10 Medical Internships for High School Students in Vancouver
- Stephen Turban
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
If you are a high school student in Vancouver with an interest in healthcare, medicine, or research, a medical internship can be a great way to learn about these fields.
Medical internships offer a glimpse into the work of hospitals, labs, and public health settings, giving you early exposure to careers in medicine and science.
Vancouver is home to leading institutions like BC Children’s Hospital, UBC, and other healthcare innovators. Whether it is shadowing doctors, assisting with lab work, or learning from researchers, these internships let you build hands-on skills and connect with professionals in the field.Â
To help you find the right opportunity, we have rounded up 10 medical internships for high school students in Vancouver. We chose these options based on factors like the prestige of the host institution, the depth of real-world experience, and the networking and mentorship opportunities they offer.
If you are looking for more prestigious high school opportunities, check out this set of blogs!
10 Medical Internships for High School Students in Vancouver
Location:Â Remote
Cost:Â Varies based on the format you choose; financial aid available
Dates:Â Eight-week program; available in multiple cohorts each year
Application deadline:Â August 24 for the upcoming fall cohort; multiple cohorts run each year
Eligibility:Â High school students
Ladder Internships offers selective, entirely virtual internships that give high schoolers opportunities to work with early-stage medtech and health-focused startups. As an intern, you will work with a company mentor and a Ladder coach while tackling a real-world project, whether that’s designing a clinical support tool or analyzing patient data for your assigned organization. The program offers weekly one-on-one sessions and group workshops that can help you sharpen your professional skills, like time management and communication. In the past, companies like JuneBrain, which specializes in remote patient monitoring, have partnered with Ladder to offer high schoolers internships. The program concludes with a capstone presentation that you will deliver to your host team.
Location: Virtual or in-person BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia
Cost/Stipend:Â Free + opportunity for 12th graders to apply for $1,000 scholarship
Dates: Four evening sessions scheduled in October and NovemberÂ
Application deadline: Not specified; registration opens September
Eligibility: Grade 11 and 12 students based in British Columbia and Yukon; virtual option open to students in grades 8–12 enrolled in a BC or Yukon secondary school
BC Children’s Hospital is a four-night educational series that brings you face-to-face with brand-new medical advances and hospital-based practice. You will attend expert-led lectures to explore topics like digital health, genetics, and disease diagnostics, and engage in Q&A sessions with clinicians and scientists. While session topics vary each year, in the past, participants have explored topics like AI’s role in healthcare, online healthcare platforms, data analytics, and simulated training tools. Although this is not a traditional internship, the program offers exposure to medical professions and topics at no cost. Grade 12 students can also apply for a $1,000 scholarship and a paid summer research placement in a BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute lab.
Location:Â Centre for Heart Lung Innovation (HLI), Vancouver, BC
Cost:Â Free + $2,000 scholarship awarded
Dates:Â 8 weeks during summer
Application deadline:Â Varies; you can check the HLI website in spring
Eligibility: High school students who have attended HLI’s High School Student Science Week
Peter D. Pare Scholarship is an opportunity to explore biomedical research, with a focus on heart and lung diseases, at UBC’s Centre for Heart Lung Innovation. As a scholar, you will design or support a lab-based investigation, working closely with a faculty mentor in cutting-edge settings. The experience may also offer professional development workshops and networking events with clinicians and graduate students. You will present your research and gain valuable experience in academic communication.
Location: BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC
Cost: Free
Dates: Mini Med School: October-November | Discovery Days: November | Women in Science Panels: February
Application deadline:Â Varies per event
Eligibility:Â High school students who are 16+ years old
BC Children's Hospital Research Institute’s high-school programs offer multiple flexible entry points into clinical and biomedical research. Sessions like Mini Med School, Discovery Days, and Women in Science feature panels, guest speakers, and online lectures that highlight current health science breakthroughs. Post the event, you can reach out to inquire about volunteer lab placements, which can offer exposure to hospital research and healthcare careers. While not internships, these free programs can help you explore medical fields and get insights into the work of healthcare facilities.
Location:Â BC Cancer Trev and Joyce Deeley Research Centre, Victoria, BC (three hours away from Vancouver, BC)
Cost/Stipend:Â Free + a $3,000 bursary toward post-secondary education awarded
Dates: July 2 – August 28
Application deadline: March 3
Eligibility:Â Grade 11 students who are at least 16, from Vancouver Island secondary schools, and nominated by their schools
Offered by BC Cancer, the Xavier Pelletier Program is a summer internship that immerses rising Grade 12 students in real cancer research. You will work with scientists on immunotherapy and cancer biology projects, gaining lab skills and professional exposure. You will also attend weekly seminars, contribute to ongoing research, and build a deeper understanding of how science translates into patient care. You will also participate in a book club and read up on topics in molecular and cell biology, immunology, and the basics of cancer. You will present both your research project and book club insights to researchers and receive feedback.
Location: Virtual option available for Vancouver high schoolers
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June–August; five weeks
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in the U.S. and Canada
JHIBS is a summer research internship focusing on behavioral health-related sciences. Its goal is to familiarize you with behavioral and neurological sciences and research in these fields. In its virtual track, you will engage in online sessions led by researchers and scientists, learn about research activities, and participate in experiments. You will also get opportunities to learn basic laboratory techniques, engage in scientific presentations, and network with professionals and peers. You will attend professional development workshops and college preparatory classes to explore educational and career paths in the medical field.
Location: University of British Columbia (UBC) campuses in Okanagan and Vancouver, BC
Cost:Â Stipend of 3,000 CAD
Dates: July 7 – August 15
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility:Â Indigenous high school students residing in Metro Vancouver or Kelowna
seed2STEM is a paid summer research internship supporting Indigenous youth interested in STEM and health sciences. Over six weeks, you will work alongside university researchers in labs focusing on biology, neuroscience, chemistry, and other medical or related fields. The program also offers access to workshops, cultural events, and field trips. You will receive comprehensive support, from equipment and transportation to mentorship and community guidance. The program ends with a student-led research showcase.
Location: Remote 
Cost: Summer session: $4,380 (5990.69 CAD) + $95 (129.9 CAD) application fee | Fall session: $35 (47.8 CAD) application fee + $1,980 (2708.12 CAD) program fee
Dates: Summer session: July 28 – August 8 | Fall session: September 10 – November 12
Application deadline: Summer session: February 24 | Fall session: June 2
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors, seniors, and undergraduate pre-medical students
Offered by Stanford Medicine, this virtual clinical internship offers a glimpse into medical professions. Over two weeks, you will explore real patient cases, work on diagnostic processes, and develop treatment plans while learning directly from Stanford physicians and educators. The program also features virtual simulations, including procedural skill sessions covering suturing and injections, conducted via guided video instruction. Daily sessions explore different medical specialties, helping you understand potential career paths in healthcare. The internship wraps up with team presentations, giving you a chance to showcase your learning in a professional format.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
Application deadline: Early February; applications typically open in late September
Program dates: Two weeks in June
The Inspiring Careers in Mental Health Internship is a virtual program offered by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to high schoolers interested in exploring careers in mental health. The program offers opportunities to interact with mental health professionals, including licensed social workers, psychiatrists, physician assistants, and neuropsychologists. Through online sessions, professionals share their experiences in the field of psychology, offering you insights into pursuing a career. Additionally, you will learn about fields like psychotherapy, neuroscience, interventional psychiatry, community psychiatry, and neuropsychological testing.
Location:Â Virtual
Cost:Â $4,500 (6154.81 CAD) + $95 (129.9 CAD) application fee
Dates: Program 1: June 23 – July 4 | Program 2: July 14 – July 25
Application deadline:Â Varies by year
Eligibility:Â High school students who are at least 16; those under 16 can apply if they are a junior/senior in high school
Stanford’s Cardiothoracic Surgical Summer Internship is a two-week virtual opportunity to explore cardiothoracic surgery and surgical techniques. Here, you will engage in academic lectures and surgical lab sessions to learn about cardiac diseases, anatomy, imaging techniques, and various surgical procedures. In the afternoons, you will get hands-on training on the use of surgical instruments. You will also get some experience in vessel anastomosis, suturing, and porcine heart dissection. Throughout the program, you will learn foundational surgical techniques and interact with Stanford faculty and surgical residents.Â
One other option—Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you want to pursue independent research under the guidance of a mentor, consider applying to Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, which are selective high school programs founded in partnership with Harvard and Oxford researchers. In the past, 4,000+ students applied for just 500 spots in the research program. You can learn about the application and available programs on the application form here.
Also, you can check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation—a non-profit research program for talented low-income students. Last year, it offered 150 students full need-based financial assistance.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source - Ladder Internships logo