15 Radiology Internships for High School Students
If you’re interested in radiology, internships can offer early exposure to how medical imaging supports diagnosis and patient care. From observing procedures like X-rays and MRIs to understanding how radiologists collaborate with other healthcare professionals, these experiences help you connect classroom learning with real-world applications. These internships add depth to your resume, improve your chances of college admissions, and give you a competitive edge when applying for future opportunities
If you’re interested in looking at STEM internships in certain states, find a list of STEM internships in California here & Arizona here.
Why should I do a radiology internship in high school?
A radiology internship in high school gives you early insight into one of the most technology-driven areas of healthcare. You get to understand how imaging tools like CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds are used in diagnosing and monitoring patients, while also observing how different hospital departments rely on radiology. These experiences help you build foundational knowledge, strengthen your problem-solving and observation skills, and develop professional communication in a clinical setting. Additionally, participating in a hospital-based internship demonstrates initiative and genuine interest in medicine, which can significantly strengthen your college applications, especially if you plan to pursue pre-med, biomedical sciences, or healthcare-related majors.
To make your search easier, we’ve curated below a list of 15 radiology internships for high school students.
Quick Look
15 programs total spanning radiology research, clinical observation, hospital volunteering, and broader healthcare exploration with a radiology component, hosted at institutions including UCSF, NIH, Northwestern Memorial, Cleveland Clinic, and the University of Washington
The strongest disclosed stipends are UCSF RISE ($3,000) and Cleveland Clinic's CYCE program ($15 per hour), with Arkansas Delta HCOP also offering $75 per day
Several programs give you direct access to imaging modalities like MRI, CT, ultrasound, and PET: NIH Clinical Center and UW Radiology Immersion Program stand out for providing hands-on or closely supervised exposure to real imaging equipment
Many programs are geographically restricted to local or regional students, including Cleveland Clinic (eight specific Ohio counties), M.I.N.D.S. (New Jersey), Nationwide Children's Career Academy (Franklin County, OH), and Arkansas Delta HCOP (20 designated Arkansas counties)
Programs range from one week (UW Radiology Immersion) to six months (Nationwide Children's Career Academy), so the time commitment varies considerably
1. Allied Health Radiology Internship
Location: Chicago, IL
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; cohort size not disclosed
Dates: 8 weeks (summer)
Application Deadline: January 16
Eligibility: Graduating seniors who are at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED by June 10
In the Allied Health Radiology Internship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, you gain exposure to multiple areas within hospital-based allied health services. You rotate through different imaging modalities, including diagnostic imaging, CT, MRI, mammography, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine, allowing you to observe how these departments function. During the program, you are assigned tasks that support learning across these areas while interacting with healthcare professionals in a clinical setting. The structure gives you a broad overview of radiology and related healthcare roles within an academic medical center. You also develop an understanding of how different imaging technologies are used in patient care. The experience focuses on observational learning combined with guided participation across departments.
2. SIH High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Southern Illinois Healthcare, IL
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~29 students
Dates: June 18 – July 31
Application Deadline: April 13
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduating seniors
In this program, you explore various healthcare careers through shadowing and observation. You spend two to three days per week in hospital settings, rotating through departments such as laboratory services, nursing, radiology, respiratory therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and pharmacy. During these rotations, you observe professionals performing their roles, which may include tasks like diagnostic testing, patient care, imaging procedures, and medication management. The experience allows you to see how different departments contribute to patient care and hospital operations. You also gain exposure to the daily workflow and responsibilities of healthcare professionals. The program is structured to help you understand various career paths within the healthcare field through direct observation and interaction.
3. Radiology Initiative for Scholarly Engagement (RISE Program)
Location: San Francisco, CA (UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging)
Stipend: $3,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; limited number of students each year
Dates: Summer (8 weeks; flexible start between June 1 – July 1)
Application Deadline: Varies by cycle
Eligibility: High school students; the program encourages applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds or those committed to advancing opportunity in medicine
In this program, you work on a radiology research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor for eight weeks. It matches you with a project aligned to your interests, which may involve basic science, translational, or clinical research. Throughout the program, you collaborate closely with your mentor while developing research and analytical skills. Your work culminates in preparing an abstract for presentation at a summer research symposium, with opportunities to contribute to conference submissions or manuscripts. The program emphasizes mentorship and sustained engagement with academic research. This structure allows you to understand how radiology research is conducted within a university medical setting.
4. Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP) – Foundation Health Partners
Location: Alaska
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; cohort size not specified
Dates: 5 weeks (summer; up to 15 hours per week)
Application Deadline: Mid-March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores through current-year graduates in good academic standing
This internship places you in a specific healthcare department where you work part-time for five weeks. You gain exposure to day-to-day operations by assisting and observing professionals within your assigned area. In addition to your primary placement, you have the option to attend weekly exploration activities that introduce you to other departments such as the operating room, medical laboratory, and radiology. This structure allows you to understand how different parts of a healthcare system function together. You also interact with professionals across departments, which helps you explore different career paths. The program combines focused departmental experience with broader exposure to healthcare settings.
5. Eve & Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program
Location: Los Angeles, CA (various participating healthcare facilities)
Stipend: One $500 scholarship is awarded at the end of the program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 145–180 students total (65–80 in-person; 80–100 virtual)
Dates: Virtual: Two consecutive 2-week sessions in July | In-person: Exact dates and times vary by assigned facility (generally spanning June through August)
Application Deadline: Mid-February
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors meeting facility-specific requirements and based in Los Angeles or adjacent counties
In this program, you explore careers in healthcare through a combination of virtual or in-person sessions. You attend presentations and interactive sessions led by a range of professionals, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and radiologists, which helps you understand different roles in medicine. Depending on your placement, you may participate in facility-based experiences where you observe clinical environments and healthcare workflows. The program requires full attendance and includes structured sessions designed to introduce core aspects of patient care and medical practice. You also engage with peers and professionals, gaining insight into healthcare pathways. The format varies by site but focuses on exposure to multiple specialties and real-world medical settings.
6. High School Career Academy (Nationwide Children’s Hospital)
Location: Columbus, OH
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~27–34 students
Dates: November – April (6 months; after-school sessions twice per month)
Application Deadline: September 26
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors from Franklin County or surrounding areas
In this program, you take part in a six-month after-school program focused on exploring healthcare careers. You attend sessions twice a month where you learn topics such as medical terminology, HIPAA, CPR, and professional skills relevant to healthcare settings. The program includes opportunities to interact with clinical staff across departments like radiology, pharmacy, and behavioral health, helping you understand different career pathways. You also work toward industry-recognized credentials and build skills in areas like resume writing, interviewing, and networking. Through structured activities, you gain exposure to how hospital departments operate and how roles connect within a healthcare system. The program combines career exploration with skill-building and guided interaction with professionals.
7. MultiCare Academy for Students in Healthcare (M.A.S.H. Camp)
Location: Spokane, Yakima, Puget Sound, WA
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 30–50 students per region
Dates: Yakima: June 23–26; Puget Sound: July 13–17; Spokane: July 28–31
Application Deadline: March 9
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors who live in the respective regions, have an interest in healthcare, and have not previously participated
In M.A.S.H. Camp at MultiCare Health System, you take part in a short, immersive experience designed to introduce you to healthcare careers such as pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. You rotate through different clinical and non-clinical areas, including emergency departments, intensive care units, surgical care, and administrative functions. The program includes hands-on station activities, mock emergency scenarios, and interactions with healthcare professionals across roles. You also visit local colleges and universities to understand educational pathways in healthcare. Through these activities, you observe how different departments function and contribute to patient care. The structure focuses on exposure and guided exploration of healthcare environments and careers.
8. NIH Clinical Center – Summer Internship Program
Location: NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 40 students
Dates: June 15 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 18
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents; enrolled in high school as a senior at the time of application; will be 18 by September 30
As a Clinical Center summer intern assigned to Radiology and Imaging Sciences, you work alongside NIH radiologists and imaging scientists supporting research protocols across Body Imaging, Interventional Radiology, Neuroradiology, and Nuclear Medicine. Depending on your research group, you gain exposure to advanced modalities such as MRI, CT, PET/CT, and ultrasound, and to the department's PACS imaging system. You may contribute to projects involving computer-aided diagnosis, artificial intelligence, and image processing applied to clinical imaging data. You build skills in biomedical imaging research, scientific reasoning, and research communication. You also attend lectures by NIH investigators and present your work at the NIH Summer Poster Day.
9. Cooper University Health Care – Student Volunteer Program
Location: Cooper University Hospital, One Cooper Plaza, Camden, New Jersey, with additional outpatient locations in Cherry Hill, Moorestown, and Voorhees
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: June – September
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students generally ages 14–18
As a Cooper student volunteer, you join a hospital-based program where teens support patients, families, and staff across departments in Camden, New Jersey. Choosing the Radiology Ambassador role places you within the imaging area, where you provide non-clinical support, help patients navigate their visit, and assist staff with everyday tasks. Alongside this, you may engage in patient care, clerical work, transport, and concierge duties that build hands-on exposure to hospital operations. You develop communication, professionalism, reliability, and patient-interaction skills valued in healthcare careers. Placements are shaped around your career interests and availability, giving you a firsthand look at how a busy academic medical center runs.
10. M.I.N.D.S. Program (Medical Internship Navigating and Discovering Science)
Location: Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, New Jersey
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~5% acceptance rate; 15 students
Dates: 6 weeks (July – August)
Application Deadline: May
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors from underrepresented or financially disadvantaged backgrounds in New Jersey; minimum 3.0 GPA
In the M.I.N.D.S. Program, you gain early exposure to the medical field through a structured summer internship that extends into longer-term mentorship and guidance. You participate in activities such as physician shadowing, medical simulations, and community health projects, helping you understand both the clinical and human aspects of healthcare. The program also includes skill-building components like SAT preparation, mock interviews, and certifications such as CPR and Narcan. Through collaborations across departments like family medicine, emergency medicine, and mental health within Hackensack Meridian Health, you are introduced to diverse areas of practice. A distinguishing feature is its longitudinal approach, where support continues through high school and into college.
11. Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital – Summer VolunTEEN Program
Location: Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital, West Chester, PA
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; more than 300 adult and teen volunteers overall
Dates: Nine weeks, June – August
Application Deadline: March
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 but geared to 10th and 11th graders; the summer program is designated for 10th and 11th grade students
In this program, you join a nine-week summer volunteer program at Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital, completing one three-hour shift each week alongside seasoned volunteers in West Chester, Pennsylvania. As a VolunTEEN, you run errands across departments, assist with patient discharges, compile charts and kits, assemble patient handbooks, and provide basic support on nursing floors. The hospital also operates a named Radiology filing role for tech-savvy volunteers, who prepare patient imaging copies for orders, input computer data, answer phones, and fill file requests within the Radiology Department. You build data-entry accuracy, professional communication, dependability, and comfort navigating a Penn Medicine teaching hospital.
12. Cleveland Clinic – CYCE Summer High School Internship Program
Location: Cleveland Clinic main campus, regional hospitals, family health centers, and administrative campuses across Northeast Ohio
Stipend: $15 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size not specified
Dates: June 8 – July 28
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Students in 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade at time of application; at least 15 years of age by June 1; U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, or legal permanent residents who lives and attend school in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Stark, or Summit county
This program places you in the Radiology/Imaging track within a patient-facing healthcare environment. Over seven weeks, you are hired as a Cleveland Clinic employee, learning alongside world-renowned caregivers while exploring how diagnostic imaging supports real clinical care. You network with imaging and other healthcare professionals, observe how radiology fits into patient care, and connect classroom science to real-world healthcare applications. Throughout the program, you build professional skills including project management, digital literacy, academic writing, presentation, professional communication, and teamwork. You also take part in career-readiness and professional development activities, finishing with a graduation ceremony recognizing your work.
13. Arkansas Delta Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) Academy
Location: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
Stipend: $75 per day
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; limited to 35 students per cycle
Dates: Summer residential session: approximately 6 weeks; Follow-up programming continues beyond summer
Application Deadline: Mid-March
Eligibility: Rising public high school juniors or seniors from 20 designated Arkansas counties who are economically or educationally disadvantaged and interested in healthcare careers
In this program, you participate in a summer academy designed to introduce you to a variety of healthcare careers through both academic and practical exposure. You attend classroom sessions covering subjects such as science, writing, and test preparation, along with workshops focused on college applications and career planning. The program provides opportunities to interact with healthcare professionals, visit campuses, and explore fields like public health, radiology, and therapy-based disciplines. You also engage in community-based healthcare experiences and simulations that help you understand clinical environments and patient care systems. The experience extends beyond the summer through continued programming, supporting your ongoing exploration of healthcare pathways.
14. University of Washington Radiology – High School Immersion Program
Location: UW Medical Center – Montlake, Seattle, WA
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small supervised groups
Dates: June 22–26; July 20–24; August 24–28
Application Deadline: April 19
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school students
In this program, you spend a five-day week inside the Department of Radiology at UW Medical Center – Montlake, exploring how medical imaging reveals the human body. You learn radiologic anatomy and the science behind radiography, ultrasound, CT, MRI, and nuclear imaging, then put it into practice through hands-on work. You practice ultrasound scanning on tissue-simulating phantoms and image various objects across radiography, CT, MRI, and fluoroscopy to compare how each modality works. You shadow radiologists, technologists, physicists, nurses, and other staff to see real clinical workflows and the field's many career paths. Working in supervised groups while wearing a radiation monitoring badge and protective equipment, you build practical imaging literacy and professional insight into diagnostic radiology.
15. Dartmouth Hitchcock High School Foundations Summer Internship Program
Location: Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size not specified
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application Deadline: March 11
Eligibility: High school students entering junior or senior year; minimum age 16; must be local or regional to the area
In this internship, you work within different departments across Dartmouth Health, gaining practical exposure to how a healthcare organization operates. You take on a range of tasks in host departments such as medical laboratories, radiology, pharmacy, and clinic support, helping you understand the roles involved in patient care. The program follows a rotational model, allowing you to spend time in 2–3 departments and explore multiple work environments. Alongside your work experience, you participate in a structured professional development curriculum that focuses on skills like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and work ethic. You also engage in workshops, mentoring sessions, and networking opportunities as part of a cohort.
Bonus: Ladder Internships University Internship
Location: Remote (work from anywhere)
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies depending on the program type; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–25% acceptance rate; 70–100 students per cohort
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter; typically 8–12 weeks)
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students able to commit 10–20 hours per week
In the Ladder Internships program, you work remotely with a startup or nonprofit on a real-world project over the course of your internship. You are placed with organizations across industries such as technology, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, and consulting, depending on your interests. Throughout the program, you collaborate with a manager from your assigned organization while also receiving guidance from a Ladder Coach, providing structured mentorship alongside project work. Your responsibilities involve contributing to ongoing initiatives that are relevant to the organization, helping you build practical skills and understand workplace expectations. At the end of the internship, you present your work to the company, giving you experience in communicating your ideas and outcomes. The program is structured to combine independent work, mentorship, and professional collaboration in a remote setting. Apply now!
Questions Students Often Ask About These Programs
1. I have no medical background. Are these programs still accessible to me?
Yes, the majority of programs on this list are designed for students with interest rather than prior experience. Most observational and volunteer-based programs, like SIH, Cooper University, Penn Medicine VolunTEEN, and MultiCare MASH Camp, explicitly welcome beginners with no clinical background. Research-focused programs like UCSF RISE and NIH Clinical Center are more competitive but still don't require prior medical knowledge, focusing instead on scientific curiosity and academic performance as selection criteria.
2. How do volunteer programs here compare to research internships like UCSF RISE or NIH for college applications?
Volunteer and observational programs demonstrate sustained interest in healthcare and the ability to conduct yourself professionally in a clinical environment, which is valuable evidence of character and commitment. Research programs like UCSF RISE and NIH go further by placing you inside active scientific projects, culminating in an abstract or poster presentation, which adds an academic credential to your profile. If college applications are a priority, combining a shorter observational program in an earlier year with a research placement in junior or senior year builds the strongest overall narrative for pre-med or biomedical science applicants.
3. Several programs rotate you through multiple departments rather than focusing exclusively on radiology. Is that still valuable if I specifically want radiology experience?
Yes, and in some cases it's more valuable at this stage. Seeing how radiology connects to other departments like oncology, emergency medicine, and neurology gives you a more realistic picture of how the specialty actually functions within a hospital rather than in isolation. Programs like Allied Health Radiology Internship at Northwestern and Dartmouth Hitchcock specifically include radiology as a core rotation, while the UW Radiology Immersion Program focuses entirely on imaging. If radiology is your primary interest, UW and UCSF RISE are the most targeted options; if you're still exploring whether radiology specifically or healthcare broadly is right for you, a rotational program is a better fit.