15 Medical Internships for High School Students in Texas
- Stephen Turban
- 4 days ago
- 10 min read
If you are a high school student in Texas interested in exploring medicine, healthcare, biomedical sciences, or other related fields, then a medical internship in the state can be an accessible first step!
Medical internships can help you get early exposure to real-world healthcare settings, pick up professional skills, and network with professionals in the field. As an intern, you might also get to contribute to medical research, shadow professionals, assist healthcare providers in their tasks, and learn from experts. In the process, you may be able to assess if a career in medicine, nursing, healthcare, research, or other related areas is right for you.
Additionally, this experience can be a good addition to your resume, highlighting your willingness to get a head start in your career.
In this blog, we have come up with 15 medical internships for high school students in Texas. We have focused on rigorous, low-cost/fully funded options that are offered by credible institutions.
Location: Online
Cost: Starting at $2,490 | Need-based financial aid is offered.
Dates: Varying start and end dates for each cohort—Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application deadline: Winter: November | Fall: September | Summer: May | Spring: January
Eligibility: High school students, undergrads, and gap year students who can work for 10 to 20 hours each week for 8 to 12 weeks
Ladder Internships is a virtual program for high schoolers who want to get some real-world experience working with fast-growing start-ups. These start-ups operate in a range of industries, including healthcare, mental health, health tech, and medicine. Many of the start-ups in the program have already raised over a million dollars in funding. As a Ladder intern, you will get to work with the assigned organization’s managers and a Ladder Coach on real projects. At the end of the program, you get to present your work to the organization. You can learn more about the available internship formats and subject areas on the application form.
Location: Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: No participation cost; unpaid opportunity for high schoolers
Dates: June 9 – August 1
Application deadline: January 31
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are 16 or older
The High School Emerging Researcher Experience is an eight-week hands-on experience in medical research and healthcare. During the program, you will work with undergraduate students on independent projects, explore translational research, and have access to mentorship. You will also engage in lab work and develop a better understanding of the scientific research process. Professional development opportunities, seminars, and lectures are also key parts of the program. Your research experience will end with a symposium, where you get to share your findings with scientists, other interns, and Houston Methodist staff.
Location: MohanLab at University of Houston Science & Engineering Research Center, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Dates: June 2 – July 25
Application Deadline: March 28
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
MohanLab’s high school internships offer high schoolers exposure to biomedical sciences, bioengineering, and other health-related fields, as well as research in these areas. The program starts with a couple of weeks of instruction on basic lab techniques, after which, you will undertake bench research while working closely with a MohanLab scientist or grad student. You can choose to continue your research even after the internship ends, using this extended opportunity to finish your manuscript and data analysis. The program concluded with the presentation of research findings. Your work could be submitted for publication in research journals. You can explore past MohanLab interns’ experiences and project details here.
Location: Remote and in-person internships at various sites in Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipends are typically provided, but the amount varies based on the position and host organization
Dates: Varies based on the opportunity
Application deadline: Variable based on the chosen role
Eligibility: High school students
The Baylor College of Medicine offers high school students internship opportunities designed to help them explore careers in healthcare by working in departments like urology, pediatrics, and medical ethics. This internship can offer you some exposure to daily clinical operations, research, and administrative work carried out at a healthcare facility, as well as a real-world understanding of the medical field. You can apply for a chosen position as a Student Helper or Project Intern, based on your interests. If hired, you may get to offer administrative or laboratory support to the host facility’s staff. For instance, through this program, the Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center is known to offer internships to high schoolers within its research labs as well as administrative and psychosocial service departments.
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $6,800 for 10-week participation and $6,120 for nine-week engagement
Dates: June 2 – August 8
Application deadline: January 20
Eligibility: High school seniors in Texas who are 18 or older
The High School Summer Program offered by the MD Anderson Cancer Center is a 10-week internship. Each year, it offers 10 Texas students the opportunity to get hands-on research experiences in medical and biomedical disciplines. During the program, you will work in a lab and engage in scientific investigation. You will also get to attend seminars, in which faculty members discuss research topics. Hands-on activities like writing an abstract, poster making, and elevator speech contests are also key components of the program. The experience ends with a presentation, where you will share your experiences with peers and the programming team. This internship also offers you insights into the life of a researcher.
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost/Stipend: No cost; a stipend of $750 offered
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application deadline: February 24
Eligibility: High school students who are 17 years old and U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Texas Tech University’s Anson L. Clark Scholars Program is a selective seven-week internship offered to just 12 high schoolers each year. If selected, you will work on hands-on projects in research labs at the campus and the Health Science Center, guided by expert faculty. You can choose from research areas like medicine, cancer biology, biology, microbiology, and neurobiology. You will also engage in weekly seminars, social events, and field trips during the program. At the end of the program, you will submit a research report.
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: No cost; a stipend of up to $6,800 is awarded
Dates: 10-week internship in the summer; dates TBA
Application deadline: January 20
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who are 18 or older; applicants must be first-generation college students, with disabilities, or belong to backgrounds that are economically and/or educationally disadvantaged
The UPWARDS program is a research training program for high school students and undergraduates. If selected, you will get to engage in lab-based research with a faculty mentor. You can indicate your interest in a biomedical field or cancer research while applying. The program also offers coursework and training sessions to help you prepare for future academics and career opportunities. You will also attend seminars, lectures, and career development sessions. The program will end with a poster session, where you get to share your work with peers and faculty members. This experience can help you get some exposure to the research process and a well-equipped research environment.
Location: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: Free + a stipend is offered
Application deadline: April 18
Dates: June 11 – August 4
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 18 by June 1
The Saturday Morning Science Summer Research Program is an eight-week internship for high school students. This selective program only accepts 40 students each year. If selected, you will get to work 40 hours a week in a lab or on a research project alongside a Baylor College of Medicine researcher. Each week, you will engage in “Lunch and Learn” sessions to learn about research and work on professional development. The program ends with a research presentation at the SMS Summer Research Symposium.
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Application deadline: Early February
Dates: Starts in June
Eligibility: Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students and rising college first-year students
UT Southwestern Medical Center offers a two-week online internship to students interested in mental health careers. Led by professionals like social workers, psychiatrists, and neuropsychologists, the program is designed for those interested in exploring career paths in mental health. You will engage in readings, interactive sessions, and Q&A sessions about career paths. You will also get to explore fields such as psychotherapy, neuroscience, neuropsych testing, and community psychiatry. The program offers a broad look at mental health careers, helping you understand the real-world impact of each role.
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: $850 and a $40 application fee; no stipend
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students who are 14 or older and U.S. citizens | Preference is given to applicants who have previously worked on a healthcare project and/or have strong math or computer programming skills
Stanford’s AIMI Summer Research Internship is a virtual program for high school students interested in learning about the role of AI in healthcare. Here, you will get to explore the basics of AI in the context of medicine and healthcare and work on solving a real-world medical challenge with the assistance of AI tools. Throughout the program, you will have access to mentorship offered by researchers and Stanford Student Leads. The internship also comes with opportunities to participate in social activities, group work sessions, and virtual interactive sessions led by guest speakers from backgrounds like nonprofits, academia, government, and industry. During the program, you will also come up with a research project, which you can continue working on after the program ends.
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: No cost; unpaid internship
Dates: Not specified, but the program runs for 8 to 10 weeks in the summer
Application deadline: January 15
Eligibility: High school students with strong academic performance who are 18 or older
The DACCPM Summer Research Program is an 8- to 10-week research and lab training opportunity for high schoolers and college students. During the program, you will get to work in laboratory settings and familiarize yourself with lab safety practices and techniques for collecting, interpreting, and presenting scientific data. You will work with a faculty mentor on a research project that they are currently pursuing. You will also conduct a literature review to get information for your project, which could be focused on areas like opioids, perioperative immune function, chemotherapy-induced pain, and cancer reoccurrence. At the end of the session, you will attend a symposium and present your work.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Summer: $95 application fee + $4,380 program fee; Fall: $35 application fee + $1,980 program fee
Application deadline: Summer: February 24; Fall: June 2
Dates: Summer: July 28 – August 8; Fall: September 11 – November 13
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors, as well as undergraduate pre-med students who are at least 16 years old
Stanford’s Clinical Summer Internship offers virtual hands-on learning experiences to high schoolers and undergraduate pre-med students interested in medical professions. During the internship, you will attend virtual lectures and expert-led activity-based sessions to explore techniques like suturing, administering injections, and conducting physical exams. You will also get to work on real-world medical cases, make diagnoses, and suggest treatment. You will also participate in a group presentation to discuss your medical case. The experience can help you explore medical specialties and build the technical skills required to pursue a career in medicine.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Application deadline: March 1
Program dates: June–August. The virtual program will run for 5 weeks.
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in the U.S. and Canada
JHIBS is a summer internship for high school students interested in pursuing careers in behavioral health-related sciences. Here, you will explore behavioral and neurological sciences and research in these fields. The virtual program offers you the opportunity to learn basic lab techniques and engage in research-related activities. You will also get to engage in professional development sessions and college prep classes. Mentorship training, scientific presentations, and networking activities are also part of the experience.
Location: University of Texas Health Lozano Long Campus, San Antonio, TX
Cost: $1,000 ($950 registration fee + $50 application fee)
Application deadline: June 20
Dates: July 14 – 18
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
The Biomedical Excellence and Academic Training (BEAT) Academy is meant for high school students interested in learning about medicine and biomedical research. Conducted at the UT Health Science Center, the program covers topics like anatomy, physiology, molecular biology, aging, and brain diseases. During the program, you will get to visit the anatomy lab, work with real and simulated patients, and learn about new medical technology. A college prep session is also part of the program to help you plan your career. The program accepts 20 students. While not a typical internship, the program offers internship-like hands-on experiences and exposure to the medical industry.
Location: University of Texas at Austin, TX
Cost: $4,000; need-based scholarships that will cover tuition and offer a stipend are available.
Application deadline: March 23
Dates: June 9 – July 16
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who will be at least 15 years old by June 1
The HSRA program is a five-week summer research experience for Texas high school students. While not an internship, it does offer hands-on experience in the medical and biomedical fields. Here, you will work on research projects in labs at the College of Natural Sciences, studying subjects like biochemistry, biology, genetics, neuroscience, and genome engineering. You will spend 15 to 25 hours each week with your research group in the lab. During the program, you will get to pick up key research skills and work with UT students and teachers in research groups.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you are interested in working on an independent research project, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, which are selective virtual high school programs for students founded in partnership with researchers at Oxford and Harvard. In the past, we received over 4,000 applications for 500 spots in the program. You can learn about the program formats and other details on the application form here.
Also, consider checking out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation—a non-profit research opportunity for talented, low-income students. In the past, we offered 150 applicants 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.
Image Source - MD Anderson Cancer Center logo