12 Hospital Internships for Undergraduates in New York
If you are an undergraduate student interested in medical careers, a hospital internship can help you explore day-to-day work in the field. Hospital internships give you a structured way to explore clinical care, biomedical research, public health systems, and hospital operations while still in college. In these environments, you get to observe how healthcare teams collaborate, research protocols are implemented, and patient services are coordinated.
Why should I do a hospital internship in college?
Completing a hospital internship during college can strengthen your understanding of clinical environments, research methodologies, and healthcare administration before applying to graduate or professional programs. You will gain experience interpreting clinical or research data, following compliance standards, communicating findings, and collaborating within multidisciplinary teams. These internships allow you to evaluate whether a particular medical specialty, research focus, or healthcare career path aligns with your interests and skills.
In New York City, hospital internships are hosted by large academic medical centers, specialized research institutes, and public health organizations that serve diverse patient populations. This environment allows you to see how complex healthcare systems function at scale, from translational research and clinical trials to population health planning and initiatives. To help you get started, we’ve put together 12 hospital internships for undergraduates in New York.
1. NYU Langone Health Career Opportunity Program (HCOP)
Location: NYU Langone Health sites across New York City
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Session One: May 26 - June 19 | session two: June 22 - July 17 | session three: July 20 - August 14
Application Deadline: December 21
Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 18 years old with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2
The Health Career Opportunity Program at NYU Langone Health offers hospital internships structured around direct clinical observation. During the four-week session, you’ll be assigned to a specialty, such as anesthesiology, neurology, nursing, or clinical nutrition, and observe healthcare professionals as they carry out their daily responsibilities. Orientation sessions cover institutional protocols, including HIPAA regulations, safety procedures, and professional conduct, helping you understand how large healthcare systems operate. The program concludes with a cumulative assessment based on what you’ve learned through observation, seminars, and group sessions.
2. HRTP: A Public Health Internship Program
Location: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Financial support is available for most students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Summer (June - August), fall (September - December), and winter/spring (January - May)
Application Deadline: February 15 (summer), August 15 (fall), November 15 (winter/spring)
Eligibility: Undergraduate, graduate, or professional students at an accredited college/university | Students interested in the fall and winter/spring sessions must reside in NYC
The HRTP internship program at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene approaches hospital internships from a public health systems perspective. Instead of focusing exclusively on clinical settings, you will work on ongoing public health initiatives under supervision, applying research and evaluation methods to community issues. Projects may involve data analysis, program planning, or policy-related research, depending on your placement. Alongside fieldwork, you participate in seminars and workshops that explore how large urban health departments design and assess public health interventions.
3. Weill Cornell Department of Pediatrics Summer Internship
Location: Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 6- or 10-week program from June 1 to August 7
Application Deadline: Applications open December 8
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, and graduate students
The Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine offers hospital internships that span research, clinical quality improvement, administration, and health education. You’ll be matched with faculty and staff mentors based on your stated interests, allowing you to contribute to projects ranging from neonatal virus research to patient safety initiatives. The program emphasizes supervised task completion within an academic medical department, helping you understand how clinical care, research, and hospital operations intersect. Through this format, you’ll gain a working understanding of pediatric medicine within a major hospital system in New York.
4. Project Asian Health Education and Development (AHEAD)
Location: Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $5000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: The previous cohort had 12 students
Dates: June 1 - August 7
Application Deadline: January 19
Eligibility: Undergraduate students in their second year or higher
The Project AHEAD internship places undergraduates within a federally qualified health center, where hospital internships intersect with community-based care. Over 10 weeks, you will observe how primary care, social work, health education, and research operate within an integrated model serving historically underserved communities. Your responsibilities may include assisting with outreach initiatives, supporting health education programming, or contributing to community health research efforts. Alongside practical exposure, you’ll reflect on your role in addressing health disparities and supporting patient-centered care.
5. Northwell Healthcare Management Program (HMP) Internship
Location: Northwell Health, New York, NY
Stipend: Provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 10 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Not provided
Eligibility: Current college juniors
The Healthcare Management Program (HMP) Internship at Northwell Health introduces undergraduates to the operational and administrative side of healthcare systems. Over the course of this internship, you will work with hospital leadership and department teams on projects related to healthcare delivery, patient services, or hospital operations. You gain exposure to the structure of large healthcare systems while participating in educational sessions, networking opportunities, and top-level meetings. Through hands-on project work and organizational learning sessions, you build a deeper understanding of healthcare management and potential career pathways in hospital administration.
6. Gateways to the Laboratory
Location: Weill Cornell Medicine, The Rockefeller University, or Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY
Cost/Stipend: $5,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 15 students
Dates: 9 weeks starting June 1
Application Deadline: February 3
Eligibility: College freshmen and sophomores (18+ years) who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Gateways to the Laboratory, administered through the Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, introduces undergraduates to the physician-scientist career pathway through intensive summer research. Over nine weeks, you will conduct an independent project in areas such as molecular biology, computational biology, neuroscience, or cancer research, depending on laboratory placement. In addition to laboratory work, you participate in journal clubs, clinical skills workshops, and physician shadowing sessions at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. The internship concludes with oral and poster presentations delivered to both institutional and national audiences.
7. NYU Grossman School of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Program
Location: NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $5,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 30 students
Dates: 9 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Undergraduate students who have completed their sophomore or junior year, as well as at least one full semester of bench laboratory research, and are U.S. citizens/permanent residents
This summer research program integrates laboratory immersion with structured academic discussions. You’ll be matched with a faculty mentor to conduct biomedical research in areas such as immunology, epidemiology, computational biomedicine, or molecular oncology. Informal conversations with scientist/physician sessions allow you to ask questions about clinical and research career pathways. Toward the end of the program, you prepare and present a research poster to the institutional community and may have an opportunity to share your work at a national symposium.
8. Einstein Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
Location: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
Cost/Stipend: $4,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 50 students
Dates: May 28 - July 26
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: U.S. citizens/permanent residents who have completed their junior year of college and have a science background
The Einstein Summer Undergraduate Research Program focuses on eight weeks of laboratory-based investigation. You will be matched with a faculty mentor whose research aligns with your academic interests to conduct experiments or analyze research data. Weekly seminars introduce you to current biomedical research topics, while workshops address ethics in science and career planning. The program concludes with a poster session where you present your research findings to the institutional research community.
9. REACH Summer Program
Location: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: $3,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 8 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Underrepresented high school and undergraduate students
The REACH Summer Program combines laboratory research with clinical and cultural competency training focused on neurodevelopmental disorders. You will work in teams to design and conduct a scientific project using animal models related to autism spectrum disorders, guided by faculty, graduate, and medical student mentors. Weekly lab meetings require you to present data, refine hypotheses, and respond to peer feedback. The curriculum includes lectures, pediatric clinical shadowing, and discussions about health disparities, linking research within broader social and clinical contexts.
10. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Clinical Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE)
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $25/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 8 - July 31
Application Deadline: January 9
Eligibility: Rising sophomore or junior undergraduates pursuing a bachelor’s degree in science and/or premedical studies
The Clinical Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Program provides undergraduate students with hands-on exposure to clinical research in oncology. You will work with a faculty mentor on a research project that may involve analyzing clinical trial data, studying patient outcomes, or exploring data-driven questions related to cancer treatment. Alongside mentored research, the program includes a structured lecture series covering topics such as clinical research methods, data integrity, and ethical practices in biomedical research. You may also observe clinical care activities, attend departmental seminars, and participate in discussions about career pathways in medicine and biomedical science. At the end of the program, you present your research findings to peers and faculty.
11. HSS Rehabilitation Internship Program
Location: Virtual or NYC campuses
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Flexible
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: College students or recent graduates
The Rehabilitation Internship Program emphasizes project-based work in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and performance sciences. You contribute to initiatives related to research, clinical operations, or educational programming. Depending on your project scope, you may analyze clinical workflows, assist with data collection, or support departmental initiatives related to prosthetics and orthotics. Observational opportunities allow you to understand how rehabilitation teams coordinate patient care within a hospital environment. The program concludes with a capstone presentation summarizing your project outcomes and the methods used during the internship.
12. NewYork-Presbyterian Summer Undergraduate Internship Program
Location: NYP/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $40/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 10 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Not provided
Eligibility: Undergraduates who have completed their sophomore year in Health Administration, Public Health, Business, Health Policy, Operations Management, or related fields
The Hospital Operations track of the NewYork-Presbyterian Summer Undergraduate Internship Program provides students with hands-on experience in the administrative and operational side of a major academic medical center. You will work alongside hospital leaders and departmental teams on projects related to patient flow, healthcare quality improvement, and operational efficiency. In addition to project work, the program includes professional development programming, networking opportunities, and exposure to different departments across the hospital system. You’ll gain insight into how large hospitals coordinate patient care, manage resources, and implement system-wide healthcare initiatives.
Looking for an immersive internship experience?
Check out Ladder Internships!
Ladder University Internship Program is a selective, virtual internship program where you work with startups and nonprofits from around the world, The startups range across a variety of industries. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup. Apply now.
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