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Writer's pictureJessica Zhou
6 min read

8 Medical Internships for High School Students in NYC

If you are a high school student in New York City who plans on pursuing the pre-med track in college, these medical internships should definitely be on your radar! You will gain early exposure to the healthcare environment and get a realistic glimpse into the daily operations and challenges of medical professionals. This will not only bolster your college applications but also help you make a more informed decision about committing to a career in medicine.


Engaging in these internships demonstrates your commitment and passion for medicine, traits that are highly valued by college admissions committees. By participating in medical internships, you will gain hands-on experience that can significantly enhance your understanding of medical terminology, patient care, and healthcare technology. NYC, with its large number of renowned hospitals and research facilities, is a great place to find opportunities that are not readily available elsewhere. 


Here's our list of 8 medical internships for high school students in New York City!


Cost: Starting at $2,490 (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. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.


Cost: No cost; stipend provided

Location: Columbia University Labs

Application Deadline: Applications open in the fall

Program Dates: 5 weeks during the summer

Eligibility:

  • Must be sophomores or juniors in high school

  • Applicants must reside in New York City, but preference is given to students in Upper Manhattan and the South Bronx


The Zuckerman Institute's Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia (BRAINYAC) is a great opportunity to dive into neuroscience. This program matches you with a Columbia neuroscientist who serves as a mentor, guiding you through a specific research project. Over a seven-week period, which includes weekend training sessions in the winter and spring, followed by a full-time summer internship, you will gain firsthand experience in laboratory research. You will receive a stipend and have opportunities to participate in a paid Merit Fellowship for continued work in your mentor’s lab. You can also access an alumni network, including special events and trips.


Cost: Free (paid stipend of $1,200)

Application deadline: February 9

Program dates: June 27 – August 22

Eligibility: Students must meet the following criteria:

  • Completion of at least the 9th grade by June  

  • Must be 14 or older by June 27 

  • A genuine interest in science and laboratory research 

  • 3.5 GPA in science subjects


At the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), you will explore biomedical and computational research. This program includes postdoctoral-led journal clubs, student-led journal clubs, PI luncheons, laboratory tours, team building, and social networking sessions. Each participant is matched with a mentor, such as a postdoctoral fellow, graduate student, or research technician, who provides supervision and guidance throughout the program. This program ends with a presentation of your research project at a poster session. Beyond the scientific training, HOPP SSP allows you to participate in tours of MSKCC's state-of-the-art facilities, training sessions, and luncheons with principal investigators. 


Cost: Free (paid)

Application deadline: TBA 

Program dates: July 8 – 19

Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors


If you're interested in healthcare, social justice, or public policy, the High School Bioethics Project's two-week internship is a good opportunity for you. This program will introduce you to a broad variety of bioethics topics remotely for four days a week. During this internship, you'll have the opportunity to engage with professionals from diverse fields, including public health, healthcare, biotech, patient advocacy, and law, which could lead to potential mentor relationships extending beyond the program. Your responsibilities will include reading and discussing relevant articles, contributing to discussions, and writing reflection papers. Additionally, you will conclude your internship by submitting a short paper on a topic covered during your experience. 


Cost: Free (paid)

Application deadline: March 3

Program dates: July 1 – August 9

Eligibility: 

  • Demonstrated interest in biomedical sciences

  • Must attend NYC public school or charter school

  • Must be an under-represented minority and/or economically disadvantaged


The Mount Sinai Center for Excellence in Youth Education Medical and Scientific Exploration Program is designed to expose you to health and medical careers while enhancing your basic science knowledge, specifically in cellular and molecular biology. Through weekly rotations, you will engage with various laboratories and clinical departments within the Mount Sinai Health System. Each department showcases the applications of scientific concepts with activities such as virtual lab tours and discussions. You will interact with ISMMS faculty, healthcare staff, and medical students, and you will learn about health disparities. 


Cost: Free (paid)

Application deadline: March 3

Program dates: July 1 – August 9

Eligibility: 

  • Must be a rising high school senior (current 11th grader at the time of application)

  • Minimum GPA of 85 (strongly preferred)

  • Must be an under-represented minority and/or economically disadvantaged (see Application Instructions for details)


The CEYE Hospital Placement Internship is a great way to explore careers in healthcare while advancing your basic science knowledge, research abilities, and communication skills. You will be immersed in the daily operations of Mount Sinai Hospital. Your placement involves all-day internships where you will interact with healthcare professionals, learning about their roles and assisting with various tasks. You'll engage in library research and attend weekly seminars that include discussions on health disparities. You will learn how to use a medical library effectively. The program culminates in the presentation of a final written and oral research report.


Cost: Free

Application deadline: January 5

Program dates: June 24 – August 8

Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors


At the Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program (SSRP), you will engage in medical scientific research. Each team is composed of approximately eight SSRP scholars and is led by an experienced trainee. You will be assigned your own workspace in the RockEDU lab, where you'll focus on a research project that aligns with your team leader’s expertise and caters to your interests in medicine. During the first week of the program, you will become acquainted with your team’s research topic, learn essential research techniques, and familiarize yourself with laboratory norms. You will have the opportunity to select a research question related to your team’s topic to investigate further. Under the guidance of your team leader and other scientist-mentors, you will collect and analyze data. 


Cost: Free

Application deadline: May 15

Program dates: July 1 – 31

Eligibility: 7-12th graders who maintain at least an 80% grade average, particularly in math and science


The State Pre-College Enrichment Program (S-PREP) is tailored for 7th through 12th graders who want to pursue careers in medicine or related STEM fields. S-PREP aims to increase the representation and enhance the educational pathways of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students in mathematics, science, technology, health-related fields, and licensed professions. During the summer session, classes focus on a broad spectrum of subjects from anatomy to statistics, including preparatory courses for the PSAT. The program includes college preparation and career development workshops, personalized college and academic counseling services, as well as field trips and college tours. 


One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program


If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, 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!


Jessica attends Harvard University where she studies Neuroscience and Computer Science as a Coca-Cola, Elks, and Albert Shankar Scholar. She is passionate about educational equity and hopes to one day combine this with her academic interests via social entrepreneurship. Outside of academics, she enjoys taking walks, listening to music, and running her jewelry business! 


Image Source: MSKCC logo

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