Top 10 Summer Medical Programs for High School Students

By Savannah Dawson

Savannah Dawson is a Content Writer Intern at Scholarships360. Savannah is an undergraduate student at Ohio University pursuing a degree in Journalism News and Information, Magazine track, as well as a minor in Retail and Fashion Merchandising and a certificate in Italian Studies. During her time at OU, Savannah has been a Content Writer for Thread Magazine, as well as a Blogger for Her Campus Magazine and Variant Magazine. Full Bio

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Updated: May 12th, 2023

If you are a student who is interested in going into the medical field, you might want to get your foot in the door early. Many schools provide summer programs for medical-minded students to immerse themselves in health studies. In this article, we share some medical internships for high school students that can help you get an early start on your chosen career!

What is a summer medical program?

A summer medical program offers high school students the opportunity to learn more about the medical fields that interest them. These programs typically take place on college campuses and last from a few days to a week long. The programs provide students with hands-on experience that they would not receive if studying the material on their own time.

Don’t miss: Top summer programs for high school students

Why we selected the following summer medical programs

We selected the following medical programs and internships for high school students because they are some of the most innovative programs out there. In addition to some costlier programs, we also included some free and low cost options in order to accommodate the financial situations of all students. 

Also see: Free summer programs for high school students

Top 10 summer medical programs for high schoolers 

Medical Immersion Summer Academy

The Medical Immersion Summer Academy is a health program designed to give pre-medical high school students the opportunity to get out into the field for hands-on experience. MISA is located in Oakland, California, and they utilize local institutions, such as Alameda Health Systems, Samuel Merritt University, and private clinicians in their area. The application for this program generally opens in January. The price for this academy includes program materials, name tags, shirts, daily snacks and lunches, and all Health Certifications.

• Program benefits: Networking events, certifications (including CPR, First Aid and AED, Stop the Bleed and Teen Mental Health Certifications), Shadowing at a level-1 trauma center
• Program dates: Students have the option to choose between the Spring program in April or the Summer program from July to August
• Cost: Each session costs $1,400, in addition to the $50 non-refundable application fee 

CDC Museum Disease Detective Camp

Attendees of the CDC Museum Disease Detective Camp learn about the field of public health and the science of epidemiology. This camp does not have a specific medical treatment focus, so if you want to be a doctor or something of that nature, the CDC Camp could still be beneficial. However, it will not give you hands-on experience. This camp is for high school juniors and seniors, and students must be over the age of 16 to comply with lab safety requirements. The CDC Museum is located in Atlanta, Georgia. 

• Program benefits: Work with current CDC staff members, mock press conferences, in-laboratory work sessions, introduction to chronic disease surveillance, hands on work with public health law
• Program dates: July 25th – 29th and August 8th – 12th
• Cost: The program itself is free, but students attending the camp are responsible for their own transportation, housing, personal protective equipment, and meals

The Stanford Medical Youth Science Program

The Stanford Medical Youth Science Program is a five-week online enrichment program that focuses on medicine. It is open to low-income and underrepresented high school juniors who live in California. This program is now being held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this makes it more accessible for many students. The application closes every year in March for the next summer. 

• Program benefits: Opportunity to participate in health disparity research groups, supportive peer community, leadership opportunities, opportunities to participate in lectures in medicine, public health, and health science
• Program dates: June 20th – July 22nd
• Cost: This program is free, and they do not provide housing when the program is in person because the program is only open to students who live in specific counties in California

Rady Children’s Medical Academy

The Rady Children’s Medical Academy is based out of Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California. This program provides high school students with the opportunity to experience the healthcare world with hands-on activities. What makes this program different from others is that they have a larger program, but also offer weekend programs as well. Each of these programs have different topics and appeal to different medical careers. Some of these weekend programs include Working as a Physician’s Assistant, Becoming a Professional Nurse, and Mental Health Matters in Medicine. They also offer an Advanced Medical Program.

• Program benefits: Opportunities to participate in skills clinics, lectures, group projects, career panels and interactive discussions. 
• Program dates: June 19th-20th, and July 10th-21st
• Cost: $2,800 

The National Institute of Health High School Summer Internship Program

The National Institute of Health (NIH) offers a high school summer medical internship for all high schoolers above the age of 17  that are juniors or seniors at the time of the application. Applicants must also live within 40 miles of the NIH campus in which they choose to intern at. Within the NIH, there are two separate programs that high school students can apply for– HiSTEP and HiSTEP 2.0. 

• Program benefits: Exploration of STEM-M careers, leadership training, wellness programming, and preparation for future scholarships and internships
• Program dates: June 28th – August 4th
• Cost: This program is free, and students also earn a monetary stipend for participating in the internship

Georgetown University Summer Medical Academy

Georgetown’s One-Week Medical Academy is a great option if you are looking for medical internships for high school students. The program offers high school students hands-on experience in the medical field. Students have access to top rated professors who provide them with knowledge that will give them a leg-up when they are applying to colleges. During this one-week academy, students have the opportunity to learn about human anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and infectious diseases, just to name a few. 

• Program benefits: Work with patient simulator, learn about dissections from college professors, explore latest medical advancements, gain hands on experience in taking vitals, and work with Georgetown students and professors
• Program dates: There are four options for dates to this program– June 19th -25th, June 26th – July 2nd, July 10th – 16th, or July 17th – 23rd
• Cost: $3,115, including tuition, housing, and meals

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Cincinnati Children’s Hospital High School Senior Summer Internship Program

The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center holds an eight-week internship for graduating high school seniors every summer that is a paid internship rather than a college preparation program. This is a part time position, so students can expect to be working for about 20 hours a week while participating in this program. You must live in the Cincinnati area and be a graduating high school senior to apply. 

• Program benefits: Experience with a paid internship 
• Program dates: Orientation Day is at the end of June and attendance is required. The program runs for 8-weeks after this date
• Cost: This is a paid internship

Also see: Guide to making a resume as a high school student

Wake Forest University’s Summer Medical Immersion Program

At Wake Forest University’s Summer Medical Immersion Program, students have the opportunity to dive into their careers early on with on-site visits to healthcare facilities. Students also go on tours of the Wake Forest School of Medicine, participate in labs, and network with faculty and students. Wake Forest is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and works with local facilities to team up for this program. 

• Program benefits: Opportunity to learn about internal medicine, cardiovascular physiology and pathology, neurology, ultrasound, cancer care, medical research, and COVID-19 in a hands-on environment
• Program dates: June 11-16 or July 23-28
• Cost: $3,000

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National Student Leadership Conference: Medical and Healthcare Program

The National Student Leadership Conference’s Medical and Healthcare Programs are different from others because they offer so many locations and a variety of options. This is great for students who want to experience different cities. Another unique attribute of this program is that they offer college credit if the student qualifies. Exclusive guest speakers are featured throughout the program’s duration. 

• Program benefits: Gain surgical experience, participate in clinical diagnostic simulations, tour medical facilities, and work on a public health project 
• Program dates: There are a number of dates across each of the 8 locations, but all of the program dates are in the summer
• Cost: The tuition varies depending on which program location you choose, but usually somewhere between $3,795-$3,995

University of Pennsylvania Biomedical Research Academy

The UPenn Biomedical Research Academy is for high school students with an interest in biology. In this program, students learn about biology on a cellular, molecular, and genetic level with a focus on diseases. All high school grades are eligible  to apply, and international students are welcome. If you are a student within a School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school, you have an opportunity to attend this academy free of cost with a scholarship.  

• Program benefits: Opportunity to partake in daily lectures, faculty research talks, lab experiments, and small group discussions about research
• Program dates: July 9th – July 29th
• Cost: Although the updated tuition rates will not be updated until Spring 2023, there is a non-refundable deposit of $1,500 for all of UPenn’s summer high school programs

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Next Steps

So, now you may be asking yourself, “what comes next”? Take the following steps to ensure that you submit a stellar application with each of these medical internships for high school students: 

• Take your time on your applications and make sure you re-read everything before you hit that “submit” button
• Start asking your teachers and mentors for letters of recommendation now so that you are ahead of the game when it comes time to submit your applications to medical internships for high school students
• Research college admissions essays– this is a great place to start when writing an essay for an application to one of these internships