14 Healthcare Internships for High School Students in Idaho
Healthcare internships can help high school students explore how medical systems, research, and patient care work. Through these experiences, you can build practical skills such as communication, problem analysis, and professional responsibility. Healthcare internships expose you to a range of roles involved in supporting patient health, from clinical care to research, technology, and administration. If you’re considering studying medicine or health sciences in college, these opportunities can enhance your resume and improve your odds of getting in.
What healthcare internships are available for high school students in Idaho?
High school students in Idaho can find internship and shadowing opportunities at local institutions like St. Luke's Health System, Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, and Portneuf Medical Center. You get to work in healthcare environments and observe doctors, nurses, and support staff across different clinical and administrative departments. Participating in these programs can help you figure out exactly what you want to pursue within healthcare before starting college. Many programs offer mentorship from medical professionals, who can help you answer these questions.
Below is a curated list of 14 healthcare internships for high school students in Idaho!
1. St. Luke’s Health System Junior Volunteer Program
Location: St. Luke’s, Boise, ID
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited cohort sizes
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling basis until full
Eligibility: Students aged 16-18 (excluding high school seniors) with a minimum 3.0 GPA
The St. Luke’s Health System Junior Volunteer Program is a structured service opportunity designed to introduce young adults to the healthcare environment. It focuses on developing leadership, customer service, and professional responsibility through direct interaction with patients, visitors, and medical staff. You will rotate through various departments, which may include the emergency department, information desk, or pediatric units, depending on your interests and capabilities. You’ll also assist with non-clinical tasks such as patient transport, supply restocking, and wayfinding for visitors. This healthcare internship serves as an entry-level professional experience, emphasizing patient privacy, hospital safety protocols, and compassionate care.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies depending on the program type; financial aid available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–25%; 70–100 students per session
Dates: Several cohorts year-round, including Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort; Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks
Ladder Internships places high school students into structured, project-based healthcare internships with early-stage companies. You spend eight weeks working through a defined project cycle, starting with scoping goals and ending with a final presentation to the host company. Regular meetings with a company coach guide your progress while still requiring you to manage deadlines and deliverables independently. You’ll gain experience navigating expectations in a startup-style work environment, showing you how healthcare-related ideas move from concept to execution in real organizations. Apply now!
3. Saint Alphonsus Junior Volunteer Program
Location: Saint Alphonsus, Boise, ID
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size varies by hospital department capacity
Dates: Late May through early August (approximately 10–11 weeks)
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school students ages 16-18 with a minimum 3.0 GPA
The Saint Alphonsus Junior Volunteer Program allows you to explore healthcare careers by providing non-clinical support to patients and hospital staff. You may work in patient-facing areas or behind-the-scenes departments, depending on your interests and skills. Responsibilities often involve communication, organization, and assisting staff with routine tasks rather than clinical procedures. Through repeated shifts, you observe how different units within a healthcare system interact. The program emphasizes reliability, professionalism, and teamwork in a real care environment in Idaho.
4. Kootenai Health Teen Volunteer Program
Location: Kootenai Health, Coeur d'Alene, ID
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size varies by session
Dates: Summer: Three sessions (typically June–July, July–August, and August); School Year: Ongoing flexible shifts
Application Deadline: Varies; typically requires contacting the Volunteer Services Manager
Eligibility: Students aged 14-17 years old
The Kootenai Health Teen Volunteer Program is a hands-on way for you to immerse yourself in the daily rhythm of a major regional hospital. During your time here, you’ll be exposed to a variety of topics, including patient hospitality, hospital logistics, and the inner workings of specialized departments like the gift shop or the transport team. You will assist in over 15 service areas, including oncology support, family birth centers, and surgical waiting rooms. While the role is non-clinical, you can observe physicians, nurses, and technicians, gaining insights into medical careers through staff mentorship and departmental rotations. The program requires a commitment of 100 hours over six months.
5. Idaho Falls Community Hospital Junior Volunteer Program
Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size varies based on hospital needs
Dates: Year-round (12-month commitment required)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students ages 16 and older; pass a background check and health screening
In the Idaho Falls Community Hospital Junior Volunteer Program, you will step into a real-world medical environment to support staff and improve the patient experience. The program covers topics like healthcare administration, hospital operations, and basic patient care standards. During your shifts, you will greet visitors, deliver magazines and refreshments to patient rooms, and keep hospital supplies organized. The program provides flexible scheduling that allows you to fulfill your 100-hour commitment year-round at your own pace. By the end, you will build strong interpersonal skills, gain valuable workplace communication experience, and learn the essential protocols of a busy healthcare facility.
6. Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC) Junior Volunteer Program
Location: EIRMC, Idaho Falls, ID
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size varies based on departmental availability
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students aged 14–18
EIRMC’s Junior Volunteer Program gives high school students hands-on exposure to hospital environments through service-oriented roles. You may assist with patient comfort, visitor navigation, or administrative support in areas such as waiting rooms or information desks. Some roles involve acting as a liaison between families and staff, which requires clear communication and discretion. This program is unique because it integrates teens into the same roles as adult volunteers, offering a high level of responsibility and professional exposure. By rotating through consistent responsibilities, you see how non-clinical roles contribute to patient care.
7. Mountain View Hospital Junior Volunteer Program
Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not explicitly specified
Dates: Year-round (requires a minimum 100-hour commitment within a 12-month period)
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students ages 14+ (some roles require 16+)
In this program, you will cover topics ranging from patient care support and hospital administration to healthcare compliance and effective communication. As a volunteer, you will greet and guide visitors at the information desk, assist staff in the surgical waiting room, deliver items to patients, and provide companionship. The program features dual integration with both Mountain View Hospital and Idaho Falls Community Hospital, and gives the opportunity to apply your volunteer hours toward high school senior projects. By participating, you will build practical administrative and customer service skills necessary for any future medical career.
8. West Valley Medical Center Junior Volunteer Program
Location: West Valley Medical Center, Caldwell, ID
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: Summer term (typically June – August)
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students ages 14–18 with a minimum 3.0 GPA
The West Valley program is specifically tailored to the summer months, providing a compact and intensive look at community medicine. During the program, you will explore various healthcare environments, including the emergency department, nutritional services, and the family resource desk. You will assist with wayfinding for visitors, support gift shop operations, and help manage the information desk to ensure smooth hospital navigation. The program focuses on teaching new skills and the ethics of healthcare while giving students a hands-on role in non-clinical hospital functions. You’ll also be eligible for perks like free meals during shifts and invitations to hospital-wide professional development events.
9. St. Joseph Regional Medical Center Volunteer Opportunities
Location: St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Lewiston, ID
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size varies based on department capacity
Dates: Year-round; minimum 6-month commitment typically required
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students aged 14–18
St. Joseph Regional Medical Center offers volunteer roles that expose high school students to daily hospital operations. You may assist with wayfinding, clerical tasks, or patient-facing services that support both staff and visitors. These roles emphasize communication, organization, and professionalism in a healthcare environment. Some opportunities involve creative or service-oriented work that contributes to patient comfort. Through consistent involvement, you gain familiarity with how non-clinical departments function within a medical center. Through this experience, you will develop professional communication skills, gain exposure to hospital administration, and learn the importance of patient confidentiality and empathy in a clinical environment.
10. Gritman Medical Center Junior Volunteer Program
Location: Moscow, Idaho
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 18 available positions
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students ages 16–18
The Gritman Medical Center Junior Volunteer Program allows you to explore the healthcare field while serving your local community. During your time at the hospital, you will learn about daily hospital operations, patient support, and basic healthcare administration. You will assist staff with various non-clinical duties, interact with patients and visitors, and potentially complete a guided high school senior project. You will have the opportunity to conduct healthcare research or interview medical professionals to fulfill your graduation requirements, while also earning exclusive volunteer scholarships. By participating, you will build essential real-world skills like professional communication, responsibility, and effective teamwork.
11. Madison Memorial Hospital High School Externship & Volunteer Program
Location: Rexburg, ID
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size varies
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students; requires a cleared background check and up-to-date immunizations (COVID, Flu, MMR, TB, Tdap)
In this program, you step directly into the daily operations of a busy rural hospital. This experience covers essential topics like clinical observation, healthcare administration, patient support, and non-clinical facility operations. You will shadow medical professionals, assist with vital administrative tasks, and interact with patients to improve their hospital stay. The program features a flexible, rolling nature and gives you the opportunity to gain personalized mentorship across both clinical and non-clinical departments. By the end, you will build foundational career skills, learn patient communication, strict HIPAA compliance, clinical etiquette, and strong organizational abilities.
12. Bonner General Health Student Volunteer Program
Location: Bonner General Health, Sandpoint, ID
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: June 19 – August 25
Application Deadline: Varies (must be completed before mandatory mid-June orientation)
Eligibility: High school students aged 14–18
The Bonner General Health Teen Volunteer Summer Program gives you a 10-week opportunity to gain firsthand experience in a rural healthcare setting. Throughout the summer, you will explore topics like hospital administration, patient care support, and community health outreach. You will greet patients at the lobby desk, tend to the hospital's healing garden, and assist with community fundraising events. A standout feature of this program is its flexibility, allowing you to choose the specific hospital departments where you feel most comfortable volunteering. By completing your 50 required hours, you will develop essential workplace skills such as professional communication, time management, and empathetic patient interaction.
13. HEAL Clinical Education Network Virtual Clinical Shadowing
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: No cost (Certification fee optional) / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; no fixed cohorts
Dates: Ongoing
Application Deadline: No deadline; ongoing
Eligibility: All high school students
The HEAL Clinical Education Network Virtual Clinical Shadowing is a global, asynchronous online program designed to provide pre-health students with realistic clinical exposure through recorded patient encounters and physician-led case studies. You will watch patients describe symptoms while a physician explains how to document notes, order tests, and determine diagnoses and treatment plans. The program is asynchronous, allowing you to progress through material independently rather than following a fixed schedule. Specialty modules expose you to a wide range of medical fields, showing how clinical reasoning changes across disciplines.
14. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $45 application fee + $2,400; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~50 students
Dates: Session A: June 15 – 26; Session B: July 6–17
Application Deadline: February 20
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9–12, who are at least 14 years old by the start of the program and live in the U.S.
This healthcare internship introduces you to how artificial intelligence is applied in medicine and medical imaging. You engage with technical lectures that cover core AI concepts alongside discussions of clinical use cases in healthcare. Much of the program centers on collaborative research work, where you investigate a challenging question. Mentorship sessions with researchers and student leads provide context rather than direct answers, encouraging independent thinking. You also participate in expert talks that highlight different career paths connecting technology and healthcare.
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