and Science
Oakland, CA
$1400 cost
5 days
National Student Leadership Council
Various universities throughout the US
$3,495- $3,795
9 days
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
No cost
5 weeks
Rady Children's Hospital and UC San Diego
San Diego, CA
$2,600
12 days
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
$5,049
3 weeks
NSU Florida
Fort Lauderdale, FL
$1800
5 days
Medical Research Programs for High School Students: You'll be working in a lab and helping with medical research (i.e. looking at slides under a microscope, recording changes) or assisting with on-going clinical research (i.e. interviewing participants in an on-going trial of new medication, logging participant information in the computer). You are usually paired with a mentor. NOTE: Many of these programs are free or pay stipends, but not every program provides free housing. Make sure you check each program's housing accommodations before you apply!)
Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Novato, CA
No cost; stipend given
10-12 weeks
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC
Atlanta, Georgia
No cost
5 days
Children's Hospital Colorado
Aurora, CO
No cost. Interns are paid
$3,500
8 weeks
Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute
Oakland, CA
No cost
9 weeks
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH
No costs. Interns are paid $9.30 an hour
9 weeks
Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy
Duarte, CA
No cost. Students receive a stipend of $4,000
10 weeks
Coriell Institute for Medical Research
Camden, NJ
No cost. Students receive a stipend of $1,000
4 weeks
Initiative to Eliminate Cancer Disparities, CURE (Summer Only)
Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
Boston, MA
No cost
8-12 weeks
Indiana University Cancer Center
Indianapolis, IN
No cost
6 weeks
Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience
Jupiter, FL
No cost. Students are paid $11.50/hour
6 weeks
McLaughlin Research Institute
Great Falls, MT
No cost
8 weeks
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, TX
No cost. Interns are paid $6,000
10 weeks
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI
No cost
7 weeks
National Cancer Institute
Frederick, MD
No cost. Students receive a $3,400 stipend
8 weeks
National Eye Institute
Bethesda, MD & Rockville, MD
No cost. Students receive a monthly stipend (amount varies)
8-12 weeks
NIH Bethesda, MD
No cost. Students receive a monthly stipend (amount varies)
min of 8 weeks
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases
Bethesda, MD
No cost. Students receive a monthly stipend of $2,080minimum
8 weeks
NIDA Various universities throughout the US
No cost. Interns are paid $15 an hour
8 weeks
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Bethesda, MD
No cost. Students receive a stipend (amount varies)
8-10 weeks
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
ResearchTriangle Park, NC
No cost. Students are paid per hour (salary varies)
8 weeks
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Bethesda, MD
No cost. Students receive a stipend (amount varies)minimum
8 weeks
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Buffalo, NY
No cost. Limited, need-based stipends available
7 weeks
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, CA
No cost. Students receive stipends from $500 to $1500
8 weeks
The Jackson Laboratory
Bar Harbor, ME and Farmington, CT
No cost. Students receive a stipend of $6,000
10 weeks
Translational Genomics Research Institute
Phoenix, AZ
No cost. Students are paid $12.15 an hour
8 weeks
University of Connecticut Health Center
Farmington, CT
$1,290 minimum, with discounts for students who enroll in multiple sessions
3 - 6 weeks
University of Minnesota Medical School, Lillehei Heart Institute
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
No cost. Students receive a stipend (amount varies)
9 weeks
University of Nebraska Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience
Omaha, NE
No cost. Students receive a stipend of $1,500
up to 10 weeks
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, TX
No cost
7 weeks
Wistar Institute
Philadelphia, PA
No cost. Students receive a stipend (amount varies)
8 week
Science Research Programs for High School Students: As a part of your pre-med track, you'll be required to take Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, and more. Doing one of these science programs will give you a preview of the coursework ahead of you.
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
No cost
8 weeks
Department of Defense
Washington, DC
Varies. Some scholarships and grants are available
Varies depending on program
J. Craig Venter Institute
Rockville, MD
No cost. Students are paid $15.00 an hour
8-15 weeks
Maine Space Grant Consortium
Augusta, ME
No cost. Students earn a stipend (amount undisclosed)
6 weeks
Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT
Cambridge, MA
No cost
6 weeks
Monell Chemical Senses Center
Philadelphia, PA
No cost
7 weeks
Monmouth University
West Long Branch, NJ
No cost. Students are paid about $12 per hour
10 weeks
Museum of Science
Boston, MA
No cost. Positions can be paid or unpaid, depending on program
Varies
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Greenbelt, MD & Wallops Island, VA
No cost. Students received a stipend of $2,100
7 weeks
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center
Wooster, OH
No cost.
Students receive a stipend of $3,500
10 weeks
Saturday Academy
Oregon & Southwest Washington
Varies
Varies by program, but usually 8 weeks
Scripps Research Institute
Jupiter, FL
No cost. Students are paid $4,060
6 weeks
University of Maryland
College Park, MD
$250
2 weeks
State University of New York College at Oneonta
Cooperstown, NY
No cost. Interns receive a stipend of $3,000
10 weeks
The Forsyth Institute
Boston, MA
No cost. Students are paid an hourly wage (amount varies)
8 weeks
University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center
Princess Anne, MD
No cost. Students are paid $500 per week
6 weeks
University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY
Varies depending on program
Varies depending on program
Other Options for High School Students: Volunteering at local hopsital and job shadowing are both great ways to build a resume for college and learn about the medical field. And they are both free and close to home!
Hospital Volunteer - You muat apply (usually on a hospital's website or in pereson), commit to a regular weekly schedule, and perform specific tasks.
Shadowing A Doctor - Reach out to friends or family who work in the medical field. Ask your HS counselor, or call a local hospital or clients to find a doctor to shadow. You will follow a doctor around while they go about their normal activities. You are not there to work, just to see what a doctor does in their daily routine to determine if it interests you.
Author, Dora Seigel