11 Medical Internships for High School Students in California

If you are a high schooler interested in medicine, an internship is a great way to explore the field. An internship in medicine during high school is an excellent way to gain practical experience, explore medical career paths, and build essential skills. It also helps you network with experts and professionals in the field. These internships can demonstrate your interest in medicine and commitment to learning in your college applications. Admission committees look favorably upon students who present a proactive approach to learning outside the classroom. 

To help you get started, we cover 11 medical internships for high school students in California in this blog.

1. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program

Location: Stanford University
Cost/Stipend: Students receive a stipend of $500-$1500. 
Eligibility: Current juniors or seniors who are at least 16 years old
Application deadline: February 24
Program Dates: June 10 – August 1 

The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program is an 8-week internship program that is fairly competitive, with an acceptance rate of approximately 3%. During the hands-on research program, you can select one of eight fields of study: immunology, neurobiology, cancer biology, bioengineering, stem cell and regenerative medicine, cardiovascular biology, bioinformatics, and genetics and genomics. You can find information on each field here. After being selected, you are assigned to a specific institute, as per your preference. You will spend the next two months performing basic research on a medically oriented project under the guidance of Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students, and researchers.

2. Ladder Internship Program

Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
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. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average, raising over a million dollars. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup on real-world projects and present their work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long. 

3. Student Research Internship at the Scripps Research Translational Institute (SRTI)

Location: Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old
Application deadline: March 30
Program Dates: June 3 – August 9 or June 17 – August 23 

The 10-week internship program brings together 40 students (high school, undergraduate, graduate, and professional) to conduct patient-centric research during the summer. Based on your interest, you will be assigned a primary mentor who will advise and guide you throughout the program. During the program, you will conduct research on translational science and precision medicine with a focus on digital health, clinical genomics, and community engagement. You will study design and analysis procedures for translational research that include genomic/genetic association studies and mHealth trials. The program also teaches the steps of proposing, designing, undertaking, and analyzing clinical trials. At the end, you will present a scientific concept to your peers and mentors. 

4. Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy at City of Hope

Location: City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Most students receive a stipend of $4,000. 
Eligibility: High school students who will be at least 16 years old before the internship 
Application deadline: March 13
Program Dates: June 3 – August 9

The Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy selects 100 students from a pool of over 2000 applicants to work as biomedical interns. After being selected, you will spend 10 weeks working on an independent research project in a subject area of your interest. Under the guidance of physicians and scientists, you will work on biomedical research projects while attending weekly seminars and workshops. The program ends with completing a research paper that is presented to your peers and instructors.

5. Stanford STaRS Internship Program

Location: Stanford University, Stanford
Cost/Stipend: No cost or stipend
Eligibility: High school students who will be at least 16 years old by the program’s start
Application deadline: Applications typically close in the first week of November
Program Dates: June 17 – August 2 

The Stanford Science, Technology, and Reconstructive Surgery Internship Program offers a distinct experience for students interested in biotechnology. The program provides an opportunity to explore the intersection of medical innovation and advanced biotech applications. As an intern, you will gain experience in reconstructive surgery, which relies on biotechnological advances to improve the outcomes of surgical procedures. You will work alongside leading reconstructive surgeons and researchers, introducing you to state-of-the-art biotech tools and techniques. The program teaches practical skills in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and medical devices while instilling an appreciation for the transformative impact of biotechnology in the medical field.

6. BrainSPORT Summer High School Research Internship Program at UCLA

Location: University of California, Los Angeles
Cost/Stipend: None
Eligibility: Rising juniors
Application deadline: Applications typically close in April
Program Dates: Early June to late August 

The UCLA BrainSport Summer High School Research Internship provides an opportunity for students to participate in research in brain health and sports-related concussions. During the internship, you will gain a deep understanding of neuroscience concepts, hone your research skills, and contribute to ongoing studies in sports medicine and brain injury prevention. Under the guidance of research scientists, clinicians, nurse practitioners, and researchers in the BrainSport program, you will be required to engage in hands-on activities like recruiting patients, entering research data, and conducting study protocols to contribute to ongoing research initiatives. You will also have the opportunity to attend seminars and meetings like the weekly Traumatic Brain Injury lab meetings that provide insight into the daily operations of clinical research.

7. Apprenticeship Bridge to College (ABC) Program at Loma Linda University

Location: Loma Linda University, Loma Linda
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Paid internship. 
Eligibility: Rising high school junior or senior in the Inland Empire region of Southern California with a minimum 3.0 GPA. You will need at least two science courses.
Application deadline: March 15
Program Dates: June 10 – August 2 

Loma Linda University’s ABC program offers a summer internship in health disparities research to approximately 15 high school students in the Inland Empire. During the internship, students will experience hands-on biomedical research under the guidance of an expert scientist. The research project findings will be presented to faculty, peers, and family at the end of the program during the Annual Health Disparities Research Symposium. Additionally, you will attend seminars on health disparities, examining the disproportionate disease burden among minority and medically underserved populations. The enrichment educational activities will help strengthen skills like analytical thinking and scientific communication. You will also get opportunities to build your network with other students in the program. 

8. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences

Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Stipend of $500
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors from across the United States
Application deadline: March 1
Program Dates: July – August  

The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences is a 5-week virtual program for high school students from underrepresented communities that provides a mentored research experience in brain sciences. While working alongside biomedical research professionals, you will participate in numerous activities like educational presentations, professional development training, basic laboratory techniques and experience, mentorship training, and more. At the end of the program, you will have learned the scientific method and responsible conduct of research, and gained critical thinking that will prepare you for a career in the sciences. 

9. Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program

Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: One $500 scholarship will be awarded
Eligibility: High school students who are currently in grade 11 or grade 12
Application deadline: February 16
Program Dates: Session 1: July 8-18 | Session 2: July 22 - August 1 

The Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program by the Los Angeles Pediatric Society hosts two virtual sessions for high school students. In this medical program, you will attend presentations and sessions by general pediatricians and specialists, including surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, dieticians, infectious disease specialists, ophthalmologists, radiologists, child life, and therapists. You can check highlights of the past programs here.

10. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) by George Mason University

Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid internship. $25 application fee, which can be waived based on financial need
Eligibility: Students must be at least 15 years old on the day the program starts
Application deadline: Applications typically close beginning of February
Program Dates: June 18 – August 9  

George Mason University’s ASSIP offers several remote internships for high school students to work one-on-one with the faculty researchers at the university and their collaborating institutions. You will gain hands-on experience using advanced equipment and technologies, which will help you develop and exercise skills like writing, communication, and creativity. The program offers opportunities in a variety of fields, including cancer research, protein signaling, proteomics, bacteriophages, mass spectrometry, personalized medicine, biochemistry, disease detection, nanoscience, medicinal chemistry, and much more.

11. Medicine Encompassed (ME) Student Internships

Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid internship
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9-12) from all over the world can apply
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Program Dates: Flexible work schedules 

Medicine Encompassed is a student-led non-profit organization that offers internships for high school students interested in biology, STEAM, and medicine. They have 18 committees with intern positions contributing to their inclusive medical curriculum, Project Cultivation outreach initiative, and other committee-specific initiatives. You can find their list of initiatives here. Currently, the available positions are writers, editors, and resource creators whose responsibilities involve creating multimedia writing in a multitude of styles, editing medical resources and social media posts, and producing study guides and links for students. 

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