15 Pre-Med Opportunities for High School Students
High school students interested in medicine can explore structured opportunities that introduce healthcare through academic learning, research exposure, and guided practical experiences. These programs, internships, and courses are typically designed to provide insight into how medicine and related fields function. You may encounter foundational topics in biology and healthcare, observe how medical professionals approach clinical and research work, and engage in projects that develop analytical and communication skills. Many of these opportunities also provide mentorship and exposure to university-level expectations, helping you understand the structure of medical education and practice.
For other healthcare-related internships, check out a list of summer-specific internships here, and find a list of virtual healthcare internships here.
Why should I participate in a pre-med opportunity in high school?
Pre-med opportunities in high school provide early exposure to medical concepts and healthcare environments. These experiences can help you understand foundational areas such as human biology, clinical observation, and research methods used in medicine and related sciences. You may also work on guided academic or research tasks that reflect how medical questions are studied and analyzed in professional settings. Beyond subject exposure, these programs can help you build familiarity with the expectations of college-level study and structured academic work. They also allow you to develop skills such as scientific reasoning, writing, and communication, while interacting with mentors and peers in the field.
To help you get started, here is a list of 15 pre-med programs for high school students.
Quick Look
15 programs total spanning biomedical research, clinical skills training, cancer research, public health, and independent academic research, hosted at institutions including Rockefeller University, Stanford, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Fred Hutch, and Harvard Medical School
Several programs are completely free with a stipend, including Rockefeller SSRP, UCSF's Summer Student Research Program ($3,000), Winship Cancer Institute ($2,400), and MSK HOPP ($1,200)
Clinical skills programs like Stanford CSI, Harvard MEDscience, MISA, and Rady Children's Medical Academy focus on hands-on procedure practice and patient simulation rather than research, offering a distinct type of experience
MSK HOPP and Rockefeller SSRP are among the most selective on this list, with HOPP accepting less than 10% of applicants and SSRP placing only 32 students each summer
Most in-person research programs require students to be rising juniors or seniors, while clinical skills programs tend to be more accessible to students from grade 9 onwards
1. Rockefeller University SSRP
Location: Rockefeller University, NY
Cost/Stipend: No cost/stipends are not guaranteed but may be provided to students experiencing financial hardships; travel expenses covered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 32 students each summer
Dates: June 22 – August 6
Application Deadline: January 2
Eligibility: Students enrolled as juniors or seniors in high school who are at least 16 years old at the start of the program
The Summer Science Research Program (SSRP) by Rockefeller University is a highly selective summer research program that introduces high school students to biomedical science through mentored laboratory work. You will be placed on a research team led by scientists and graduate-level mentors from the Tri-Institutional community, where you contribute to ongoing projects in areas such as biology, neuroscience, chemistry, and related biomedical fields. The program is structured around working in research groups that function similarly to professional laboratories, with defined roles, weekly goals, and guided scientific inquiry. You will engage in activities such as developing a research question, conducting experiments, analyzing data, and refining findings under mentor supervision.
2. Ladder Healthcare Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies depending on the program type; financial aid is available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 25%; around 100 students per cohort
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application Deadline: Varies 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 for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks
Ladder Internships is an 8-week virtual internship program that places high school students with early-stage startups across fields including software engineering, machine learning, finance, health tech, and environmental science. You will be matched with a startup based on your interests to work on a defined project under the guidance of a company coach. In health-focused placements, projects have included preparing research reports on nutrient-disease interactions, coding SMS and email processing systems connected to medical devices, and developing AI-driven tools for patient monitoring and ophthalmology. You will develop two sequential deliverables over the course of the program and present your work to the company at key milestones. Apply now!
3. Stanford SIMR (Institutes of Medicine Summer Research)
Location: Stanford University School of Medicine, CA
Cost/Stipend: $50 application fee applies; waivers are available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 50–60 students
Dates: June 8 – July 30
Application Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors who are at least 16 years old and who are U.S citizens or permanent residents currently living in and attending high school in the U.S
In this program, you can apply to one of eight research institutes covering areas such as immunology, cancer biology, neurobiology, stem cell and regenerative medicine, cardiovascular biology, genetics and genomics, bioinformatics, and bioengineering. Once accepted, you will be assigned to a specific lab within your chosen institute and work directly on an active research project. The work varies by lab but centers on conducting experiments, using lab techniques, collecting data, and analyzing results within a medically oriented research context. A separate Bioengineering Team Internship track is also available, in which small teams of students will work three days per week on a biodesign project that addresses a specific medical need, building and testing prototypes.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; typically 1:1 mentor-student ratio
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Fall (September – December)
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort; Fall (September)
Eligibility: High school students; accepted students typically have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4.0
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is an independent research program in which you can work one-on-one with a PhD mentor from a top university to produce an original research paper in a field of your choosing, including medicine, biology, neuroscience, and chemistry. You will begin by meeting with your mentor to align on a topic and research question, then spend the middle weeks reading academic literature, analyzing existing studies, and developing your own argument or investigation. The bulk of the program involves writing the paper itself, with ongoing feedback from your mentor across multiple drafts. At the end of the 12 weeks, you can submit the paper for final evaluation and participate in a graduation symposium. Apply now!
5. Stanford Clinical Summer Internship
Location: Virtual or Stanford University School of Medicine campus, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Summer On Campus: $6,580, Summer Virtual Program fee: $4,580 + $95 application fee | Fall Intensive: $2,480 + $75 application fee; application fee waivers are available for eligible low-income U.S. applicants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~24 students per class
Dates: Summer on campus: July 13–24, Summer Virtual Learning: July 27 – August 7, Fall Virtual Intensive: 10 weeks between September – November
Application Deadline: February 1 for Summer programs, June 1 for Fall program
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors, seniors, and undergraduate premedical students who are at least 16 years old
The Stanford Clinical Summer Internship (CSI) is a two-week clinical training program at Stanford Medicine for rising high school juniors, seniors, and undergraduate pre-medical students, offered in both an on-campus and a virtual format. Across the two weeks, you will practice taking patient vitals, conducting patient history interviews, performing physical exams, suturing, and administering injections. Organ dissections covering the brain, heart, and kidney are a central part of the curriculum, alongside lectures from Stanford physicians across specialties, including neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, emergency medicine, and radiology. You will also work through group case study presentations, trauma simulations, and a standardized patient encounter in which you will conduct a simulated clinical appointment.
6. Rady Children’s Summer Medical Academy
Location: Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego campus, San Diego, CA
Cost: $3,000 for Summer Medical Academy; need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~42 students per session
Dates: Summer session 1: June 15–26; Session 2: July 6–17
Application Deadline: February 20
Eligibility: High school students between the ages of 15 and 19 and who have completed 9th grade
The Rady Children's Medical Academy is a healthcare exploration program at Rady Children's Hospital–San Diego where high school students attend lectures, participate in skills clinics, and engage in group projects and career panels across a range of healthcare fields. The program runs in two formats: a two-week intensive Summer Medical Academy and a Weekend Medical Academy, both hosted at the hospital's Center for Healthier Communities. During the program, you can hear directly from healthcare professionals working in areas such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work. You will also take part in interactive discussions where you can explore different roles and specialties within the healthcare field.
7. Center for Disease Control Museum Disease Detective Camp
Location: CDC headquarters, Atlanta, Georgia
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 27 students per session
Dates: Cohort 1: June 23 – 27; Cohort 2: July 21 – 25
Application Deadline: March 7
Eligibility: Students who will be high-school juniors or seniors during the school year who are at least 16 years old by the program start date
The CDC Museum Disease Detective Camp is an academic day camp organized by the David J. Sencer CDC Museum where high school students can explore the field of public health through an interdisciplinary curriculum. During the program, you will work through a fast-paced series of sessions covering topics such as epidemiology, infectious disease, environmental health, emergency preparedness, data analysis, disease surveillance, and public health law, among others. You can attend lectures, participate in interactive discussions, and collaborate with fellow participants on group work throughout the camp. The specific topics covered may vary from year to year, drawing on the breadth of CDC's work and areas of focus.
8. UCSF’s Summer Student Research Program
Location: Primarily in Oakland, CA, some placements in San Francisco, CA
Cost/Stipend: No cost / $3,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size varies annually based on mentor availability
Dates: June 15 – July 31
Application Deadline: Typically in February
Eligibility: Students who are in their sophomore to senior year of high school, with at least one completed year in math and biology, who are at least 16 years of age or older by June 1 of the year of the program, and who are considered under-represented in the sciences
This seven-week biomedical research internship is based at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, where high school students will be placed in a clinical, laboratory, or community health research setting and work on an active research project under the guidance of a one-on-one mentor. Your mentor will be a healthcare provider or researcher who will guide you through a structured research project in one of three areas: laboratory science, clinical research, or community and public health research. Throughout the program, you will attend weekly seminars and workshops led by experts in biomedical research and clinical practice. You can also participate in regular enrichment activities such as journal clubs and small group mentoring sessions.
9. Harvard Medical School MEDscience Program
Location: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Cost: Varies as per program; more details here; scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: Multiple 1-week and 2-week sessions run throughout the summer
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Rising 10th through 12th graders and graduating seniors. Students must be 16+ for MEDscienceLAB and Forensics
In this program, you work in a medical simulation emergency room to evaluate, diagnose, and treat simulated patients alongside physicians, nurses, EMTs, pharmacists, and medical and pre-med students. During the program, you can practice clinical skills such as interpreting vital signs, suturing wounds, inserting IVs, and intubation, and may also participate in birthing simulations. You work in small groups throughout each day, moving through a series of simulated emergency cases in a structured, full-day format. In addition to the simulation-based sessions, you participate in MEDchats, which include career conversations with healthcare professionals from various specialties who discuss their roles and patient experiences. The program also includes trauma care training and certification in Stop the Bleed.
10. Winship Cancer Institute Summer Scholars Research Program
Location: Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, GA (In-person) & Virtual option
Cost/Stipend: No cost / $2,400 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 10–12 students (In-person) / ~30 students (Virtual)
Dates: June 8 – July 17
Application Deadline: Typically early February
Eligibility: Rising or graduating high school seniors; at least 16 years old by the program start date; U.S. citizens or permanent residents
In this program, you will be paired one-on-one with a Winship physician or lab-based researcher to work on an active research project. Throughout the program, you can also attend faculty-led lectures delivered by Winship oncologists and research scientists covering topics across the breadth of cancer biology and oncology career pathways. In addition to your lab and lecture work, you will participate in field trips to sites such as the Emory Proton Therapy Center and engage in roundtable discussions with cancer survivors. The program concludes with a formal research symposium on the final day, where you can present your project findings to Winship physicians, researchers, and graduate students.
11. Stanford Anesthesia Summer Institute (SASI)
Location: Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Cost: Varies based on specific program; tuition assistance, application fee waivers, and housing/transportation support are available for students with demonstrated financial need
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; cohort size not disclosed
Dates: Foundations: June 22 – July 3, Clinical Skills: July 13–17, Virtual: July 27 to August 7
Application Deadline: Varies based on program; Regular Decision deadlines span late January to February
Eligibility: Open to high school students who are at least 16 years old
In this program, you explore clinical medicine, healthcare, and related fields through short-term, structured formats that include on-campus and virtual options. You can participate in sessions that introduce clinical concepts, simulations, and healthcare scenarios, depending on the track you choose. In the Foundations track, you will work in teams on a capstone project where you collaborate with a patient to understand a healthcare challenge and develop a response. You will engage with topics across science, medicine, and technology through guided activities and discussions led by program faculty. In the Clinical Skills track, you will work through clinical scenarios and practice techniques used in healthcare settings as part of a structured, short-term immersion.
12. Medical Immersion Summer and Spring Academy (MISA)
Location: MISA office, Oakland, CA
Cost: $1,950 + $75 non-refundable application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size not specified
Dates: Multiple cohorts during the year; Summer: Cohort A: June 1–5, Cohort B: June 8–12, Cohort C: July 27–31, Cohort D: August 3–7 | Spring: Cohort A: March 16–20, Cohort B: April 6–10
Application Deadline: Summer: March 27 | Spring: January 2
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12, ages 15 and up
In this program, you participate in a structured series of workshops and simulations covering a range of healthcare skills and specialties. During the program, you will attend hands-on sessions in areas such as suturing, EKG interpretation, splinting, patient vitals, phlebotomy, and bedside manner, as well as hospital-based clinical simulations. You will also complete nationally recognized certifications in CPR, First Aid, Stop the Bleed, Teen Mental Health First Aid, and Bloodborne Pathogens, each valid for a minimum of two years. Throughout the week, you can work alongside other participants in a team-based format that mirrors clinical collaboration in healthcare settings.
13. HOPP Summer Student Program
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Manhattan, NY.
Cost/Stipend: No cost / $1200 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Less than 10% acceptance; approximately 20–30 students
Dates: June 29 – August 21
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: High school juniors who are 14 or older by June, are legally authorized to work in the U.S., live within 25 miles of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, New Jersey, New York, or Connecticut, and have a 3.5 GPA in science courses
In this program, you can work in a research laboratory working across areas such as cancer biology, immunology, computational biology, pharmacology and drug development, structural biology, or chemical biology. You will be paired with a faculty mentor who supervises your technical activities throughout the program, and you will complete a self-directed project that supports the Principal Investigator's overall research objectives. You can participate in regular laboratory meetings alongside graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and other lab members throughout the duration of the internship. In addition to your lab work, you will attend professional and personal development sessions hosted by MSK's Office of Scientific Education and Training, clinical departments, and Human Resources, which provide exposure to translational medicine and research careers.
14. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP)
Location: Fred Hutch campus, Seattle, WA
Cost/Stipend: No cost / Stipend paid, exact amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; ~24 students
Dates: June 22 – August 14
Application Deadline: March 13
Eligibility: High school students between grades 11 and 12 (entering senior year) who currently reside in Greater Seattle or surrounding areas and who are at least 16 years old by the program start date
In this program, you join an active research group and work alongside a faculty mentor on a cancer-focused research project. The program opens with two weeks of hands-on training in laboratory safety techniques and foundational research skills in Fred Hutch's dedicated Training Labs, followed by six weeks of supervised work within your assigned research group. During the research placement, you can contribute to ongoing projects in areas such as cancer biology, immunotherapy, epidemiology, bone marrow transplantation, or biostatistics, depending on your mentor's lab. Throughout the program, you will also attend research seminars and participate in professional development workshops focused on college and career planning.
15. Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Pediatrics Summer Internship
Location: Weill Cornell Medicine / NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY (Fully on-site, hybrid, or remote depending on the specific project)
Cost/Stipend: No cost / Stipend paid, exact amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~20 interns
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 5
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors, university and college students, and graduates
This program matches you with a faculty mentor to work on a project within one of the department's pediatric divisions or administrative programs. Depending on your placement, you may contribute to laboratory or clinical research, quality improvement initiatives, patient safety projects, medical education, health policy and advocacy, or community health programs across divisions such as neurology, nephrology, infectious diseases, cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, and general pediatrics. Research-track placements run for either six or ten weeks, with projects ranging from wet lab work and human subject research to electronic medical record review, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. Clinical and administrative placements involve shadowing faculty, supporting ongoing program activities, and participating in case management or curriculum development.
Questions Students Often Ask About These Programs
1. What's the difference between a research program and a clinical skills program on this list, and which type is better for college applications?
Research programs, like Rockefeller SSRP, Stanford SIMR, and MSK HOPP, place you inside an active laboratory or research team where you work on real scientific projects and present findings at the end. Clinical skills programs, like Harvard MEDscience, Stanford CSI, and MISA, focus on practicing hands-on medical procedures like suturing, intubation, and patient vitals in simulation environments. Both strengthen a college application, but in different ways. Research programs demonstrate intellectual depth and the ability to contribute to science. Clinical skills programs show genuine exposure to what practicing medicine actually looks like. Ideally, pursuing one of each over your high school years builds the most well-rounded pre-med profile.
2. I'm in 9th or 10th grade. Are any of these programs open to me?
Yes, several programs accept students from grade 9 onwards. Rady Children's Medical Academy welcomes students who have completed 9th grade, and MISA accepts students from grade 9 up. Most of the research internships, including Rockefeller, Stanford SIMR, and MSK HOPP, specifically require rising juniors or seniors and set minimum ages of 16, so those are better suited for your later high school years. Using 9th and 10th grade to explore through camps and clinical skills programs is a strong strategy before applying to the more selective research internships.
3. Several programs are based in specific cities or regions. What are my options if I don't live near any of them?
Ladder Internships and the Lumiere Research Scholar Program are both fully remote and open to students anywhere in the country, making them the most geographically flexible options on this list. Several other programs, including Winship Cancer Institute and Harvard MEDscience, offer virtual participation options alongside their in-person formats. Most of the hospital-based and laboratory research programs do require local residency or commuting distance, since they involve in-person lab work or clinical access; for students based outside major research hubs, the remote programs are a strong alternative.