15 Medical Internships for High School Students in Texas
- Stephen Turban
- 14 hours ago
- 11 min read
If you’re a high school student in Texas interested in medicine, a summer internship in medicine can offer an accessible opportunity to gain clinical and research experience, connect with mentors and peers, and strengthen your résumé for college applications. These programs often include clinical shadowing, site visits, and mentorship, giving you early exposure to the medical field.
Below is our selection of 15 medical internships for high school students in Texas that combine academic rigor, mentorship, and real-world experience.
15 Medical Internships for High School Students in Texas
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
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.
Location: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Cost: $6,800 for the full 10-week program ($6,120 for nine weeks); participants arrange their own housing, transportation, and meals
Program Dates: June 2 (early graduates), June 9 (on-time graduates) – August 8
Application Deadline: January 20
Eligibility: Texas high school seniors (18+) enrolled in a TX public/private/charter or home school and graduating spring prior; accepted to a college for the fall term; US citizen, permanent resident, or eligible visa holder; no prior lab or research experience required; preference for allied-health career interest.
This 8-week summer program enables you to engage in real-world biomedical projects at MD Anderson Cancer Center, known as one of the nation’s top cancer research and treatment institutions. You will participate in weekly seminars and workshops that enhance your lab work and expand your knowledge of biomedical research. The program is highly competitive, accepting up to 12 students per cohort, who rotate through various allied health labs and collaborate on specific research projects with others. The program also teaches you how to draft abstracts, design poster presentations, and practice explaining your findings to peers and faculty. Mid-program, you will share initial results during a workshop and incorporate feedback to improve your final project. Toward the end, you’ll present your completed work at a group luncheon, showcasing the skills and knowledge gained throughout the internship.
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost: Free (includes on-campus meals, boarding, and weekend activities); $25 application fee applicable; $750 stipend upon internship completion
Program Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 24
Eligibility: Texas high school students 17 years or over by the start of the internship; US citizens or permanent residents only.
The Anson L. Clark Scholar Program invites twelve high school juniors and seniors to participate in seven weeks of practical research alongside Texas Tech faculty. Participants mainly focus on designing experiments, gathering data, and solving problems with a mentor, complemented by weekly seminars and social events in the evenings. In the past, the program features medicine-related projects including Biology/Cellular & Microbiology, which investigates how cells and microbes influence disease development and treatment strategies; Cancer Biology, tracking the progression of a tumor from initial mutation to potential therapies; and Cancer Bio-imaging, which involves engineering efforts to improve scanners and software, enabling earlier tumor detection. Each track demonstrates how lab findings are applied to patient care, from refining diagnostics to enhancing imaging clarity. Students who submit a final research report receive a $750 stipend.
Location: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Cost: Free; no stipend
Program Dates: June 2 – August 8
Application Deadline: January 20
Eligibility: Texas high school seniors (18+); must show proof of enrollment
The summer research program at MD Anderson's DACCPM is an 8–10-week in-person internship with two tracks: Laboratory and Research. Laboratory trainees conduct basic science research, learning data collection, analysis, presentation, and literature reviews on topics such as chemotherapy-related pain, opioids, immune responses, and cancer relapse. Research trainees focus on human studies, learn clinical regulations, contribute to patient projects, and analyze patient data under supervision. Both tracks develop critical skills in literature searching and data interpretation; however, the lab path emphasizes hands-on experiments, while the research path offers experience with clinical trial design and patient-centered science. In early August, you’ll present your project poster at a formal symposium and submit an abstract for the university’s summer program’s abstract book.
Location: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Cost: Free; interns receive a stipend equivalent to Texas minimum wage, subject to taxes
Program Dates: June 11 – August 4
Application Deadline: April 18
Eligibility: 18 years of age by June 1; must have previously attended Baylor’s Saturday Morning Science program, a separate weekend science initiative for high schoolers; must possess a U.S. Social Security card or U.S. Permanent Resident card; full-time summer commitment required
The Saturday Morning Science (SMS) Summer Research Program at Baylor College of Medicine offers high school students the opportunity to work full-time in a real research setting over the summer. Over 8 weeks, you’ll spend about 40 hours per week working on a lab or research project alongside a faculty mentor. Every week, you’ll participate in “Lunch and Learn” sessions where you’ll explore various fields of science and medicine, develop lab skills, and hear firsthand from professionals about their career journeys, with opportunities to ask questions. At the program's conclusion, you’ll present your research at a symposium, and there may be additional chances to share it at other academic events later in the year.
Location: UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Cost: Free; $2,800 stipend
Dates: June 3 – July 25
Application Deadline: January 20
Eligibility: High school juniors (rising seniors) in North Texas; must be at least 16 by June 1; U.S. citizens or eligible to work in the U.S.; prior research experience not allowed
The Student Teacher Access to Resources at Southwestern (STARS) Summer Research Program at UT Southwestern is an 8-week internship that involves working directly in a biomedical research laboratory over the summer. All activities take place within biomedical labs; there are no clinical or shadowing opportunities available. To ensure fairness, students with prior research experience are ineligible, as the program is designed for first-time researchers. By the end of the summer, you’ll share your project in a formal presentation at UT Southwestern, and you’ll also be expected to talk about your experience back at your school. Finally, if you're interested in staying connected after the summer ends, STARS offers monthly talks and career events.
Location: University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX
Cost: Free; no stipend
Dates: July 21 – 25
Application Deadline: March 3
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Medical Laboratory Science Summer Immersion Program is a week-long program designed for students eager to understand how medical laboratories function and their role in disease diagnosis. Over five days of in-person sessions, participants will learn and practice fundamental lab techniques such as microscopy, pipetting, centrifugation, and more. The curriculum covers various branches of lab science, including microbiology, hematology, urinalysis, molecular biology, and blood banking, providing a comprehensive overview of the work performed in a clinical laboratory. You’ll also tour UTMB’s laboratories, seeing where staff process patient samples, operate diagnostic machines, and handle data used in medical decisions.
Location: Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX
Cost: Free; housing scholarships available; no stipend
Program Dates: June 9 – August 1
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who show academic excellence (minimum 3.5 GPA) and proven interest in medical research; at least 16 years old by the program start date; foreign nationals with legal visa status can apply
The Houston Methodist High School Emerging Researcher Experience is an 8-week internship in which you will work in a lab under faculty supervision, observe undergrad students working on their projects, and learn how lab discoveries lead to real patient treatments and practical public health solutions. Although you choose your research field when you apply (and are placed in a matching lab with a dedicated mentor accordingly), as you work through these hands-on experiments and program sessions, you’ll have the chance to apply new skills and insights to refine your original project idea. Whether your focus is cancer research, nanomedicine, heart and vascular studies, or any other research topic the program offers, your mentor’s guidance can help you strengthen and develop your project idea further. Throughout the program, you will also gain insights into the research process and laboratory techniques. At the end of the internship, you will have the chance to present your research findings at a poster symposium.
Location: UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
Cost: Free; needs-based bus passes and gas reimbursement provided; stipend awarded at the end of the program
Dates: Last week of April (specific dates to be uploaded on the website each year)
Application Deadline: March 7
Eligibility: Rising sophomores (at least 15 years old) nominated by a school in the Great San Antonio area; minimum of 90% in Math, Science, and English (85% for Pre-AP, AP, or Dual Credit)
This long-term research program for high school students interested in biomedical science begins with an intensive seven-week summer internship, shifting focus to independent research in the second and third years. Selected applicants will be among 20 rising sophomores nominated from local high schools, with up to three students per school. Participants will rotate through mentor labs and engage in community-building activities, developing essential skills such as bench techniques, teaching-lab simulations, and journal analysis. They will also design their own project with guidance from a principal investigator or junior mentor. Each morning features lectures on topics such as genetics, cancer, pharmacology, and neuroscience, accompanied by tours of the clinical centers. Afternoons include hands-on workshops in labs such as forensic anthropology, microbiology, and biomedical product development.
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX
Cost: Free
Dates: June 9 – June 26
Application Deadline: April 4
Eligibility: Current 10th and 11th graders from select Houston-area schools
If you’re looking for medical internships for high school students in Texas that combine healthcare and technology, Rice University’s Digital Health Young Scholars Program introduces participants to topics like computer science, digital circuitry, and programming, focusing on their use in health research and innovation. You’ll attend workshops, work in small groups on engineering tasks, and gain early exposure to the research process in a university setting. By assembling sensors like pulse oximeters, accelerometers, and GPS modules into a prototype, you will see firsthand how modern medical devices collect and integrate patient data to support clinical decisions. The program also includes training in scientific writing and communication, which is especially useful if you're thinking about pursuing college research. While it’s not a clinical or wet-lab internship, it offers a solid entry point into digital health, which is a growing field within medicine in the US.
Location: University of Houston, Houston, TX
Cost: Free; no stipend
Program Dates: June 2 – July 25
Application Deadline: March 28
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with a demonstrated interest in biomedical science, medical research, bioengineering, or related health fields
The MohanLab summer internship starts with two weeks of training in basic lab techniques, followed by eight weeks of hands-on experiments like growing cells and analyzing samples under mentor supervision. At the conclusion of the internship, you’ll present your results at the MohanLab joint laboratory meeting. Depending on your project, you might also have the chance to contribute to research suitable for publication. If you wish, you can stay on after the program ends to continue your research and assist with ongoing lab activities. Previous interns have worked on topics such as data-driven analysis of protein expression in inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer, developing point-of-care diagnostics for lupus nephritis, and applying AI and machine learning to classify kidney tissue and identify disease biomarkers.
Location: Parkland Health, Dallas, TX
Cost: Free; $18.25 hourly wage provided
Dates: 8 weeks (typically June–July)
Application Deadline: March 14
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (at least 16 years old) with a minimum GPA of 3.0
If chosen for this summer program, you’ll spend eight weeks working 20 hours weekly within a specific Parkland department, like nursing, administration, or support services, based on your interests. While you'll not directly care for patients, you’ll have limited opportunities to shadow clinical teams and observe their work. Although this isn't a research internship, it's one of the few medical internships available to high school students in Texas that offers a firsthand look at the daily operations of a major health system. Participants will also attend career development workshops and get personalized mentoring from Parkland staff.
Location: Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX
Cost: Free; no stipend
Program Dates: Mid-June to mid-July (exact dates TBA on the NBCF website)
Application Deadline: March 21
Eligibility: Frisco Independent School District (ISD) juniors and senior high schoolers (ages 15–18) with an interest in nonprofit healthcare and advocacy
During the initial two weeks of the program, you will rotate through Programs, Development, and Marketing to understand how each team advances NBCF’s mission. Every week, you will participate in a professional-skills session that includes résumé writing, interviewing, public speaking, and more, equipping you with essential workplace tools. In your final three weeks, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate on a project with your fellow interns and present your work to NBCF’s senior staff. Past interns have drafted social media and email campaigns, assembled “HOPE Kits” for newly diagnosed patients, supported donor research and fundraising materials, and helped produce NBCF’s free educational guides. After the summer, you can apply to be an NBCF High School Ambassador.
Location: Austin Campus, University of Texas, TX
Cost: $4,000; limited needs-based scholarships available
Program Dates: June 9 – July 16
Application Deadline: March 23
Eligibility: Rising sophomore, junior, or senior (preference to juniors and seniors) at a Texas high school; at least 15 years old by the internship start
The Summer High School Research Academy (HSRA) at the University of Texas (UT) Austin campus places high school students in a UT Austin lab to observe and assist with real-world medical research. Over five weeks, spend 15–25 hours weekly with faculty and students on medical research topics like gene regulation in cancer, virtual drug discovery, behavioral neuroscience, and public health materials, learning scientific inquiry and lab practices. More information about the available research topics can be found here. On the final day, you will have the opportunity to prepare, print, and present a poster of your findings to fellow students and mentors at a small symposium.
Location: Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Campus of UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
Cost: $1,000; needs-based scholarships available
Program Dates: July 14 – July 18
Application Deadline: June 20
Eligibility: High school students interested in medical or biomedical careers
At the Biomedical Excellence and Academic Training (BEAT) Academy, you’ll participate in faculty-led seminars covering anatomy, physiology, molecular biology, aging research, and neurodegeneration. You'll have the chance to observe and study preserved specimens in the anatomy lab. Additionally, you'll practice basic exams on simulated patients — high-tech models that breathe and have heartbeats — giving you a sense of clinical work. You'll also see how PCR machines and microscopes are used in real research settings. College readiness is also built into the program, with sessions focused on application tips and understanding career paths.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research in medicine, 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.
Image Source - Texas Tech University logo