15 Summer Medical Internships for Undergraduates
If you’re an undergraduate student thinking about a career in healthcare, a medical internship during the summer can give you early exposure to the field. These internships place you in hospitals, clinics, research labs, or public health settings where you work alongside professionals and learn how different parts of the medical system function.
You might help with clinical tasks, assist in lab research, shadow doctors, or support public health projects. Some internships focus on research and data analysis, while others are centered on patient care or health education. A few offer stipends, housing, or course credit.
To help you choose, here are 15 summer medical internships for undergraduate students!
15 Summer Medical Internships for Undergraduates
1. Johns Hopkins Medicine Summer Internship Program (SIP)
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Cost/Stipend: $3,000 - $5,500 stipend (Housing is provided at no cost to participants)
Acceptance rate: Highly competitive
Program dates: May 25 – August 2
Application deadline: February 1
Eligibility: You must be a current college student. The program prefers students from underrepresented, low-income, or disabled backgrounds. You must be able to work full-time for about 10 weeks. If you're in the U.S., you need work authorization and a Social Security Number
The Summer Internship Program (SIP) gives you experience in biomedical or public health research. It is open to all undergraduates, especially those from underrepresented or low-income backgrounds or with disabilities. You will learn how to read research papers, use lab tools, run experiments, and work on your project with help from a mentor. You will also participate in team meetings, attend career and networking events, and present your research at the program's conclusion. Many students later share their work at national conferences. You cannot take classes or work another job during the internship, as it needs your full-time focus.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Cost: Varies based on program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January),
Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November)
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, You will work closely with your managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present your work to the company. Here is the application form. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
3. Internship at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Care Institute
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: Free. No mention of a stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Application Deadline: March 31
Internship Dates: Early June to late July or early August
Eligibility: High school students and Undergraduate students who are at least 16 years old by program start and can commit to the full eight weeks. No previous research experience is needed
The Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Summer Research Volunteer Program is an eight-week full-time program for high school and college students. You will work in a lab on your project and learn how to do research that helps fight cancer. You will use lab tools, collect data, and work with scientists, graduate students, and postdocs. This program helps you build research skills and explore a future in biology or health science.
4. PURE Internship
Location: MCW Graduate School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Cost/Stipend: No stipend offered
Application Deadline: Apply at least one month before the start of the program
Program Dates: offered during the academic year (mid-August to mid-May)
Eligibility: To join the program, you must be an undergraduate student in a STEM major with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, be at least 18 years old, live in Southeast Wisconsin, and be able to travel to MCW in Milwaukee each week. You also need to commit at least 8 hours per week to work with your faculty mentor
The Program for Undergraduate Research (PURE) at the MCW Graduate School is an unpaid program for college students. If you are selected, you will work with a faculty mentor who will help you learn how to do research in labs, with data, or in communities. You will learn how to plan studies, collect and look at data, and understand health problems. The program runs during the school year, from mid-August to mid-May.
5. Cancer Research Interns – National Cancer Institute, NIH
Location: NIH Campus at Bethesda or one of the satellite campuses – NCI Shady Grove Campus or NCI Frederick Campus
Cost/Stipend: stipend available
Acceptance rate: Competitive
Application Deadline: Not specified
Internship Dates: Not specified
Eligibility: Undergraduate students who are 18 with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
The Cancer Research Interns (CRI) Summer Program at the National Cancer Institute is a paid 12-week internship for college, graduate, and medical students. You will learn by doing real research in cancer labs, clinics, or public health projects. You will work with top scientists, learn how to collect and study data, use lab tools, and understand how cancer is treated and studied. If you have little or no research experience, you will still get support and training. You will also learn how to share your findings and get ready for future studies or jobs. At the end, you will present your work at a research event. Since the program is full-time and in a new location, you should be ready to move and stay focused.
6. Novartis’s Summer of Science Internship Program
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, or San Diego, California
Cost/Stipend: None. Wage competitive with local internship wages
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Application Deadline: November 25
Program Dates: 10 weeks
Eligibility: You must be at least 18 years old, have finished three semesters or four quarters at a U.S. college, and be studying in a U.S. state or territory. You need to be eligible to work in the U.S., have a GPA of 3.4 or higher, and plan to pursue a Ph.D. in a biomedical field
In this program with the biomedical research team at Novartis, you will help find new ways to treat diseases and discover new drugs. You will work on a team project and get support from a mentor at a research center. You will learn how to plan and run experiments, study the results, and understand key science ideas. You will also explore how research can focus on helping patients. At the end, you will share your work with the Novartis research community. The program also includes fun group activities to help you connect with others.
7. Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) Summer Program
Location: Longwood Medical Area, Boston, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: Stipend provided (amount unspecified)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Application Deadline: February 3
Internship Dates: May - July; 7-11 weeks
Eligibility: You must be a college freshman, sophomore, or junior, at least 16 years old, and live in or near Massachusetts. You should come from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group or an economically disadvantaged background
The Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) Program is a full-time, paid summer internship that lasts 7 to 11 weeks. You will be matched with a mentor and work on real cancer research projects. You will learn how to plan experiments, use lab tools, collect and study data, and see how research leads to discoveries in health. At the end of the program, you will write a summary of your work and share it at a final event to show what you learned and how you contributed.
8. Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research—NIH
Location: National Institute of Health
Cost/Stipend: Stipend granted based on educational level
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Program Dates: TBD
Application Deadline: Rolling. Applications close on February 15
Eligibility: Students enrolled at least half-time in high school or college who are at least 17 and U.S. citizens or permanent residents
This program helps you learn about the causes of genetic diseases and how to develop more effective methods for detecting, preventing, and treating them. You will get hands-on lab training, work closely with a mentor, and learn how to study genes and genetic problems. You will also join the NIH Summer Seminar Series, where top scientists share their latest research. At the end of the program, you will present your project at the NIH Summer Research Poster Day.
9. Northwestern Medicine Pre-Med Internship Program
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Cost/Stipend: stipend provided
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Very Competitive
Application Deadline: January 17
Internship Dates: June 25–August 19
Eligibility: Undergraduates with a GPA of 3.3+
The Northwestern Medicine Pre-Med Internship Program is a paid eight-week program for college students who want to become doctors. You will get real experience by watching doctors, joining projects, and attending seminars. You will work with a mentor in a clinical department and use what you learn in class to understand how healthcare works. You will also join talks on getting into medical school, choosing a specialty, and the role of women in medicine. At the end, you will share what you worked on in a poster session with leaders from the hospital.
10. Duke University Medical Center Summer Internship Program
Location: Durham, NC, or Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: Stipend is available
Acceptance rate: Competitive
Application Deadline: February 17
Internship Dates: May 19 – July 25
Eligibility: College undergrads and graduate students living in or willing to commute to Durham, NC, or Washington, DC, for the summer
The Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy works to improve health and healthcare through research and smart policy ideas. The Margolis Summer Experience Program is a 10-week internship for about 20 college and graduate students from Duke and other schools. As an intern, you will study health problems, look at research papers, work with data, make charts, and help write reports, blog posts, and articles. You will learn how to use research to help solve real healthcare issues.
11. Texas Children's Global Health Internship
Location: Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas,
Cost/Stipend: Free. A stipend is available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly Competitive
Program Dates: Anticipated start date is mid-May, approximately, for 12 weeks
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Graduate-level students and applicants must currently be enrolled in a degree-granting program with a focus on health, global health, international development, communications, public policy, non-profit management, business administration, education, or other relevant areas of study before the start of the internship
This internship at Baylor College of Medicine gives you hands-on experience in global health operations and program management. You will help with daily tasks like tracking progress, creating social media posts, writing updates, and helping with training materials. You will learn how global health programs work in different countries, especially in places with limited resources. You will work with experts from many fields and support health projects by helping with planning, teamwork, and communication. You will also help with fundraising by doing research and writing proposals.
12. Massachusetts General Hospital Summer Research Trainee Program
Location: Boston, MA
Cost/Stipend: None. $5,000 and free housing
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Application Deadline: January 17
Program Dates: June 2–July 25
Eligibility: You must be a junior or senior in college, a post-bac student, a first-year med student, or a grad student studying in the U.S. or Puerto Rico. You must also be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and part of a group underrepresented in medicine
In this program, you will be matched with a faculty mentor and work on a research project. You may join a lab, clinic, or health policy team, depending on your placement. You will also attend weekly seminars, join career workshops, and take part in networking events. You will have chances to shadow doctors and see real patient care. Early in the program, you will write a summary of your project. At the end, you will give a talk about your work. Along the way, you will meet other students, researchers, and leaders at MGH.
13. Feinstein Summer Research Internship Program
Location: New York
Cost/Stipend: None. $2000 stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Deadline: January 24
Program Dates: 8 weeks from May 28–July 23
Eligibility: Current college students in the US who are interested in medical research
This internship selects 25 students to join a guided research program focused on health and disease. You will be matched with a research mentor based on your interests and work on a real project. You can choose to work in one of six areas: behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer research, health system science, molecular medicine, or translational research. Along with research, you will join workshops and seminars to help you learn more. At the end of the program, you will create and present a poster showing what you worked on and what you discovered.
14. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute Summer Scholars Program (CRISSP)
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Cost/Stipend: None. $5,000 stipend and free housing
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Deadline: January 31
Program Dates: 10 weeks from June 2 to August 8
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, and seniors graduating in the spring who are currently enrolled full-time in a four-year accredited college or university at the time of application, have a minimum 3.3 overall GPA, are interested in research related to child health and wellness, and are US citizens or legal permanent residents
CRISSP is a full-time summer program where college students can learn about pediatric research. You will spend 40 to 50 hours each week working with a mentor and learning how to design a study, use research tools, and look at data. You can choose to work in lab-based research, patient-focused clinical research, or research that studies behavior and social factors in health. By the end of the program, you will complete your project and present it as a poster. You will also join weekly lunch sessions where you learn how to set goals, build strong mentor relationships, and give short talks about your work.
15. Boston Children’s Hospital Pediatric Anesthesia Clinical and Research Internship
Location: Boston, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Application Deadline: Varies
Program Dates: Academic track, September-May (9 months), and Summer track, May-August (12 weeks)
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students interested in healthcare. You must have a GPA of at least 3.0
If you want to explore a healthcare career and learn about anesthesiology, this program is a good place to start. For the first two weeks, you will be trained as an assistant anesthesia technician. After that, you will spend one day each week in the operating room, watching and helping with real procedures. You will also attend talks and workshops to learn more. You will do a research project and may get a chance to publish your work. The program also helps you with your applications and gives you practice interviews. This hands-on experience will help you decide if healthcare is the right path for you.