13 Paid Medical Internships for Undergraduates
If you are an undergraduate interested in medicine, an internship can be a worthwhile way to explore this field. College internships give you a chance to move beyond coursework and start building an academic profile that reflects your interests and abilities. They strengthen your resume, provide practical experience in a work environment, and can make a meaningful difference when you apply for jobs, graduate programs, or professional schools. Paid medical internships for undergraduates are especially valuable because they provide early exposure to healthcare and research before you commit to a demanding career path.
Why should I do a paid medical internship as an undergraduate?
A paid medical internship allows you to gain work experience while demonstrating to future employers and admissions committees that your work was valued. Because paid roles typically involve a greater responsibility, you have the opportunity to build concrete skills you can clearly explain in interviews. Students with internship experience tend to be more employable after graduation, particularly in healthcare, research, and life science fields that value professional exposure. Equally important, paid internships reduce the need to take summer jobs, allowing you to focus on building experience that supports your long-term academic and professional goals.
To help you get started, we’ve put together 13 paid medical internships for undergraduates, focusing on programs that offer meaningful exposure to medicine, biomedical research, or public health.
1. NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP)
Location: NIH campuses nationwide, including Bethesda, MD
Cost/Stipend: Paid stipend (amount varies depending on the educational level, but the exact amount is not specified)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Summer (typically June - August)
Application Deadline: February 18
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are at least 18 years old by September 30 | open to graduating high school seniors, current college students, recent graduates, and students accepted into graduate or professional programs.
The Summer Internship Program at the National Institutes of Health places you in a full-time research role within the NIH Intramural Research Program. You’ll work directly in a laboratory or research group led by a principal investigator, contributing to projects in areas such as biomedical science, engineering, psychology, computer science, public health, or related fields. This is a full-time research commitment, and you’re expected to focus exclusively on your NIH work during the duration of the program. In addition to lab work, you’ll participate in professional development sessions, educational programming, and structured career exploration activities. The program concludes with you presenting your research during summer poster day, which gives you practice explaining your work to a scientific audience. This program is best suited if you are seeking an immersive research experience and are comfortable taking initiative in a fast-paced academic environment, especially if you’re considering a long-term career in science or healthcare.
2. Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) – Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Location: Seattle, WA
Cost/Stipend: $7,304 as stipend (excluding taxes) | travel support up to $450 | housing not included
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 - August 21
Application Deadline: February
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents entering the summer before their final year semester, or quarter of undergraduate study.
The Summer Undergraduate Research Program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is a nine-week, full-time research internship focused on biomedical science. You’ll be matched with a faculty mentor and spend the summer working on an independent research project in areas such as basic science, human biology, public health, clinical research, infectious disease, or translational science. The program emphasizes hands-on laboratory or computational work, and requires a commitment of full nine weeks without outside academic obligations. Alongside research, you’ll attend weekly seminars and professional development workshops that focus on skills such as preparing scientific posters and applying to graduate or medical school. Your summer concludes with a competitive poster session where you formally present your work to the research community. This program is well-suited if you’re already committed to biomedical research and want a mentored experience similar to research-intensive undergraduate or predoctoral training.
3. Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) – California Institute of Technology
Location: Pasadena, CA
Stipend: $8,110 award for the full program period
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 10 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Undergraduate students | additional eligibility details are not specified
The SURF program at the California Institute of Technology is a structured, full-time summer research experience designed to closely mirror the academic research process. You’ll work closely with a faculty mentor to develop a research project, and then submit a written research proposal as part of the application. Once selected, you spend ten weeks conducting research. Throughout the summer, you’ll submit interim reports and complete a formal technical paper approved by your mentor. The program concludes in an oral presentation during SURF seminar days, which are designed to resemble professional research conferences. This program is a strong fit if you’re seriously considering graduate school or research-intensive careers who want experience writing proposals, managing a long-term project, and presenting original work.
4. Mechanistic Biology Summer Program (MBSP) – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Location: New York, NY
Stipend: $6,500 stipend plus housing
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 1 - August 7
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Undergraduate students interested in biomedical sciences
The Mechanistic Biology Summer Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is a full-time summer research experience focused on fundamental questions in biology relevant to human disease. You’ll spend the summer working in a research laboratory alongside faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students, contributing to projects in areas such as cancer biology, immunology, genomics, cell biology, and therapeutics. The program is structured around hands-on laboratory work, with scientific talks and professional development workshops held throughout the summer. You’ll also attend presentations by senior faculty that provide exposure into how biomedical research operates inside a major cancer research institution. At the end of the program, you’ll present your work at a formal summer research symposium. This program is well-suited if you already have prior biology research experience and want a paid, immersive lab environment that aligns closely with MD, PhD, or MD-PhD pathways.
5. Maternal and Child Health Careers–Research Initiatives for Student Enhancement (MCHC/RISE-UP) – Kennedy Krieger Institute
Location: Multiple sites, including Baltimore, MD; Sioux Falls, SD; Davis, CA; and Fort Belknap Community
Stipend: $5,400 as stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: May 25 - July 30
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising juniors or seniors, or students who earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months; minimum GPA of 2.7 | U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
The MCHC/RISE-UP program at Kennedy Krieger Institute is a summer public health training experience that blends clinical exposure, research, and community engagement. You’ll take part in an in-person orientation in Baltimore, followed by spending the summer attending weekly seminars and working with mentors across clinical, research, and community-based environments. The program is structured around three core experiences: clinical, research, and community engagement and advocacy, rather than traditional bench science. Depending on your placement, you may work on community-based participatory research projects, rotate through clinical experiences, or focus on health promotion initiatives related to maternal and child health. You’ll also present your work at conferences or symposia, gaining experience communicating public health research to professional audiences. This program is well-suited for students interested in medicine, public health, pediatrics, or health equity who want structured mentorship with a strong emphasis on social determinants of health rather than laboratory-based research.
6. National Environmental Public Health Internship Program (NEPHIP) – National Environmental Health Association
Location: State, tribal, local, and territorial public health agencies across the U.S.
Stipend: Paid internship (exact stipend amount not specified)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Summer (400 total hours)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students studying environmental health or closely related fields
The National Environmental Public Health Internship Program offers a paid internship with a government environmental public health agency through the National Environmental Health Association. You’ll complete about 400 hours of work addressing real-world environmental health issues, such as food safety, water quality, housing, or community health protections, depending on your placement. The program is designed to give you direct exposure to how environmental public health works at the state, tribal, local, or territorial level. Along the way, you’ll build professional relationships with public health practitioners and gain experience that complements classroom learning. This internship is especially valuable if you’re considering a long-term career in government public health or environmental health practice. NEPHIP is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which adds credibility and structure to the experience, even though it’s not a traditional laboratory-based medical internship.
7. Lewis Scholars’ IMHOTEP Project – Morehouse College
Location: Atlanta, GA
Stipend: Paid stipend | housing on Morehouse campus, course credit, and travel expenses included
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: May 26 - July 31
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: College students | additional eligibility details not specified
The Lewis Scholars IMHOTEP Project at Morehouse College is an 11-week summer research and training program focused on public health fields such as biostatistics, epidemiology, and occupational safety and health. You’ll begin with two weeks of intensive coursework covering topics such as public health and health disparities, epidemiology, biostatistics, and scientific writing. After this training phase, you’re placed in a one-on-one mentored research role with professionals at organizations such as the CDC, academic institutions, or public health agencies. The remaining nine weeks are spent completing a public health research project while also attending seminars, workshops, and completing required community service hours. You’ll conclude the program by presenting an oral poster presentation and developing a research manuscript intended for publication. This program is well-suited if you’re interested in public health, population-level research, or health equity and want a structured experience that combines coursework, mentored research, and professional skill-building.
8. Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) – UT Southwestern Medical Center
Location: Dallas, TX
Stipend: $5,000 stipend for the full program | housing provided if needed | travel not covered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 50 fellows
Dates: June 1 - August 7
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Undergraduate science majors who have completed at least one year of college | U.S. citizens or students on an F-1 visa | applicants should be planning to pursue a PhD or MD/PhD
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center is a 10-week biomedical research program designed for undergraduates interested in research-intensive medical or scientific careers. You’ll be placed in a faculty laboratory and spend the summer working on an individual research project in areas such as cancer biology, immunology, neuroscience, molecular biology, or disease mechanisms. This is a full-time commitment, and you’re not allowed to take classes, hold another job, or plan extended travel during the program. In addition to laboratory work, you’ll attend weekly faculty-led seminars and informal discussions about research careers and graduate training. The program concludes with a formal poster session, where you present your research work to the UT Southwestern community.
9. Undergraduate Research Program (URP) – Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Location: Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Stipend: Paid stipend | housing provided (exact amount not specified on this page)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 20 students per summer
Dates: June 8 - August 8
Application Deadline: Applications closed
Eligibility: Undergraduate students from around the world
The Undergraduate Research Program at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is a full-time summer research experience where you’ll work on an original project in one of CSHL’s research labs. Research areas include molecular biology and cancer, genetics and genomics, neuroscience, plant biology, and quantitative biology, so the work is closely related to biomedical science. You’ll be mentored by a faculty researcher and use advanced laboratory resources such as genomics and microscopy facilities. In addition to laboratory work, the program includes structured training in scientific communication, responsible conduct of research, and career development. You’ll also take part in hands-on workshops in bioinformatics and computational neuroscience, including weekly Python-based data analysis sessions. The summer concludes with a research symposium where you present your research to the full CSHL scientific community, giving you experience similar to a professional research conference environment. This program is well-suited for students who want an immersive, research-intensive summer and are considering graduate school, medical school, or an MD-PhD pathway.
10. ORISE Research Participation Program at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Location: FDA facilities nationwide (varies by project)
Stipend: Monthly stipend (amount varies depending on the educational level) | possible travel, relocation, and health insurance allowances
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Varies depending on the appointment and project
Application Deadline: Rolling | varies depending on the opportunity
Eligibility: Undergraduate students enrolled in accredited U.S. STEM programs | also open to recent graduates and faculty (requirements vary depending on the role)
The ORISE Research Participation Program places undergraduates in research roles in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to work alongside FDA scientists on projects related to public health. You could contribute to research in areas such as drug evaluation, medical devices, biologics, toxicology, food safety, or regulatory science, depending on the host office and mentor. These are paid research appointments, with stipends set by the FDA based on your academic level, and some positions include travel or relocation support. The structure is mentor-driven, which means you apply to specific opportunities and are selected by an FDA researcher rather than following a centralized cohort process. The experience is more about joining a professional research team within a federal agency. This program is well-suited for students interested in medicine, biomedical research, or health policy who want exposure to how scientific research impacts real regulatory decisions.
11. CDC Research Participation Program (ORISE) – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Location: CDC facilities nationwide (location depends on project and mentor)
Stipend: Monthly stipend (amount varies depending on the educational level) | possible travel and health insurance allowances
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Varies depending on the project and appointment length
Application Deadline: Rolling | varies depending on the opportunity
Eligibility: Undergraduate students enrolled in accredited U.S. STEM programs | also open to recent graduates and faculty (requirements vary depending on the role)
The CDC Research Participation Program, administered through ORISE, places undergraduate students in a mentored research role at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You’ll work on public health research projects alongside CDC scientists, with topics ranging from epidemiology and environmental health to data analysis and disease prevention. These are paid research opportunities, with stipends set by the CDC based on your academic level, and some positions include travel or health insurance support. The experience is project-based rather than cohort-based, which means you apply to specific opportunities and are selected directly by a CDC mentor. You’ll gain exposure to how scientific research informs public health policy and large-scale health decisions. This program is a strong fit if you’re interested in medicine, public health, epidemiology, or health equity and want experience inside a federal health agency.
12. CURE – Summer Only Program – Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
Location: Boston, MA
Stipend: Paid summer stipend (amount not specified)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program Dates: Summer | 7 - 11 weeks
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: College freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who are at least 16 years old and reside in/attend school in Massachusetts
The CURE Summer Only Program at Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center is a full-time, paid summer research internship focused on cancer and biomedical science. You’ll be paired with a research mentor and spend the summer working hands-on in a laboratory, developing technical skills while observing how research questions transform into real scientific outcomes. The program is immersive and requires a full-time commitment for the entire summer. In addition to laboratory work, you’ll take part in research seminars, journal clubs, professional development sessions, and career exploration activities. You’ll also write an abstract and present your work at a final presentation event, which reflects how research is shared in academic environments. This program is best suited if you want early exposure to cancer research in a major academic medical environment and value structured mentorship along with the right opportunities to build your scientific network.
13. Broad Summer Research Program (BSRP) – Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Location: Cambridge, MA
Stipend: $5,400 stipend | free housing | travel to and from Boston included
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 1 - July 31
Application Deadline: January 11
Eligibility: Undergraduates enrolled at a four-year U.S. college with graduation in December or later | majors in biological, physical, or computer sciences, engineering, or mathematics | minimum GPA of 3.2 | legally authorized to work in the U.S.
The Broad Summer Research Program at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard is a nine-week, full-time research experience focused on genomics and biomedical science. You’ll spend the summer conducting original experimental or computational research in a broad laboratory, with projects spanning areas such as cancer, infectious disease, human genetics, and computational biology. The program is designed for students seriously considering graduate-level research-intensive careers, particularly PhD or MD-PhD pathways. In addition to the laboratory work, you’ll take part in a structured curriculum that includes scientific communication training, seminars with faculty from Harvard and MIT, and workshops focused on graduate school preparation. You’ll conclude the program by delivering oral and poster presentations on your research, mirroring how findings are shared in professional scientific environments.
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