6 Medical Internships for High School Students in Columbus, Ohio
High school internships can be a valuable step toward exploring careers in medicine, especially if you’re considering a future in healthcare. While clinical settings often come with age restrictions, there are still meaningful ways to gain exposure to the medical field through research labs, hospital-based programs, and university outreach initiatives.
In Columbus, Ohio, you have access to a range of opportunities thanks to institutions like The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and OhioHealth. These organizations often host programs that introduce high school students to biomedical research, public health, or patient care through structured internships, mentorship, and hands-on learning.
In this blog, we’ve rounded up 6 medical internships that are available to Columbus-based high schoolers. The list includes both local in-person options and virtual programs that connect you with medical professionals and research projects across the country.
1. Ohio State University - Explorations in Neuroscience Research Internship Program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Location: Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship (stipend amount not specified)
Dates: June 23 - August 8 (7 weeks)
Application Deadline: March 7
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
The Explorations in Neuroscience Research Internship Program is an NIH-funded opportunity that provides high school students with laboratory experience in neuroscience, neurological injury, and neurodegeneration research. You will work directly with research mentors, graduate students, and laboratory technicians. Program highlights include participation in a specialized neuroscience journal club where you’ll develop skills in reading and presenting primary scientific literature, plus access to research facilities. On top of contributing to ongoing research projects, you will also attend lab meetings and networking events. The experience concludes with a formal research presentation where you wil showcase your findings to peers and faculty.
2. Ladder Internships
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited opportunities, various cohorts
Location: Virtual/Remote
Cost: Varies depending on program type (financial aid available)
Dates: 8-12 weeks, with multiple cohorts (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter)
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort - January (Spring), May (Summer), September (Fall), November (Winter)
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can commit 10-20 hours per week
Ladder Internships connects high school students to health tech startups through a virtual program that provides access to industry opportunities. You'll work alongside startup managers and dedicated Ladder coaches on meaningful projects within high-growth companies that average over $1 million in funding. Participants gain experience in product development, research initiatives, and operational improvements. Students present their completed work to company leadership at the program's conclusion.
3. OhioHealth Student Opportunities
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies depending on the cohort
Location: OhioHealth Dublin Methodist, OhioHealth Doctors, and OhioHealth Grove City Hospitals (Columbus, Ohio area)
Cost/Stipend: $18 per hour plus potential tuition reimbursement
Dates: Up to 6 months, flexible schedule
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the internship
Eligibility: Ages 16-17
OhioHealth provides medical internships for high school students in Columbus, Ohio, through their Patient Support Assistant-intern (PSA-i) program. You will work alongside nursing teams in entry-level roles across multiple hospital locations, gaining experience in patient care support and healthcare operations. You will earn $18 per hour while developing skills in patient interaction, medical terminology, and healthcare protocols under the mentorship of experienced healthcare professionals. The program includes opportunities for tuition reimbursement and creates a pathway for you to continue working during college. OhioHealth employs over 4,000 interns annually across various healthcare departments, providing mentorship from industry experts.
4. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) - Virtual Program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Location: Virtual/Remote
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: 5 weeks during summer
Application Deadline: December 1 - March 1
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors from anywhere in the US
While traditional medical internships for high school students in Columbus, Ohio, often require local presence, Johns Hopkins offers a virtual brain sciences research program accessible to students nationwide. The 5-week virtual JHIBS program connects you with Johns Hopkins neuroscience faculty for research experiences in neurological sciences, including laboratory training and research methodology instruction. You will work on mentored research projects while attending scientific seminars, professional development sessions, and networking events with leading neuroscientists. JHIBS particularly encourages applications from students from underrepresented backgrounds in medicine and provides career-long mentoring opportunities for participants.
5. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited space
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Program fee applies (financial aid and fee waivers available)
Dates: June 16-27
Application Deadline: February 28 (fee waiver applications due February 21)
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9-12
At the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare, Stanford's AIMI program offers medical internships that can be accessed virtually. This 2-week experience introduces you to AI applications in medical imaging and healthcare through research projects guided by Stanford faculty and researchers. You will work in teams to tackle clinical problems using artificial intelligence. The program features daily lectures on AI healthcare fundamentals, mentoring sessions with Stanford graduate students, and collaborative group projects that conclude with presentations to the broader Stanford community. You'll engage with guest speakers from academia, industry, and nonprofit sectors through virtual career sessions, providing insight into AI's role in modern medicine.
6. Medicine Encompassed Student Internship Program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Rolling
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Grades 9-12
Medicine Encompassed provides accessible medical internships for high school students in Columbus, Ohio, through a completely virtual nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding medical education opportunities. As an intern, you'll contribute to creating STEAM-based educational resources by working as a medical writer, editor, or resource creator across 18 specialized committees. You will develop content including formal articles for publication, study guides, educational materials, and slideshows while learning scientific writing, research methodologies, and communication skills. The program offers flexible roles in both content creation and organizational departments, such as marketing, social media, and graphic design. You'll gain experience in nonprofit management while building a portfolio of published medical content that demonstrates your commitment to healthcare education and community outreach.