10 Medical Internships for High School Students in Florida
Updated: Oct 12
Updated October 2026
TL;DR
If you’re a high school student in Florida interested in medicine, you can explore the field through biomedical research, hospital observation, healthcare administration, and student-led medical projects. Some programs pay a stipend, while others offer academic credit or a chance to learn from researchers and healthcare professionals. Many in-person opportunities are limited to students in specific counties, so check the location and eligibility rules before applying. This guide covers 10 internships and related experiences, including options in South Florida and a remote startup program. If you want to conduct an independent research project with a PhD mentor, you can also explore the Lumiere Research Scholar Program.
If you’re a high school student in Florida thinking about studying medicine or pursuing a healthcare career, an internship can help you explore the field before college. Depending on the program, you could work in a research lab, learn about healthcare careers, observe clinicians, or develop skills in medical writing and communication. To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of 10 medical internships and related opportunities for high school students in Florida. If you want to explore other options, see our guides to summer programs for high school students interested in medicine, medical research opportunities for high school students, and summer programs for high school students in Florida.
What kinds of medical internships can you find in Florida?
Florida high school students can explore medicine in several ways. Research internships let you work with scientists on topics such as genetics, neuroscience, and cardiovascular health. Hospital observation programs let you see how healthcare professionals work, while academic-year placements can introduce you to hospital administration. You can also find remote opportunities in medical education or health technology, although these are not the same as clinical or laboratory internships.
Which medical internship is right for you?
If you want to | Start with |
Conduct biomedical research and earn a stipend | |
Explore genetics and computational biology | |
Study neuroscience or scientific programming | |
Explore cardiovascular research | |
Learn about hospital administration during the school year | |
Observe healthcare professionals | |
Build medical writing or outreach experience | |
Look for a remote startup placement | |
Explore biomedical research in a lab |
10 Medical Internships for High School Students in Florida
Location: Wertheim UF Scripps Institute, Jupiter, FL; housing and transportation are not provided
Cost: Free; $4,480 stipend for the summer
Program Dates: Eight weeks during summer
Application Deadline: Varies by the cohort
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents who will be rising high school juniors or seniors at a Palm Beach or Martin County high school, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, and are at least 14 years old when the program begins
The Kenan Fellows internship introduces you to biomedical research through full-time work in a laboratory at the Wertheim UF Scripps Institute. You’ll work with scientists on biological and chemical research while learning lab techniques, experimental design, research planning, and data analysis. You will finish by submitting an abstract and presenting your findings in an oral presentation and poster.
Who is it right for? You’re a rising junior or senior in Palm Beach or Martin County and want full-time lab experience with a stipend.
Location: John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Cost: Free; paid internship. Stipend amount not specified.
Program Dates: Varies by the cohort; eight weeks during summer
Application Deadline: Varies by the cohort
Eligibility: High school juniors from Miami-Dade or Broward County who will be rising seniors during the internship and are eligible to work in the U.S.
The JJ Vance Memorial Summer Internship introduces you to biological and computational research at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. You’ll work with faculty, postdoctoral researchers, or institute staff on projects related to human genetics and disease. You’ll develop research and presentation skills and share your work at the end of the program. The internship is full-time and takes place in person.
Who is it right for? You’re a South Florida high school junior interested in genetics, computational biology, or biomedical research.
Location: Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL
Cost: No cost; $14 per hour
Program Dates: Six weeks during summer; next cohort dates not specified
Application Deadline: Not specified for the next cohort
Eligibility: Students entering their junior or senior year during the 2026–27 school year who are at least 16 by the internship start date, reside in Palm Beach or Martin County, attend a high school in either county, and are legally authorized to work in the U.S.
This six-week internship gives you hands-on experience with neuroscience research at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. Depending on your background and interests, you may apply for a track in neuroscience, scientific programming, mechanical engineering, or programming for public engagement. The internship requires 40 hours per week.
Who is it right for? You’re a rising junior or senior in Palm Beach or Martin County and can commit to a full-time summer research experience.
Location: Florida International University’s Center for Translational Science, Port St. Lucie, FL
Cost: Not specified
Program Dates: Five weeks during summer
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors; additional requirements not specified
This five-week internship introduces you to biomedical research at Florida International University’s Center for Translational Science. You’ll work with scientists in research laboratories, learn how experiments are conducted, and explore how researchers study diseases and develop treatments. The program includes a final research poster presentation and offers more than 100 volunteer hours upon completion.
Who is it right for? You’re a high school junior or senior who wants an introduction to biomedical research and laboratory work.
Location: Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami, Florida; virtual, hybrid, or in person
Cost: Academic credit is offered. Program cost is not specified.
Program dates: August through May
Application deadline: Applications are coordinated through participating schools
Eligibility: Full-time Miami-Dade County Public Schools juniors and seniors enrolled in the district’s Academic Internship Program; minimum 2.5 unweighted GPA and excellent attendance
This academic-year placement focuses on healthcare administration at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. You’ll work with a mentor, build career-related skills, and learn how a children’s hospital operates. The commitment is 5–10 hours per week, and the placement may be in person, virtual, or hybrid. You will receive academic credit, with weekly timesheets and quarterly grade evaluations.
Who is it right for? You attend an eligible Miami-Dade public high school and want to learn about the administrative side of healthcare during the school year.
Location: Florida International University, Miami, FL
Cost: Unpaid; any program or course fees are not specified
Program Dates: Eight weeks during summer; next cohort dates not specified
Application Deadline: Applications open in January; exact deadline not specified
Eligibility: High school juniors, graduated seniors committed to attending FIU, and accepted FIU transfer students; applicants must be at least 16, have an unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher, and commit at least 15 hours per week to lab research.
FIU’s Summer Research Internship lets you explore cardiovascular health research with a faculty mentor. You’ll take part in lab research, journal clubs, case studies, and professional development workshops while building your research, analysis, and presentation skills. The program ends with a research abstract and presentation at a symposium.
Who is it right for? You’re at least 16 and want to explore cardiovascular research with an FIU faculty mentor.
Location: Virtual; confirm the format for individual positions
Cost: Not specified; certificate availability not confirmed for general positions
Program Dates: Year-round opportunities; applications are reviewed throughout the school year
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 from the U.S. and internationally
Medicine Encompassed is a student-run nonprofit that creates medical education resources and outreach projects. You can apply for general positions in medical committees, including writing articles, editing educational materials, and creating study guides and presentations. Other roles involve graphic design, marketing, social media, and partnerships.
Who is it right for? You want to build medical writing, editing, design, or communication skills while contributing to educational resources.
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
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 and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average, raising over a million dollars. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long. Apply now!
Who is it right for? You want remote startup experience and are interested in a health-tech or related project, with a plan for the program fee or financial aid.
Location: Baptist Health facilities across South Florida
Cost: No administrative fee for high school students; no stipend
Program Dates: Arranged with your sponsoring clinician; duration depends on the placement and may last up to four weeks
Application Deadline: Not specified; you must arrange a sponsor before applying
Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 16 years old by the start of the observation experience and meet the program’s documentation requirements
Baptist Health’s Observer Program lets you shadow healthcare professionals and learn what their work involves. Depending on your placement, you may observe clinical rounds, procedures, operating-room cases, or educational conferences. You must arrange a sponsoring clinician or Baptist Health employee before applying.
Who is it right for? You’re at least 16 and want to observe healthcare professionals before deciding which medical career to pursue.
Location: Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Semester-based; at least eight weeks in person
Application Deadline: Not specified for the next cohort
Eligibility: High school students and undergraduate students; applicants must meet the program’s application and documentation requirements
This internship gives you hands-on experience with biomedical research at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. You’ll work with scientists on ongoing studies and learn about research design, laboratory methods, and data analysis. You’ll also take part in lab meetings, faculty instruction, and research seminars.
Why it stands out: You’re a high school student interested in basic biomedical science and can commit to at least eight weeks of in-person research in St. Petersburg.
What if you want to conduct your own medical research project?
A hospital placement or lab internship is not the only way to explore medicine. If you want to develop a research question and work on it with individual guidance, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs you with a PhD mentor to complete an independent research project. You can explore medical or related topics and work remotely, so you do not need to live near a Florida hospital or research institute. You can also read our guide to medical research opportunities for high school students for more options.
Frequently asked questions
1. Do medical internships in Florida pay high school students?
Some do. The Kenan Fellows internship offers a $4,480 summer stipend, while the Max Planck Florida Institute internship pays $14 per hour. The JJ Vance Memorial Summer Internship is paid, but its current public page does not specify the stipend amount. Other programs may be unpaid or offer academic credit instead, so check the details before applying.
2. Can high school students from outside Florida apply?
It depends on the program. Several in-person internships are limited to students who attend school or live in specific South Florida counties. Remote opportunities such as Medicine Encompassed and Ladder may be open to students elsewhere, but they offer different types of experience from a local hospital or lab placement. Read each program’s eligibility rules before you apply.
3. Are these programs hands-on medical internships?
Some involve laboratory research, while others focus on healthcare administration, clinical observation, or medical education. Observer programs do not let you provide patient care, and remote student-organization roles are not clinical internships. Check the program description to make sure the experience matches what you want to learn.
4. Can a medical internship help with college applications?
Yes. A medical internship can help you explore your interest in healthcare and give you experiences to discuss in your college essays and interviews. You can show what you learned, how you contributed, and why you want to study medicine. What matters most is what you take away from the experience, not just the name of the organization. No internship guarantees college admission, but meaningful work can help you explain your academic interests. If you want to go beyond an internship and conduct your own research project with a PhD mentor, consider the Lumiere Research Scholar Program.