15 Medical Internships for High School Students in Ohio
Medicine can be a demanding field that requires strong academic performance, dedication and hands-on experience. It offers an opportunity to gain experience, build a strong resume, and develop both technical and soft skills in a professional environment. For students considering a career in medicine or healthcare, internships offer a pretty realistic preview of the field in a professional setting. From shadowing doctors and assisting in clinical labs to contributing to public health projects, internship opportunities allow you to gauge your interest, gain mentorship, and learn the real-world challenges of what you study in class.
If you’re based in Ohio, or looking to apply to a university in the state for a medical program, interning locally is a good idea! Not only does it save you a ton of money (if you live close by), but also allows you to build a strong local network.
In this blog, we've created a list of 15 medical internship options for high school students in Ohio. Whether you're in Cleveland, Columbus, or Cincinnati, or applying from out of state, these programs offer the right mix of research, clinical exposure, and mentorship in medical fields.
1. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio
Stipend: $13/hour for approximately 20 hours/week; no program fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Dates: Eight-week program, from June to August
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: High school graduates living in the Cincinnati area
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s High School Summer Internship Program places graduating seniors along with mentors across diverse pediatric specialties from endocrinology and genetics to critical care and developmental biology. You will spend 20 hours per week working in clinical or research labs, gaining exposure to patient rounds, data analysis, and specialty-focused procedures, all guided by physician scientists. Weekly cohort lunches and seminars improve professional growth, while group service activities and computer-based simulation training provide hands-on learning. The experience concludes with a capstone presentation, where you will share insights and outcomes from your time spent in the hospitals.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,490 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not Specified
Dates: Several cohorts run year-round in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application Deadline: Vary depending on the cohort - Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work 8-12 weeks for 10-20 hours/week.
Ladder Internships offers high school students the opportunity to build practical skills with their virtual internship program. You will get the chance to work directly with fast-growing start-ups across diverse industries including tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. These start-ups typically have strong growth trajectories, with many having raised over a million dollars in funding. You will collaborate closely with both your start-up Manager and a dedicated Ladder Coach on real-world projects. The program concludes with a final presentation given to the company stakeholders based on your findings.
3. CYCE High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
Stipend: Paid internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive selection
Dates: Seven-week program that typically runs from mid‑June through late July
Application Deadline: Generally closes between late January and early February
Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 9–12 who are at least 15 years of age by the start of the program; GPA 2.5+
In the CYCE High School Summer Internship, local high school students gain experience across three healthcare pathways: science and clinical, non-clinical, and advanced technology (such as AI, robotics, and biomedical engineering). You will work along with Cleveland Clinic caregivers in a real hospital or administrative environment , gaining exposure to medical, technical, and operational roles. The program promotes professional development, teamwork, and communication. Students understand digital literacy, problem-solving, academic presentation, and project management skills. Throughout the internship, students participate in learning modules, shadow professionals, and engage in peer networking opportunities.
4. The Ohio State University’s Explorations in Neuroscience Internship
Location: Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Stipend: Free participation with stipend (stipend amount not specified)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive selection
Dates: June 23 - August 8
Application Deadline: March 7
Eligibility: Open to rising high school juniors and seniors, with a focus on students from underrepresented backgrounds.
This NIH‑funded biomedical research internship involves high school students in active neuroscience laboratories at Ohio State University. Over the seven week duration, you will collaborate closely with mentors, graduate students, and technicians to explore a variety of topics including neurodegeneration, neurological injury, and other topics of neuroscience. You will work in lab meetings, journal clubs, and structured training in reading and presenting scientific literature. The program concludes with a student-led presentation where participants share their research findings with peers and faculty members.
5. Ohio State University — CREATES High School Summer Program
Location: Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James, Columbus, Ohio
Stipend: No program fee; participants receive a stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Dates: June 3 – July 26
Application Deadline: February (exact date not available)
Eligibility: Must be a rising high school senior and should meet NIH criteria for underprivileged backgrounds in the STEM
CREATES offers rising seniors from underprivileged backgrounds a fully funded, eight-week research internship at the OSUCCC–James cancer center. You will work one-on-one along with faculty and graduate mentors on projects ranging from tumor biology and translational therapies to health disparities research. The experience includes lab safety training, literature review, project planning, and weekly journal clubs. You will also attend professional workshops and prepare poster presentations to share outcomes with the cancer center community.
6. Cleveland Clinic RISE Program (Lerner Research)
Location: Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute, Main Campus, Cleveland, Ohio
Stipend: Free ; interns receive a paid stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 2 - July 25
Application Deadline: Not specified but opens during the spring
Eligibility: Rising seniors at the Cleveland School of Science & Medicine (CSSM) who show a strong interest in biomedical research.
RISE brings select CSSM students in lab environments at the Lerner Research Institute for an eight-week, mentor-guided research experience. You will be part of teams working on active biomedical questions, learning techniques in molecular biology, proteomics, computational analysis, or imaging. The program includes professional seminars, career guidance, and structured reflection sessions to improve scientific understanding. You will receive mentorship from faculty, graduate researchers, and clinician-scientists, and learn to present findings in a formal symposium.
7. Veritas AI’s AI+ Medicine Deep Dive
Location: Virtual
Stipend: $2,290
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: March 16-May 18
Application Deadline: May 25
Eligibility: High school students
Veritas AI offers specialized summer programs for high school students eager to learn the combination of artificial intelligence and medicine. The curriculum begins with foundational concepts in AI and machine learning, then transitions into hands-on healthcare projects that bring those ideas to life. In the AI + Medicine Deep Dive, you will learn how AI is applied in areas like disease diagnosis, medical imaging, and treatment planning. You'll use tools such as programming notebooks and work on real-world medical problems using machine learning models. The course also explores the role of AI in genomics, hospital operations, neuroscience, and drug discovery. Sessions are guided by mentors and researchers from top institutions including Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Princeton.
8. UT Southwestern Medical Center - High School Student Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Two-week summer session scheduled in June (exact dates to be decided)
Application Deadline: Early February each year
Eligibility: Students entering 10th, 11th, or 12th graders, and incoming college freshers
This two-week online internship immerses students in the wide range field of mental health using live sessions with licensed clinicians, neuropsychologists, physician assistants, and psychiatrists. Using curated pre-session recordings and interactive lectures, you will explore topics such as psychotherapy methods, neuropsychological testing, community psychiatry, and interventional care. Presenters share personal career insights not just academic knowledge that highlight growth prospects into the field and real-world roles in the mental health environment.
9. Stanford University - Clinical Summer Internship
Location: On Campus Stanford University, California or Virtual
Cost: On-Campus Program fee as $6,380; Virtual Program fee as $4,380
Acceptance rate/cohort size:Highly selective
Dates: Session 1 (in-person): July 14–July 25,Session 2 (virtual): July 28–August 8
Application Deadline: February 24
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors or undergraduate pre-medical students; who are 16 years of age or older
Stanford’s Clinical Summer Internship offers a rich introduction to medicine using flexible in-person or fully remote modes. . You will engage in clinical skills such as diagnostics, suturing, and simulated patient rounds under guidance from medical students, residents, and faculty. Both modes involve live lectures, team-based case scenarios, and professional mentorship. The learners in the remote mode receive clinical kits to participate in simulations from home. The summer program spans across two immersive weeks, while a fall program provides a slow-paced alternative using weekly evening sessions.
10. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS)
Location: Johns Hopkins, Baltimore with remote option available
Stipend: In-person interns receive hourly wages. Virtual interns receive stipend of $500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: In-person: Eight weeks during summer (June–August). Virtual: Five weeks in July–August
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
JHIBS offers a mentored approach to neuroscience and brain science using both in-person and remote modes. You will explore neurological research under the guidance of faculty and graduate mentors, attend seminars, learn lab techniques, and develop critical thinking. In-person participants engage directly in laboratory environments and clinical rotations, while remote participants access lectures, professional development sessions, and research skill training using an immersive online platform. Both tracks conclude with presentations of student‐led projects.
11. Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills and Education Center Summer Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,500 + $95 as application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; cohorts typically contain 30–40 students
Dates: Program 1: June 23 - July 4, Program 2: July 14 - July 25
Application Deadline: March 14
Eligibility: High school students with age of 16 years or above by the program start date
Stanford’s CSSEC internship delivers surgical learning using a blend of anatomy, physiology, and hands-on technique training. This includes suturing, dissection, and knot-tying. Faculty and residents follow live lectures and technical workshops using simulation models. For remote students, a carefully designed supply kit is emailed in advance, enabling them to follow along and receive feedback using Zoom in real-time. Taught by expert instructors, including Stanford University faculty and surgical residents, the program gives you a unique chance to learn directly from leaders in the field.
12. OhioHealth Student Opportunities
Location: OhioHealth Dublin Methodist, OhioHealth Doctors, and OhioHealth Grove City Hospitals, Columbus, Ohio area
Stipend: $18 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies depending on the cohort
Dates: Up to 6 months, flexible schedule
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the internship
Eligibility: Age 16-17 years
OhioHealth offers medical internships for high school students in Columbus, Ohio, using the iPatient Support Assistant-intern (PSA-i) program. As a PSA-i, you’ll assist nursing teams in foundational roles across several hospital sites, gaining hands-on experience in patient care and healthcare systems. You will earn $18 per hour as a stipend and receive training in areas like medical terminology, patient communication, and clinical procedures under the guidance of seasoned professionals. The program also includes tuition reimbursement opportunities and sets you up for continued work during college. Each year, OhioHealth supports more than 4,000 interns across different healthcare areas, offering strong mentorship and exposure to the medical field.
13. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Program fee applies (financial aid and fee waivers options available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective with a limited cohort
Dates: June 16–June 27
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Open to high school students entering grades 9–12
Stanford’s AIMI program is at the forefront of healthcare and artificial intelligence, offering a fully virtual internship focused on medical experience. Over the course of two weeks, you will explore how AI is transforming medical imaging and healthcare delivery using research projects led by Stanford faculty and researchers. You will work in teams to solve real-world clinical challenges using AI tools and techniques. The program includes daily lectures on AI fundamentals in healthcare, mentorship from Stanford graduate students, and collaborative group work that concludes with final presentations. You will also attend virtual career talks led by experts from academia, industry, and nonprofits to better understand the growing role of AI in medicine.
14. Medicine Encompassed Student Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Grades 9-12
Medicine Encompassed offers virtual internships that give high school students in Columbus, Ohio and beyond access to hands-on experience in medical education. As part of this student-led nonprofit, you’ll collaborate with peers across 18 STEAM-focused committees, contributing as a writer, editor, or content developer. You will create a range of educational resources from research-based articles and study guides to slide decks and outreach content. Along the way, you'll gain valuable skills in scientific writing, research, and effective communication. In addition to content roles, students can explore opportunities in different departments such as marketing, social media, and design, with flexible timelines and remote collaboration.
15. Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine The Medical Academy
Location: Heritage College Dublin campus, Central Ohio
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 10–June 13
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in February, no precise deadline is available on the website
Eligibility: Specifically for students at Warrensville Heights and John F. Kennedy High Schools, focused on supporting underprivileged students interested in health careers.
This STEM-based program provides participants with medical knowledge using college-style lectures, clinical case studies, and interactive labs, covering topics such as anatomy, osteopathic manipulative medicine, EKG interpretation and patient assessment. You will also receive mentorship, college-readiness training, and exposure to various health professions using hands-on activities and guest speakers.
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