10 Medical Internships for High School Students in Minnesota

If you're a high school student based in Minnesota and are interested in healthcare, consider a medical internship in the state! 

Medical internships in Minnesota offer a practical way to explore the field beyond the classroom. These internships let you gain experience in medicine, whether you want to become a doctor, work in research, or explore healthcare management. You’ll have the chance to assist professionals, learn key skills, and understand how different areas of healthcare operate.

Participating in a medical internship gives you a closer look at the work involved in healthcare, helps you develop practical skills, and lets you build connections with people in the field. A medical internship also helps you decide if a career in medicine is the right choice for you. 

To guide you, we’ve put together a list of 10 medical internships for high school students in Minnesota! If you're looking for more prestigious internships in other STEM subjects, check out this set of blogs!

10 Medical Internships for High School Students in Minnesota

1. Ladder Internships

Ladder Internships gives high school students the chance to work remotely with leading startups in fields like health tech, machine learning, and environmental science. You’ll take on real-world projects while being mentored by startup leaders, many with experience at companies like Google, McKinsey, and Facebook. 

For students interested in medicine and healthcare, there is an option to work with companies specializing in these fields. For example, one of the companies that you can expect to work with is JuneBrain- a health tech company that specializes in improving remote monitoring in ophthalmology/ neurology.

Depending on the program, you could work directly with CEOs or engage in research alongside your project. Throughout the internship, you’ll attend weekly meetings, complete tasks, and develop deliverables to present. 

Cost: $2,490+ (Financial Aid Available)

Location:  Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.

Application Deadline: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. May 11 for the summer cohort.

Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year

Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!

2. Mayo Clinic Career Immersion Program

The Career Immersion Program at Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences gives you the chance to explore healthcare and develop skills that will be useful in any medical career. Through workshops, lab sessions, and professional activities, you’ll learn how to communicate effectively with both patients and healthcare professionals, which is important in any medical setting. 

You’ll also get better at managing your time, which is essential when things move quickly in healthcare. You’ll also improve your problem-solving skills, which are crucial when working with patient care. 

Cost: Free

Location: Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, Rochester, MN

Dates: June 22–June 26

Application Deadline: March 15

Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors enrolled in Minnesota high schools with a minimum 2.5 GPA; U.S. citizens or permanent residents

3. Minnesota Hospital Association’s Summer Health Care Internship Program (SHCIP)

The Summer Health Care Internship Program (SHCIP), managed by the Minnesota Hospital Association, gives rising high school seniors paid, hands-on experience in healthcare settings across the state. You’ll work in hospitals, clinics, nursing facilities, or home health agencies, helping with patient support, administrative tasks, or rotating through different departments depending on your placement.

Through this program, you will learn how to communicate with patients and healthcare staff, manage tasks efficiently, and follow healthcare protocols. You’ll also gain experience with administrative duties like scheduling and organizing patient records, while learning how to work as part of a team.

Cost: Paid internship; students earn at least minimum wage

Location: Various hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities across Minnesota

Dates: Between Memorial Day and Labor Day (specific start and end dates vary by employer)

Application Deadline: April 18

Eligibility: Rising seniors (students between their junior and senior year of high school)

4. Essentia Health’s Summer Health Care Internship Program

The Essentia Health Summer Intern Program gives you a chance to explore non-clinical jobs in healthcare through a rotation system. You’ll spend time in different departments like nutrition, environmental services, registration, administration, and operations. In each area, you’ll help with daily tasks and small projects that keep the hospital running. You’ll build skills in time management, communication, and organization while working with professionals in a real healthcare setting.

Stipend: $15/hour

Location: Essentia Health – Ada Hospital, Ada, MN

Dates: Summer

Application Deadline: Varies; early spring application recommended

Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in the Mesabi East School District or surrounding areas with an interest in healthcare

5. Lakewood Health System’s Summer Health Care Internship Program

The Lakewood Health System Summer Health Care Internship gives you the chance to explore healthcare careers by working directly with staff in a real hospital setting. You’ll help with patient services, basic administrative tasks, and department projects that do not need a license. You’ll also get to shadow professionals and see how clinical and non-clinical teams work together.

You might assist in departments like nursing, physical therapy, dietary services, or patient registration. Along the way, you’ll build skills in communication, teamwork, time management, and problem-solving.

Stipend: $16/hour

Location: Lakewood Health System, Staples, MN

Dates: 6 weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day (specific schedule arranged individually)

Application Deadline: Not listed; early spring application recommended

Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors (1 position available); must be on track to graduate

6. Children’s Minnesota Summer Equity Internship

The Summer Equity Internship at Children’s Minnesota gives you the chance to explore healthcare careers by working directly with professionals in both clinical and non-clinical settings. You’ll develop skills like communicating effectively with patients and staff, taking accurate notes, and handling patient data. 

You’ll also learn how to assist with patient care tasks, like preparing medical equipment or helping with basic procedures, depending on your role. You’ll gain experience in managing time efficiently, working in a fast-paced environment, and following healthcare protocols.

Stipend: Provided

Location: Children’s Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN

Dates: Summer (specific dates determined by placement and program partner)

Application Deadline: Varies by partner organization; must be affiliated with a listed partner

Eligibility: High school or college students affiliated with Achieve Twin Cities/Step Up, Right Track, Dougherty Family College, Wallin Education Partners/Upturn, YWCA Eureka!, or BrookLyn

7. LHI-AHA Summer Research Scholars Program

The LHI-AHA Summer Research Scholars Program at the University of Minnesota's Lillehei Heart Institute offers high school students a chance to explore cardiovascular research. Over eight weeks, you’ll work closely with a faculty researcher in a lab, focusing on basic or clinical science projects.

Throughout the program, you’ll gain skills like collecting and analyzing data, following research protocols, and documenting findings clearly. You’ll also learn how to use lab equipment and develop critical thinking skills as you work through research challenges. 

Stipend: Provided

Location: Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Dates: June 2–July 25

Application Deadline: February 15

Eligibility: High school students (typically rising seniors); highly selective with two high school spots available

8. Minnesota State University Scrubs Camp

Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Scrubs Camp gives high school students the chance to explore different healthcare careers through hands-on activities. Over four days, you’ll participate in sessions led by university faculty and healthcare professionals, covering topics like surgery, nursing, microbiology, and mental health.

You’ll also visit nearby healthcare facilities, giving you a firsthand look at medical environments. This camp will introduce you to the many career paths in health sciences and give you a glimpse into what college life is like.

Cost: $200 (scholarships available)

Location: Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN

Dates: June 23–June 26

Application Deadline: Rolling until full (early registration encouraged)

Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12 in fall

9. Mayo Clinic’s Medical Experience Program

The Mayo Clinic Medical Experience Program offers high school juniors and seniors the chance to shadow physicians in various specialties. Accepted students will spend up to eight, four-hour shifts during the summer observing healthcare professionals and learning about medical careers.

Before starting the shadowing, you’ll need to have prior volunteer experience at Mayo Clinic Health System, so you’re already familiar with the clinical environment. During the program, you’ll gain insights into the daily responsibilities of physicians, including patient care, diagnosis, and communication.

Cost: Free

Location: Mayo Clinic Health System, various locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Dates: Summer (specific dates coordinated individually after acceptance)

Application Deadline: Varies (applications typically submitted during junior year)

Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors, 16+ years old, with at least 30 hours of volunteer service at Mayo Clinic Health System

10. Expand Your Mind Program - Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth

The Expand Your Mind (EYM) Program at the Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth gives high school students the chance to dive into academic and creative learning across various fields like STEM, humanities, and fine arts. You’ll take intensive courses with experienced instructors, work on hands-on projects, and go on field trips to explore real-world applications.

The program challenges you beyond the usual school curriculum, encouraging skills like collaboration, leadership, and critical thinking. You’ll have the opportunity to choose courses from a wide range of subjects, including those related to medicine, such as forensic science and biomedical engineering.

Cost: $855 per session for commuters; $2,150 per session for residential students (financial aid available)

Location: Macalester College, St. Paul, MN

Dates: Session A: June 16–June 27; Session B: July 7–July 18

Application Deadline: Rolling admission until sessions are full

Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12 in fall.

One other option – Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re interested in pursuing independent research in medicine and healthcare, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.

Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

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