15 Medical Internships for High School Students in North Carolina (NC)

If you're a high school student in North Carolina interested in medicine or healthcare, internships can be a practical way to explore the field while learning from organizations within your own state. North Carolina is home to several major medical centers and research institutions—including Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, and MAHEC Health—that regularly offer programs aimed at early career exploration for high schoolers. This makes the state a strong environment for students seeking exposure to clinical care, public health, and biomedical research.

Participating in a local program can also be more accessible, allowing you to gain meaningful experience without the cost or logistics of traveling out of state. In addition, working with professionals and researchers in North Carolina helps you build regional connections that may be helpful later on for future internships, recommendation letters, or summer research opportunities.

To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of 15 medical internships for high school students in North Carolina. These programs range from clinical observation and laboratory-based research to mentorship and public health projects, giving you multiple ways to learn about healthcare and clarify your goals.

1. Veritas AI + Medicine Deep Dive

Location: Virtual
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Exact numbers not listed
Dates: Multiple cohorts in a year
Application Deadline: June 22
Eligibility: High school students who have a background in coding or have completed the AI Scholars program
Cost: Varies depending on program type

The Veritas AI + Medicine Deep Dive program is a 10-week course designed to explore artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry. You will work on projects that examine the practical applications of AI in medicine and healthcare. The curriculum covers a range of foundational and advanced topics, including medical data preparation, exploratory data analysis (EDA), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), image segmentation, regularization, transfer learning, and the fundamentals of clinical evaluation. You will collaborate with a mentor and a small group of 3–5 students on a project. At the end of the program, you will also do a final presentation of your work.

2. Ladder Internships—Healthcare and Medicine Track

Location: Virtual
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Approximately 25%; around 100 students per cohort
Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts; Summer Cohort II starts July 14
Application Deadline: Varies based on cohort
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap-year students
Cost: Varies depending on program type; Financial aid available

Founded by Harvard alumni, the Ladder Internship program offers high school students the chance to gain experience by working with leading startups and nonprofits around the globe. You can choose from a wide range of industries like healthcare, health tech, medicine, machine learning, AI, computer science, finance, environmental science, sustainability, business, marketing, media, and journalism. Once matched with a startup, you’ll work on projects that contribute to the organization’s goals under the guidance of both a manager and a Ladder coach. The program includes one-on-one mentorship throughout. It concludes in a final presentation where you showcase the work you've done.

3. Duke STAR Program (Summer Training in Academic Research)

Application Deadline: October 31
Duration: 6 weeks
Location: Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) in Durham, North Carolina
Eligibility: Rising junior and senior high school students
Program Dates: June 23 to July 25
Stipend: $2,600

Through the Duke STAR Program, you contribute to a faculty-led research project at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. You start by writing a research proposal and spend six weeks working on tasks such as literature reviews, data interpretation, and drafting academic reports. Weekly seminars introduce topics like clinical trial design, research ethics, and health equity. By the end of the program, you’re expected to complete a research paper, and some participants may qualify for co-authorship on peer-reviewed publications. You’ll also attend panel discussions with clinical researchers, engage in peer review workshops, and receive feedback on your writing and methodology. Student projects address topics such as cardiovascular disease, medical device trials, and disparities in health outcomes.

4. UNC School of Medicine Rural Medicine Summer Academy

Location: University of North Carolina
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Exact numbers not listed
Dates: Varies each year
Application Deadline: Varies each year
Eligibility: Rising seniors in high school. Preference for students from rural North Carolina
Cost: Free

UNC’s Department of Emergency Medicine and Office of Rural Initiatives offers the Rural Medicine Summer Academy for high school students preparing for a career in medicine. As a participant, you will attend professional panels, training sessions, lectures, and simulations led by UNC residents and faculty. You will meet and interact with physicians and other medical professionals, gaining exposure to the field. The program will guide you through different pathways to a career in healthcare and provide insights into topics such as medical history and physical exam skills, cardiovascular health, and rural healthcare in North Carolina.

5. Wake Forest Pre-College Medicine Summer Institute

Location: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Approximately 25%; around 100 students per cohort
Dates: Week of July 6 – 11 and week of July 20 – 25
Application Deadline: Specific date not mentioned on website
Eligibility: Current 9th – 12th graders
Cost: $3,400, Limited financial aid available for eligible students

The Wake Forest Summer Immersion Medicine Institute is a great fit if you're considering a career in healthcare. You will explore various medical disciplines through lectures, simulations, and facility visits in Winston-Salem. Topics covered include internal medicine, cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, ultrasound, cancer care, and surgery. You’ll also tour the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the Wake Forest School of Medicine, where you'll learn about innovations like the rehabilitation center and cardiac catheterization lab. As part of the program, you will practice fundamental medical procedures such as taking blood pressure, performing ultrasounds, listening to the heart and lungs, and interviewing standardized patients.

6. Outset—Pre-med Summer for High Schoolers

Location: UNC-Chapel Hill (NC)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Specific size not disclosed on website
Dates: June 8 - July 25
Application Deadline: Specific date not mentioned on website
Eligibility: Current 9th – 12th graders
Cost: $2,950; Financial aid available

Outset’s pre-college summer camps help you understand what a career in medicine and healthcare looks like. These one-week programs are held on college campuses of leading universities and cover a wide range of medical disciplines such as pediatrics, surgery, psychiatry, dentistry, cardiology, neurosurgery, internal medicine, pharmacy, and more. You’ll gain experience and insight into different medical careers while working closely with physicians, university faculty, and med students. This program will also help you experience what university life is like. 

7. MAHEC Health Careers Academy

Location: University of North Carolina, Asheville, NC
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Specific cohort size not disclosed
Dates: Late June to Early July
Application Deadline: Specific dates not mentioned
Eligibility: High school sophomore, junior, or senior as of the Spring semester;
Minimum weighted GPA of 3.2; reside or attend school in one of these Western North Carolina counties
Cost/Stipend: Free

The Health Careers Academy is designed for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Offered in partnership with UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC, the program includes both virtual and in-person sessions. As a participant, you’ll get the chance to tour MAHEC’s Simulation Center, receive one-on-one career advising, and connect with medical students and faculty mentors. It’s a great opportunity to build experience and understand what a career in healthcare looks like.

8. Duke University - MaryAnn Black Summer Internship Program

Location: Duke University, Durham
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Specific cohort size not disclosed
Dates: July 8 – 26
Application Deadline: Specific dates not mentioned
Eligibility: High schoolers who are Durham City or Durham County residents who are at least 14 years old
Cost/Stipend: Free, Stipend available

Hosted by Duke University Health System in partnership with Durham YouthWORKS, the MaryAnn Black Summer Internship Program is a paid, hybrid internship for high school students in Durham County. You’ll get exposure to different healthcare professions across Duke Health and gain training in test‑taking and office protocols. You will also get to engage directly with medical students, faculty, and clinicians in simulation and clinical environments. Visits to Duke’s School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and other campus locations are added benefits.

9. Novant Health - Bridges to Healthcare (Phase I: High School)

Location: Novant Health facilities in Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and surrounding areas
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective; varies by location
Dates: The internship runs during spring, summer, and fall.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising juniors or seniors in high school; minimum 2.5 GPA; attend one of the partner schools; must be at least 16 years old and have a household income of $40,000 or less.
Stipend: Paid internship

The Bridges to Healthcare Phase I program gives you the chance to explore clinical and non-clinical healthcare careers. As a paid summer intern, you’ll work in different departments based on availability, such as radiology, rehabilitation, respiratory services, the Medical Group, and Novant Health’s People & Culture Solutions Center. Throughout the six weeks, you’ll work alongside healthcare professionals and receive direct mentorship. Beyond your rotations, the program includes college and career readiness training, mock interviews, financial literacy workshops, and work-ready credentialing and certification opportunities. 

10. Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI)

Location: Virtual
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 25 students per batch
Dates: June 16th-27th, 2025 | 9 am-1 pm PT (Online)
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Must be entering grades 9-12 in Fall 2025; must be at least 14 years old; must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or hold a valid visa status
Cost: $40 for application fee, $850 program fee, if accepted.

The Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship gives you insights into how artificial intelligence is being used to improve healthcare and medical research. Each day, you’ll attend technical lectures on AI fundamentals, work on group research projects, and meet regularly with Stanford researchers and student mentors for guidance. You’ll also join virtual career panels where guest speakers from academia, industry, government, and nonprofits share their experiences working at the intersection of AI and healthcare. You may have the option to continue with an extended independent research project after the main program. This internship is designed for students with a background in math, programming, or healthcare-related projects who are interested in using AI to advance human health.

11. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS)

Location: Virtual 
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Extremely selective; 8 students selected for in-person track
Dates: In-person: 8 weeks; Virtual: 5 weeks (exact dates vary)
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors; in-person track open only to Baltimore City public school students; virtual track open to students across the U.S.
Stipend: In-person interns are paid and receive transportation funds; virtual interns receive a certificate of completion

JHIBS gives you the opportunity to explore neuroscience and clinical research through either an in-person or virtual summer program. If you’re selected for the in-person track, you’ll spend eight weeks at the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology in East Baltimore, working on research projects and joining clinical rotations with neurologists. You’ll also attend scientific seminars, take part in weekly professional development sessions, and prepare a final presentation based on your work. For students outside Baltimore, the virtual option runs for five weeks and includes research exposure, lab technique training, mentorship sessions, and career-building workshops. The program is designed for high school juniors and seniors with a strong interest in neuroscience, especially those from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds. 

12. Inspiring Careers in Mental Health Internship

Location: Virtual
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Two-week program; specific dates vary each summer
Application Deadline: Applications open in September and close in early spring
Eligibility: Rising 10th, 11th, 12th graders and rising college freshmen
Cost/Stipend: None

This two-week virtual internship gives you a closer look at careers in mental health through sessions with psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and physician assistants. Before each session, you’re expected to complete the assigned readings (newspapers or research articles) to prepare yourself for the discussions. During the program, you’ll also get to explore topics like psychotherapy, interventional psychiatry, neuropsychological testing, and more. The program format is practical, with clinicians sharing their career journeys and answering questions about daily responsibilities, education pathways, and personal insights. 

13. American Psychological Association (APA) Internal Internship Program (IIP)

Location: Virtual 
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Held throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens
Stipend: Paid options are available

The American Psychological Association (APA) offers internships that give you experience in the field of psychology. Available year-round in both remote and in-person settings, these internships place you in departments like research, policy, communications, education, publishing, and more. You'll work on projects such as writing, research, web development, and administrative tasks while participating in workshops, group discussions, and presentations to senior professionals. Some positions are paid or offer academic credit, making it a great way to build your resume and explore how psychology connects to healthcare, education, and public policy.

14. NSLC High School Summer Medical Program

Location: Duke University, Durham for North Carolina. The program is available for other locations as well. 
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Jun 12 - Jun 20, Jun 24 - Jul 2, Jul 6 - Jul 14, Jul 18 - Jul 26
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Participants who are between 14 to 18 years of age who have completed at least one year of high school
Cost: $4,295

As part of the NSLC on Medicine & Health Care, you’ll gain experience through workshops, clinical simulations, and team-based medical projects. You’ll learn skills like surgical techniques and patient care while exploring public health topics. The program also features guest lectures from healthcare professionals, field trips, and sessions on medical treatments. Beyond medicine, the curriculum includes workshops on communication, empathy, resilience, and leadership. The program is residential and held at Duke University in Durham, giving you a chance to experience campus life.

15. UNC Internship in Science, Health Training, and Research (ISHTaR)

Location: Department of Emergency Medicine, UNC-Chapel Hill, NC
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Flexible start and end dates
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising sophomore, junior, or senior; Participants should be 16 years or older by June 1
Stipend: Provided

The Internship in Science, Health Training and Research (ISHTaR), hosted by UNC’s Department of Emergency Medicine, is designed for high school students interested in medical research. As an intern, you’ll work closely with a team of researchers on projects ranging from developing educational materials to conducting literature reviews and supporting emergency medicine initiatives. You’ll also get clinical exposure by shadowing practicing clinicians in both inpatient and outpatient settings, as well as paramedics on ambulances. The program requires about 20 hours per week in a hybrid format, with flexible start and end dates to fit your academic schedule.