14 Medical Internships for High School Students in Southern California
If you’re a high school student interested in a healthcare career, internships are an excellent way to explore different medical fields, learn about necessary skills, and get mentorship from professionals in areas you're interested in. Internships also help you gain practical experience, build your resume, and strengthen college application essays. If you’;re based in Southern California, and don’t want to travel too far for a summer program, consider one in the region!
Southern California is home to numerous hospitals, research centers, and laboratories that offer internship programs for high school students. Whether your interest lies in biomedical research, neuroscience, clinical shadowing, public health, or medical technology, these internships provide valuable early experience to help you explore your passions and interests.
To make the choice easier for you, we’ve narrowed down a list of 14 Medical Internships for High School Students in Southern California.
1. Samuels Family LA-HIP High School Internship Program
Location: Saban Research Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Stipend: Paid
Dates: June 16 – August 1
Application Deadline: February 7
Eligibility: High school junior in a public school in Los Angeles County; students from underrepresented communities; eligible to work in California
The Samuels Family LA-HIP is a year-long internship program for underrepresented high school students interested in pursuing biomedical research. As an intern, you’ll perform biomedical research experiments, attend lectures, and receive mentorship from scientists, doctors, and PhDs at The Saban Research Institute. You will acquire lab techniques and methodologies while working on projects focused on pediatric health and disease, including neuroscience, diabetes, cancer, and regenerative medicine. Previous interns have worked on research topics including cancer biology, the effects of viruses on proteins in cells, pediatric leukemia, and chronic bowel diseases. The program includes college application preparation, SAT preparation classes, and counseling by college counselors who will provide insight into the selection and financial aid process.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies depending on program type; financial aid is available
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
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, as well as AI and ML/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. Past founders have included YCombinator alums, founders raising over 30 million dollars, or founders who previously worked at Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form.
3. INSPIRE at Cedars-Sinai
Location: Cedars‑Sinai Medical Centre, Los Angeles, CA
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Typically 6-10 weeks, starting from June 30
Application Deadline: February 8
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old, eligible to work in the U.S.
The INSPIRE internship program is designed for high school students interested in pursuing biomedical research. As an intern, you will work alongside faculty mentors on projects in basic, translational, or clinical research. You will gain practical experience working in research, including training in lab safety, experiment design, literature review, and data analysis. Additionally, you'll improve your public speaking and communication abilities by practicing presentations of your research progress during lab meetings and journal clubs. The program also offers workshops that enable you to connect with peers, explore various career options, and build professional skills.
4. Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program
Location: Various medical centers across California
Cost: Free; stipend provided
Dates: Online Program 1: July 7 – 17 | Online Program 2: July 21 – 31 | In-person Program: Varies by facility
Application Deadline: February 14
Eligibility: 11th or 12th grader in high school, LA County resident
Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career is a medical mentor program to encourage high school students to pursue career paths in healthcare and allied fields. You will participate in interactive sessions and learn about different healthcare careers through mentorship from experienced professionals such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, ophthalmologists, radiologists, and therapists, who will share their expertise and career stories. You will attend seminars, learn about how hospitals operate, have the chance to shadow professionals, and explore different career paths. Selection is competitive and based on essay, two teacher recommendations, and high school transcript.
5. Bridge Undergraduate Science Jr. Program (BUGS Jr.)
Location: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Stipend: $800
Dates: June 17 – August 2
Application Deadline: April 18
Eligibility: High school students located in or near Los Angeles
The Bridge Undergraduate Science Jr. is a summer program for high school students interested in research. As a participant, you’ll be paired with a USC Faculty Member and a research lab where you’ll learn how to conduct research and work on your research project. Previous interns have worked on research topics including microbial behaviour, women’s cognitive health and inflammation, medical device technology, protein disorders, vaccine delivery systems, infectious disease biology, genetic engineering, and cancer diagnostics. The program includes research discussions through journal clubs, career exploration workshops, STEM technical panels, research seminars, and networking with like-minded peers. Students have the opportunity to present their research results in a poster session at the symposium held at the end of the program.
6. Scripps Student Research Internship
Location: Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA
Stipend: $4,830
Dates: June 2 – August 8 or June 16 – August 22
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school students who will be at least 16 years old by the internship start date
The Scripps Research Translational Institute (SRTI) offers a 10-week summer internship program for high school students interested in translational medical research. The research work will be relevant for students interested in exploring career pathways in health sciences, statistics, and computer science. As an intern, you’ll study relevant topics in translational science, learn study design, analyze procedures, observe clinical trial proceedings, and learn how to present your own research. You will be paired with a mentor and can focus on areas of interest such as Genomics, human genetics, and digital health technologies for patient monitoring. At the end of the program, you will participate in a poster symposium to showcase your research findings.
7. Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy
Location: La Puente & Duarte, City of Hope, Los Angeles, CA
Stipend: $4,500
Dates: June 2 – August 8
Application Deadline: March 12
Eligibility: High school students who are 16 or older, complete coursework in biology and chemistry; U.S citizens or residents
The Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy is a research program for high school students interested in pursuing STEM-related research pathways. As a participant, you’ll be a part of the biomedical research team and get to work on your research project. You’ll receive mentorship from physicians and scientists, attend workshops and weekly seminars that will guide you on biomedical ethics, and explore different career paths in the field. You’ll also participate in lectures on topics such as DNA repair, neural stem cells, and plant signalling pathways. The program concludes with a poster session, where you’ll hone your professional skills and present your research findings to faculty members, including doctors and research lab members.
8. Moores Cancer Center OPTIMUS
Location: Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, CA
Stipend: Paid
Dates: June 16 – August 8
Application Deadline: Early Spring
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10 or 11; must be 16 years or older, from underrepresented communities
The Outreach Program To Inspire Minority and Underrepresented Students (OPTIMUS) is an 8-week cancer research internship program for high school students. As an intern, you’ll collaborate with researchers on active projects at cancer research labs. You’ll have the opportunity to shadow physicians, doctors, and researchers to learn about patient care, medicine, and research firsthand. Past interns have even learned skills like suturing from surgery residents. You’ll know what it’s like to work in research and the medical field while exploring the fundamentals of cancer biology, learn research techniques, and reviewing existing literature and research work.
9. Summer Youth Science Fellowship Program
Location: UCI Cancer Research Institute, Orange County, CA
Stipend: Unpaid
Dates: June 23 – August 1
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school junior or senior; attending school in Orange County; completed one high school lab-based chemistry course and one biology course
The Cancer Research Institute conducts a lab-based cancer summer research program for high school students. You’ll spend 30 hours a week in a research lab, receive mentorship from oncologist researchers, observe ongoing project work, review literature, and learn how to conduct your own research. You will be assigned a mentor and research lab aligned with your interests. As an intern, you’ll also have the opportunity to develop your communication and presentation skills by sharing your research findings during lab meetings and at the program's symposium at the end.
10. Turner-UCLA Allied Health Internship
Location: UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
Stipend: Unpaid
Dates: 1 week in the summer
Application Deadline: Typically in March
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and recent high school graduates who are not currently enrolled in an undergraduate program
The Turner UCLA Allied Health Internship is a program for current high school students and graduates to explore careers in allied health. You’ll get the opportunity to explore different career options through shadowing and internships, and can work across departments in entry-level, clinical, or administrative positions. The program encourages students to explore health careers that don’t require medical school and provides scholarship opportunities and career guidance. Students can apply for scholarships to training programs in allied health after completing their internship.
11. Rady Children's Health Medical Academy
Location: Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA
Cost: $3,000
Dates: June 16 – June 27 | July 7 – July 18
Application Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: High school students who will be between 15-19 years old in June
The Rady Children’s Health Medical Academy offers a 2-week summer program for high school students interested in pursuing careers in healthcare. Throughout the program, you’ll gain insights from healthcare professionals and participate in interactive projects to build practical skills. You’ll explore various healthcare careers, learn about different work areas, and understand the essential skills needed for success. Additionally, the health academy offers weekend programs focused on specific career paths, including roles like physician assistant or nursing staff, and the skills required for each.
12. Medical Intelligence and Innovation Institute (Mi4) Summer Internship Program
Location: CHOC’s Medical Intelligence & Innovation Institute, Orange, CA
Cost: Free
Dates: June 16 - August 7
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students who are 14 or older
The Medical Intelligence and Innovation Institute (Mi4) is a Summer Internship Program for high school students interested in exploring career pathways in the healthcare field. As an intern, you’ll explore various careers in the medical field, receive guidance from healthcare professionals, learn about innovations in medicine, and participate in clinical workshops. You’ll gain experience in multiple areas of pediatric medicine, including genomic and personalized medicine, regenerative therapies, nanomedicine, AI applications in healthcare, and advanced medical technologies like robotics and mobile health devices. You’ll be able to work on your presentation skills by presenting at monthly meetings and working on a research project for an innovation that will improve healthcare delivery. Selected interns will get to present their abstracts at AIMed: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine conferences in December.
13. UCLA NeuroCamp Summer High School Program
Location: UCLA Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Free
Dates: June 16 – July 27
Application Deadline: April 27
Eligibility: High school students; U.S. residents
The UCLA Brain Research Institute runs Neurocamp, a summer program designed to introduce high school students to neuroscience. Participants will learn basic lab techniques in Molecular Neurobiology, explore various neural pathways, and understand core concepts in Neurophysiology and Neuroanatomy. Previous camps had lectures on brain structure, the function of the brain and nervous system, and the role of epigenetic mechanisms in memory. The camp will also focus on career and college exploration, helping students navigate career paths in neuroscience.
14. Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute Summer Research Program
Location: Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, Duarte, CA
Stipend: Paid
Dates: June 16 – August 8
Application Deadline: April 4
Eligibility: High school students who are 16 or older; U.S. citizen or permanent resident
The Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute offers a Summer Research Program for high school students to get research exposure in the field of diabetes and metabolism. You’ll gain practical experience in research through bench work while directly working on lab experiments on topics such as insulin regulation, metabolic pathways, and glucose homeostasis. You’ll also attend lectures that will cover foundational concepts in metabolic disorders and diabetes treatment. The program culminates in a symposium where you get to present your research findings while also refining your scientific communication and presentation skills.
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