15 Medical Internships for Undergraduates in NJ (New Jersey)
- Stephen Turban
- 5 hours ago
- 9 min read
If you’re an undergraduate student and want to get firsthand experience in medicine, one way to start is by doing a medical internship. These internships let you see what it’s like to work in healthcare and give you the chance to take on real responsibilities, including working on research projects, contributing to patient care, and assisting in day-to-day operations. Some internships focus on public health and community programs, while others are tied more closely to clinical or biomedical research.
New Jersey is home to top universities, clinics, and labs that offer internships to help you develop professional experience in the field of medicine. You might help with data collection, observe procedures, or learn how hospital departments operate. They also give you a chance to strengthen your resume and build connections with people already working in the field.
To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of 15 medical internships for undergraduates in New Jersey.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by format
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including fall, spring, summer, and winter
Application deadline: Varies depending on the cohort—Summer: May | Winter: November | Spring: January | Fall: September
Eligibility: College students and young professionals who can work for 5–10 hours/week for eight weeks
The Ladder University Internship Program is a selective program that connects undergraduate students with high-growth startups, which raise over a million dollars on average. These organizations operate in diverse industries, including engineering and tech. During the internship, you can explore your interests in engineering, develop relevant skills, and gain work experience while working on real projects under the guidance of the startup manager. This internship also provides you with exposure to professional work environments and the opportunity to explore various career paths. By the end of the program, you will complete and present your work to the organization. You can explore the available options here.
Location: Various Hackensack Meridian Health locations across New Jersey
Cost/Stipend: Paid internships with flexible schedules
Application Deadline: Varies by position throughout the year
Program Dates: Year-round, including summer internships
Eligibility: Undergraduates pursuing careers in healthcare, nursing, allied health, or administration
Hackensack Meridian Health Internship Program is a paid, early-career opportunity for students and recent graduates to gain hands-on experience across clinical and non-clinical roles in one of New Jersey’s largest healthcare networks. You’ll be placed in real hospital and care settings where you contribute directly to patient care, innovation, and operational projects. You can apply for roles such as nurse externships, patient care technician apprenticeships, allied health internships, and research assistant positions. Each weekday, you’ll work alongside experienced professionals, attend mentorship sessions, and build leadership skills that prepare you for long-term career advancement.
Location: Raritan, NJ (plus other sites)
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship
Application Deadline: Varies. More info here
Program Dates: Varies; summer internships mostly
Eligibility: Undergraduate students pursuing careers in medical or health-related fields
Johnson & Johnson offers a variety of internships, including roles in health innovation, medical technology, and biomedical engineering, with placements in New Jersey, among other locations. You will take part in research, data analysis, and design tasks that support medical technology and health solutions. You might be placed in R&D, supply chain, or MedTech divisions, where you’ll see how products are created, tested, and delivered while working with professionals from different teams.
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Unspecified. More info here
Application Deadline: Unspecified. More info here
Program Dates: Summer and academic year
Eligibility: Undergraduate students interested in clinical research
Children’s Specialized Hospital Research Center Internship is a semester-based clinical research experience focused on pediatric rehabilitation and specialty care. If you’re selected, you’ll work under faculty supervision on active research projects related to pain management, mobility, autism, brain injury, and neurodevelopmental conditions. You’ll gain hands-on experience in research design, data collection, and analysis, while participating in journal clubs, clinical team meetings, and site visits to partner labs like Rutgers and the Kessler Foundation.
Location: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Free
Application Deadline: February 11 (tentative, based on previous year’s schedule)
Program Dates: June 2 — July 11 (tentative, based on previous year’s schedule)
Eligibility: College freshmen and sophomores, U.S. citizens/permanent residents, from underrepresented groups
The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) at Rutgers University is a six-week enrichment program where you explore careers in medicine, dentistry, nursing, and pharmacy. The program combines two weeks of virtual learning with four weeks on campus in Newark, NJ. You take part in classroom instruction in basic sciences, health systems, and clinical reasoning, and join simulation labs and hands-on activities in patient care, pharmacy practice, and nursing procedures. You also focus on interprofessional collaboration, cultural competency, and health equity, and gain exposure to health policy, community partnerships, and population health.
Location: Branchburg, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship
Application Deadline: Unspecified. More info here
Program Dates: Summer (exact dates unspecified). More info here
Eligibility: Undergraduates in biomedical engineering, molecular biology, or related fields.
AbbVie Tissue Material Sciences Intern is a summer research position focused on the development and evaluation of implantable biomaterials used in medical devices, particularly within the Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. If you’re selected, you’ll work under the supervision of a senior scientist to support in vitro model development using cell-based or tissue explant systems, and you may also assist with in vivo studies that examine biomaterial and tissue interactions. Your responsibilities will include designing experiments, executing protocols, and reporting assay data. You’ll apply biological and engineering principles to help develop new preclinical assays that assess the performance of medical aesthetic products.
Location: Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Brunswick, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Unspecified
Application Deadline: Varies; typically early spring
Program Dates: 10 weeks, June through August
Eligibility: College students interested in clinical oncology research
The Rutgers Cancer Institute Summer Clinical Research Internship Program is a 10-week research experience where you explore clinical oncology. You work with faculty and research staff on cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment trials, learning research workflows and protocols. You spend at least 24 hours per week on site in Newark, NJ, with some virtual work possible after orientation. You focus on cancer biology, clinical trial design, patient recruitment, data collection, and outcomes research. You present your findings at the closing ceremony.
Location: Overlook Medical Center, Summit, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Administrative cost of $500 to retain a space in the program. Fully refunded if the student has two or fewer absences.
Application Deadline: January 15 (tentative, based on previous year’s schedule)
Program Dates: June 3 — 26 (tentative, based on previous year’s schedule)
Eligibility: College students who have completed at least two years of undergraduate study
The Overlook Summer Internship Program (OSIP) at Atlantic Health System is a four-week clinical shadowing experience where you explore medicine as a college student in New Jersey. You rotate through operating rooms, emergency departments, inpatient floors, physician offices, and clinical meetings. Each day starts with a breakfast discussion led by a healthcare professional about medical specialties, followed by shadowing your assigned mentor. Fridays include half-day mentorships and a group lunch to reflect on your experiences and share insights with peers.
Location: VA New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, and multiple NJ locations
Cost/Stipend: Unspecified; includes paid and unpaid opportunities
Application Deadline: Varies by program
Program Dates: Varies
Eligibility: College, university, and postgraduate students in health-related fields
VA NJ Health Care offers a wide range of internships and fellowships for students aiming for careers in healthcare professions such as nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, psychology, social work, and others. Interns train in clinical and administrative healthcare environments, often in partnership with New Jersey colleges, including Rutgers and others. Several training programs include residencies and fellowships for different health disciplines.
Location: Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Tuition-based (financial aid may be available)
Application Deadline: Not specified. More info here
Program Dates: Not specified. More info here
Eligibility: PMPDPP scholars (pre-medical, pre-dental, and related pipeline participants)
The M.E.D.I.C.A.L Summer Academy at Seton Hall University is a program for students in the Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Plus Program (PMPDPP) that helps you prepare for future studies in medicine, dentistry, and science. The academy starts with a family orientation and then moves into college-level science and math courses, personalized advising, and access to campus resources. You build skills in study habits, time management, and academic support, learn how to use campus technologies, and connect with peers and mentors. You also reflect on your long-term goals in healthcare while getting early exposure to the demands of pre-health pathways.
Location: Available in the U.S. and internationally
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded/paid
Application Deadline: December
Program Dates: 8–12 weeks (summer)
Eligibility: Princeton undergraduates; open to first-year students, sophomores, and juniors
The Internships in Global Health at Princeton’s Center for Health and Wellbeing are fully funded summer programs where you explore global health and infectious disease. Lasting 8 to 12 weeks, the internships take place in the U.S. and abroad. You work on projects in fields like social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and humanities, using lab work, data analysis, field research, or design studies. Past interns have worked at places like Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Fiocruz, Mpala Research Centre, and the International Federation of Red Cross.
Location: Ewing, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Varies by placement; some credit-bearing and paid
Application Deadline: Varies based on position. More info here
Program Dates: Academic year and summer
Eligibility: TCNJ undergraduates in biological or health sciences
The School of Science at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) offers internships where you gain experience in medical, biomedical, and public health fields as an undergraduate. You can work in clinical or research settings, with placements at institutions such as the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, NIH, Weill Cornell, Yale School of Medicine, and the Coriell Institute for Medical Research. Your role may involve clinical shadowing, lab research, public health outreach, data analysis, environmental studies, or molecular biology projects. Some internships are credit-bearing, while others may be paid, volunteer-based, or part of REU programs.
Location: Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Unspecified; may vary with placement
Application Deadline: Rolling based on internship availability
Program Dates: Spring Interns: October 1 — 31 | Summer/Fall Interns: February 1 — 28
Eligibility: Rutgers undergraduates in kinesiology or health-related majors
The Rutgers Department of Kinesiology and Health offers internships for undergraduates in Exercise Science and Sport Management. You might find yourself observing physical therapy sessions, helping plan community wellness programs, or supporting health education outreach. These internships are designed to help you apply what you’ve learned in class to real-world settings, whether that’s in a hospital, rehab center, corporate wellness office, or public health initiative. You’ll work with the department to make sure your internship aligns with your academic credit requirements and long-term career goals.
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Paid; research budget provided
Application Deadline: February
Program Dates: 9 weeks (summer)
Eligibility: Princeton undergraduates and non-Princeton undergraduates; rising sophomores through rising seniors
The Bioengineering Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (BE-SURE) at Princeton University is a nine-week residential program where you explore the intersection of engineering and life sciences. You work on faculty-mentored research projects in areas like synthetic biology, biomedical imaging, tissue engineering, computational biology, biomechanics, molecular biology, and systems biology. You also receive training in scientific communication, visit industry sites, and tour the Princeton Innovation Center Biolabs.
Location: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Stipend for select (mainly 1st/2nd year med students); unpaid internships/volunteer for undergraduates in the BS/MD program
Application Deadline: Not specified. More info here.
Program Dates: 8 weeks, early June to late July ( Kickoff: June 11)
Eligibility: First/second year medical students at NJMS or undergraduates in the combined BS/MD program. Applicants must be in good academic standing and should not hold other research or academic commitments during the program.
The Rutgers NJMS Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ, is an eight-week, full-time research experience where you work under faculty guidance in clinical or laboratory research. You explore subjects like cancer biology, cardiovascular research, infectious diseases, neuroscience, public health, surgery outcomes, emergency medicine, pediatrics, pharmacology, and biomedical imaging. You complete research ethics training, lab safety certification, and develop skills in abstract writing and creating PowerPoint presentations for the closing ceremony. Weekly check-ins with mentors guide the program.
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!
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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