13 Healthcare Internships for High School Students in Mississippi

High school internships are one of the most effective ways to strengthen your academic and professional profile by gaining work experience before college. Internships help you understand how classroom learning connects to work environments, helping you make informed choices about your college major and future career. By participating in an internship, you can build skills, explore potential career paths, and demonstrate initiative, which colleges and future employers value. If you’re interested in healthcare, internships offer early exposure to patient care, medical research, public health, and healthcare administration. 

What healthcare internships are available for high school students in Mississippi?

Healthcare internships for high school students in Mississippi are offered by hospitals, clinics, research centers, and community health organizations. Prominent healthcare organizations across the state, such as the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), North Mississippi Medical Center, Forrest General Hospital, and Singing River Health System, offer these experiences. These opportunities allow you to explore different aspects of healthcare, from clinical observation and biomedical research to health education and administrative support. Many programs emphasize mentorship and projects, helping you understand the skills required for medical and health-related careers. 

To help you get started, we’ve narrowed down a list of 13 healthcare internships for high school students in Mississippi, prioritizing programs that are well-structured and accessible.

1. University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) – Health Careers Exploration Pathways

Location: University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: First-come, first-served; approximately 250 students per event
Dates: Events typically occur in January, February, and August
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Mississippi high school juniors and seniors interested in healthcare careers

The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) provides healthcare career exploration pathways that help high school students understand the educational and professional routes available within the medical field. Through admissions advising, academic program information, and exposure to UMMC’s clinical and research environment, you can explore careers ranging from nursing and medical laboratory science to medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy. These pathways focus on early awareness and informed decision-making rather than short-term job shadowing. You gain insight into how undergraduate degrees connect to professional healthcare programs and long-term career options. 

2. Ladder Internship Program

Location: Remote (available worldwide)
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on the program type; full financial aid available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 10%; between 70 and 100 students per session
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year (Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter)
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort — typically January (Spring), May (Summer), September (Fall), and November (Winter)
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students able to commit 10–20 hours per week for 8–12 weeks

The Ladder Internship Program is a selective, remote internship platform that places students on real teams at early-stage and high-growth startups. As a participant, you work on clearly defined, outcome-driven projects that directly support a company’s business, product, or research goals. Internship roles span a range of fields, including healthcare startups, health tech, artificial intelligence, data analysis, consulting, marketing, and operations. Rather than shadowing professionals, you are expected to take ownership of your work and contribute independently under the guidance of a startup manager. The program emphasizes practical skill development, professional accountability, and structured mentorship. At the end of the internship, you typically present your completed work to the startup team, reinforcing communication and applied problem-solving skills. Apply now!

3. FMOL Health – Healthcare Career Exploration & Pathway Programs

Location: St. Dominic Hospital, Jackson, Mississippi
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not selective; availability-based cohort sizes
Dates: Year-round and summer
Application Deadline: Rolling; depends on program type and location
Eligibility: High school students

This healthcare career exploration initiative is designed to help high school students begin learning about careers in healthcare through early, low-barrier exposure. Programs include guided campus tours of hospitals and clinics, allowing you to observe healthcare environments such as surgery units, imaging departments, pharmacies, and therapy spaces. Schools can also request on-site career presentations, where workforce development professionals visit classrooms to discuss healthcare roles, education pathways, and day-to-day responsibilities. For students seeking deeper insight, job observation opportunities may be available, offering short-term shadowing experiences with healthcare professionals. When offered, internships provide hands-on exposure and practical experience in clinical or support roles. 

4. North Mississippi Health Services (NMHS) – Youth Education & Career Pathway Programs

Location: North Mississippi Health Services facilities, Mississippi
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; typically around 15–20 students
Dates: Offered year-round (varies by program)
Application Deadline: Varies by program
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 and older 

North Mississippi Health Services (NMHS) offers a range of youth education, career exploration, and scholarship opportunities designed to help you explore healthcare careers early. Through structured job shadowing, you can observe healthcare professionals in clinical environments and gain insight into daily responsibilities across different departments. You are eligible to complete up to 12 shadowing hours per calendar year, allowing for focused, meaningful exposure rather than brief observation. NMHS also supports students through mentorship programs and scholarships, including RN-focused awards and memorial scholarships that help reduce financial barriers to healthcare education. These initiatives emphasize confidence-building, career awareness, and connection with positive healthcare role models.

5. National Alliance on Mental Illness Mississippi (NAMI Mississippi) – Internship Program

Location: Jackson, MS (with some hybrid or remote flexibility depending on role)
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size depends on the needs of the State Office and the capacity of department heads to provide mentorship
Dates: Year-round; Fall, Spring, and Summer cohorts offered
Application Deadline: Varies as per cohort; Fall: August 1; Spring: January 1; Summer: May 1
Eligibility: All high school students

The NAMI Mississippi Internship Program provides you with hands-on exposure to mental health advocacy, education, and community outreach across the state. As an intern, you support initiatives focused on mental health awareness, stigma reduction, peer and family education, and community engagement. Responsibilities may include assisting with program delivery, developing educational materials, supporting events, conducting outreach, or contributing to communications and social media efforts. Interns work closely with NAMI Mississippi staff and gain insight into nonprofit operations, public mental health systems, and advocacy strategies. The program emphasizes meaningful participation rather than observation, allowing you to build practical skills while contributing to mental health initiatives that impact communities statewide.

6. Singing River Health System – Student Volunteer Program

Location: Singing River Health System hospitals and clinics, Mississippi
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; placement depends on departmental availability
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling; varies by volunteer cycle
Eligibility: High school students (typically ages 15+), college students, and adults

The Singing River Health System Student Volunteer Program offers high school students early exposure to healthcare environments through structured volunteer placements. As a volunteer, you support hospital departments by assisting staff, interacting with patients, and learning how healthcare facilities operate on a daily basis. Assignments may include patient transport assistance, front-desk support, or helping with non-clinical hospital services. The program emphasizes professionalism, communication, and responsibility while allowing students to observe healthcare careers in action. While this is not a paid internship or clinical training program, it provides meaningful exposure to hospital workflows and patient-centered care. Volunteering at Singing River can help students explore healthcare interests and build foundational experience for future academic or career pathways.

7. Baptist Memorial Health Care – CRASH Course Camp

Location: Baptist Memorial Hospitals (multiple locations across Mississippi and Tennessee)
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size varies by hospital site
Dates: June 4 – July 16
Application Deadline: Varies by hospital site (April–May)
Eligibility: High school students interested in healthcare or nursing careers

The CRASH Course Camp is a short-term, immersive healthcare experience that allows high school students to explore clinical environments within Baptist Memorial Hospitals. Participants gain exposure to hospital operations, patient care basics, and a range of healthcare professions through a mix of classroom instruction and supervised clinical observation. You will interact with healthcare professionals, including nurses and clinical staff, to learn about career pathways and daily responsibilities in hospital settings. The program includes opportunities to observe procedures and surgeries, helping you better understand real-world healthcare workflows. CRASH Course is designed as an early exploration experience rather than a formal internship, making it especially suitable for students considering nursing or allied health careers.

8. South Central Regional Medical Center – Caring Teen Volunteer Program

Location: Laurel, Mississippi
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 10–15 students
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Local high school students, ages 16–18

In the Caring Teen Volunteer Program, you engage in the daily realities of hospital operations, patient care, and medical administration. Throughout your service, you will clean medical equipment, deliver essential supplies to nurses, and answer phones at nursing stations. You will be able to directly network with working doctors while earning official service pins for your resume. By assisting the clinical team, you develop healthcare skills such as bedside empathy, collaborative teamwork, and practical problem-solving. Ultimately, observing these diverse medical roles firsthand helps you confidently solidify your future career path in the healthcare industry.

9. VA Jackson Health Care – Summer Teen Volunteer Program

Location: Jackson, MS (G.V. Sonny Montgomery VAMC and surrounding clinics)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: 4–6 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Late March or April
Eligibility: High school students under 18; must be at least 15 by the application deadline

In the VA Jackson Health Care Summer Teen Volunteer Program, you will engage in the daily operations of a federal medical center while learning about its healthcare mission and I CARE values. You will assist Veterans in outpatient clinics and help clinical staff improve overall patient experiences. The program allows you to serve America’s military veterans, giving back to a specific demographic while gaining direct exposure to the VA health system. Ultimately, this structured experience provides you with actionable job skills and a clear understanding of what it takes to support a specialized clinical facility.

10. OCH Regional Medical Center – Junior Volunteer Program

Location: Starkville, Mississippi
Cost/Stipend: $15 for volunteer apron / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Summer months (Typically June through August)
Application Deadline: Late May
Eligibility: Students ages 13–18

In the OCH Junior Volunteer Program, you experience the daily operations of a community hospital by supporting healthcare professionals. You will explore hospital administration and patient comfort topics while uniquely filling in for the regular adult auxiliary staff during their summer break. Your activities include managing the front reception desk, visiting patient rooms to provide companionship, and helping visitors navigate the hospital gift shop. Through these specific roles, you learn valuable skills in clinical communication, empathetic patient care, and basic healthcare administration. 

11. Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) – Donate Life Ambassadors

Location: Statewide, Mississippi (Headquartered at Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency, Flowood, MS)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; no fixed cohort size
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: All high school students

As a Donate Life Ambassador, you immerse yourself in the public health sector by advocating for the critical medical need for organ and tissue donation. You cover important healthcare topics such as donor registry processes, transplant realities, and the life-saving impact of medical donations on communities. During your service, you will staff tables at health fairs, distribute educational materials at donor registration stations, speak publicly at local schools, and assist with administrative office projects. The program's unique feature is its direct integration of personal storytelling with clinical advocacy, which allows you to bridge the communication gap between medical professionals, donor families, and the general public.

12. Ochsner Health – Job Shadowing Program

Location: Multiple facilities (including Meridian, MS, and Bay St. Louis, MS)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; individual placements (no set cohort size)
Dates: Flexible and mutually agreed upon (maximum of 5 half-days per year)
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 and older

In the Ochsner Health Job Shadowing Program, you will cover practical topics like clinical workflow, patient care standards, and specific departmental operations. As a participant, you will shadow your mentor, observe patient consultations, sit in on interdisciplinary team meetings, and see the daily administrative tasks that keep a clinic running. The program features a highly individualized, one-on-one structure that lets you coordinate a short-term, flexible schedule based purely on your specific medical interests. Through this experience, you will build essential skills such as clinical etiquette, effective workplace communication, professional networking, and a basic grasp of medical terminology.

13. Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport – Crown Club

Location: Gulfport, MS
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; typically 20–50 students
Dates: Academic year (August – May)
Application Deadline: Typically, between mid-March and late April
Eligibility: High school girls living in the Gulfport service area

As a member of the Crown Club, you will engage in community-based healthcare by directly supporting local children with varying medical and developmental needs. You will explore public health topics like pediatric support, disability awareness, and community wellness. During your service, you will assemble health and hygiene kits for disadvantaged youth, facilitate interactive events for the Gulf Coast Down Syndrome Society, and assist young patients in Memorial Hospital's pediatric unit. Ultimately, you will develop vital clinical communication, patience, and profound empathy essential for your future medical career.

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