15 Paid Hospital Internships for College Students
- Stephen Turban
- 2 hours ago
- 12 min read
Healthcare is one of those fields where observation alone can teach you a lot. For college students, hospital internships provide early access to real systems, real challenges, and real responsibilities.
Hospitals often offer internships for college students to take part in ongoing work across different departments. You may assist teams, observe workflows, and get involved in day-to-day operations, which helps you understand how care, coordination, and decision-making come together inside a hospital.
Why should I participate in a paid hospital internship in college?
Compared to internships hosted by colleges or other organizations, hospitals give you a more direct connection to healthcare work. You are placed closer to real environments where decisions are made and processes are carried out, which makes your learning more practical.
Along with that, paid internships make it financially easier to commit your time and effort. This combination of experience and support helps you build a stronger resume and gives you clear, relevant examples that can give you an edge in future job roles and interviews.
With that, here are 15 paid hospital internships for college students!
If you're looking for more prestigious internships, check out this set of blogs!
Location: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Stipend: Based on educational level, varies between $3,010–$3,310/per month for undergraduates
Dates: June 15 - August 7
Application Deadline: February 18
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents currently enrolled in college, graduate school, or a health professional school. Must be 18 by September 30 of the program year.
The NIH Clinical Center Summer Internship Program places approximately 40 selected students per year within America's largest research hospital, a 200-bed facility dedicated to clinical research on the NIH campus. You will work alongside researchers and health professionals in areas such as bioethics, translational biobehavioral research, laboratory medicine, nursing, pharmacy, rehabilitation medicine, radiology and imaging sciences, and perioperative medicine, among others. The program is structured around a research assignment with a faculty Principal Investigator, meaning you will conduct or directly support substantive work, not observational rotation alone. You will also participate in NIH Summer Poster Day and attend lectures delivered by NIH investigators, providing structured exposure to current research across the broader NIH enterprise.
Location: Jacksonville, FL, Scottsdale/Phoenix, AZ, or Rochester, MN
Stipend: $3,000
Dates: May 26 - July 31
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Currently enrolled in or a recent graduate (within 13 months) of an accredited U.S. college or university pursuing pre-health, science, or related fields. Must be 18+, have a GPA of 3.5+, and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
CRISP is a 10-week paid clinical research internship offered by Mayo Clinic - one of the nation's top-ranked hospital systems - at three of its campus locations. You will be paired with a faculty mentor who is actively engaged as a Mayo Clinic clinician-researcher, working at least 20 hours a week with them on a clinical research project. At the conclusion of the program, you will present your work at a mandatory poster symposium, providing formal experience with scientific communication. In past years, select CRISP projects have gone on to publication in peer-reviewed journals or presentation at national conferences, making this a strong credential for medical school applications. You will also have access to orientation programming, cohort activities, and resources across Mayo Clinic's nationally recognized facilities.
Location: Cleveland, OH
Stipend: Paid
Dates: 10 weeks in the summer (Typically June to July)
Application Deadline: December 31
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors at any accredited undergraduate institution
Cleveland Clinic's LiH Program is a competitive undergraduate administrative internship designed for students with a serious interest in healthcare leadership and operations. You will be assigned to clinical and non-clinical departments across the Cleveland Clinic enterprise, working with a dedicated sponsor who will help identify and shape projects that match your interests and professional goals. The program uses a cohort model, meaning you will network and collaborate with fellow interns throughout the summer, building peer connections alongside your institutional ones. Programming includes professional development workshops, leadership sessions, networking events, and clinical shadowing opportunities, giving you exposure to the intersection of patient care and organizational management.
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Stipend: $3,000 - $5,750, depending on division
Dates: May 24 – August 1
Application Deadline: Varies by division
Eligibility: U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are current undergraduates. Must have completed at least one semester of general chemistry and biology and have a GPA of 3.0+
The Johns Hopkins Medicine Summer Internship Program is an umbrella of multiple research divisions, covering areas from cancer genomics and nanotechnology to immunology, neuroscience, kidney science, health disparities, and computational medicine. You will be matched with a faculty or research mentor, assigned your own lab project, and expected to perform full-time research work, similar to a first-year graduate student rotation. You will receive papers related to your project before arrival and will engage in weekly lab or team meetings to discuss research progress and developments. Many SIP participants go on to present their summer research at national conferences such as ABRCMS and SACNAS.
Location: Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
Stipend: $5,000
Dates: June 1 - July 24
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Undergraduate rising seniors, seniors, pre-med students, or first-year medical students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and have a strong interest in pursuing advanced careers in research science, medicine, or public health
The Rising Stars in Science and Medicine Program is offered by Mass General Brigham - the largest Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and the top NIH-funded academic medical center in the country. Over eight weeks, you will conduct hands-on basic, clinical, or translational research in labs across Mass General Brigham hospitals under the mentorship of Harvard Medical School faculty and senior researchers. In addition to laboratory work, the program includes professional and career development workshops on topics such as MD/PhD program pathways, medical school admissions, health policy, interviewing, and scientific writing.
Location: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Philadelphia, PA
Stipend: $5,000
Dates: June 1 - August 7
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Full-time sophomores, juniors, and seniors at accredited four-year U.S. colleges or universities with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3. Must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents
CRISSP places you in a pediatric research setting where you work full-time with a research team. You are assigned a project and spend your time learning research methods, handling data, and contributing to ongoing work. The program includes weekly sessions where faculty discuss topics like mentorship and research planning. You also create an Individual Development Plan to track your progress. Clinical shadowing is available alongside research work. The experience combines lab work with structured guidance.
Location: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA
Stipend: $7,000, as well as up to $500 travel reimbursement
Dates: June 1 - August 7
Application Deadline: Applications reviewed through February and notifications sent in March. Keep an eye on the website for next year’s deadlines.
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents who have completed at least one year of college by program start and have an anticipated graduation after the program end date
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, this NSF REU program at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) provides 10 weeks of funded undergraduate research in pediatric injury prevention. CIRP is a multidisciplinary center known for applying engineering, behavioral science, epidemiology, and data science to developing real-world interventions in areas like child passenger safety and sports-related concussion. You will receive one-on-one mentorship from senior researchers and peer mentors, engage in hands-on work building the scientific evidence base for prevention programs, and gain experience with IRB protocols, data analysis, and scientific writing.
Location: Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA
Stipend: $7,100 + $400 food supplement
Dates: June 15 - August 14
Application Deadline: January 2
Eligibility: Currently enrolled students at an undergraduate, community, or technical college who are at least 18 years old by the program start date, and not graduating before or during the program. Must have a U.S. Social Security Number or ITIN
The Seattle Children's Research Institute Summer Scholars Program is a nine-week paid research internship that immerses undergraduate students in basic, clinical, community-based, or translational research in pediatric health. You will be matched with a faculty mentor whose research aligns with your stated interests and will spend approximately 35 hours per week engaged in authentic research activities as part of an active research team. An additional five hours per week is allocated to a structured curriculum covering responsible conduct of research, ethics, career planning, and contemporary issues in biomedical science. The program culminates in a poster symposium at which every scholar publishes an abstract and presents their research to the Seattle Children's community.
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (University of Texas Medical Center)
Stipend: Up to $7,200
Dates: June 1 - August 7
Application Deadline: January 14
Eligibility: Varies by specific CATALYST track. The flagship undergraduate track (Summer Program in Cancer Research / CPRIT CURE) requires enrollment in a bachelor's degree program or higher during both the spring and fall semesters of the program year and is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
The CATALYST umbrella comprises more than 21 distinct undergraduate, graduate, and medical student summer programs at MD Anderson Cancer Center, the nation's top-ranked cancer hospital, hosted within the world's largest medical center. Depending on the track you select, you will conduct hands-on laboratory research or clinical/translational work in areas including cancer biology, immunology, cancer prevention, anesthesiology and pain medicine, epidemiology, or surgical innovation, with approximately 85% of your time dedicated to a faculty-mentored research project. The remaining 15% is devoted to academic programming, career development, a Cancer Biology Bootcamp at the start of the program, and a mandatory poster symposium at the end. All CATALYST trainees receive access to the same umbrella-wide programming, including scientific lectures, seminars, and networking events, creating a community of more than 100 student-researchers across dozens of specialties. You will submit a research abstract included in the CATALYST Summer Program abstract book, and prior participants have co-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Stipend: $6,500
Dates: June 1 - August 7
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Undergraduate rising juniors or seniors enrolled in an accredited college or university, with both domestic and international students being considered. Must have a GPA of 3.0+, completed college-level general biology and introductory chemistry, and not be graduating before December of the program year
MBSP is a selective 10-week program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, one of the country's foremost cancer research institutions, for students who want experience in fundamental biological research. The program enrolls only 10 interns per year, making it among the most selective on this list and ensuring a highly personalized mentorship experience. You will be assigned an independent research project in areas such as developmental biology, immunology, structural biology, molecular biology, cell biology, or cancer biology, working under the direct supervision of MSK faculty. The program concludes with a poster presentation of your independent project at the summer research symposium.
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Stipend: $6,500
Dates: June 1 - August 7
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Undergraduate rising juniors or seniors enrolled in an accredited college or university, with both domestic and international students being considered. Must have a GPA of 3.0+, completed courses in general biology and chemistry, and taken some advanced science courses, and not be graduating before December of the program year
The Immunology Research Summer Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering is a 10-week research experience that brings together a small cohort of undergraduate students focused on immunology and cancer biology. You will work in cutting-edge laboratories alongside faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students, adapting immunobiology skills to answer biomedically relevant research questions in oncology. In addition to laboratory work, you will attend a faculty luncheon and seminar series, giving you direct exposure to the research and perspectives of MSK's world-leading oncology scientists. Because of the program's small cohort size, you will receive a degree of individualized mentorship and faculty access that larger programs typically cannot offer.
Location: Stanford Health Care, Palo Alto, CA
Stipend: Starting at $26.12/hour
Dates: 8, 10, or 12 weeks long, with multiple start dates available to fit academic schedules
Application Deadline: January 30
Eligibility: Undergraduate students, open to all majors with an interest in healthcare operations and leadership
Stanford Health Care's Administrative Summer Internship gives undergraduate students direct access to the operational and administrative infrastructure of one of the nation's most prominent academic medical centers. You will be matched to a department within Stanford Health Care, where a preceptor will guide your day-to-day work on real departmental projects and initiatives. Typical work involves data gathering for organizational initiatives, synthesizing qualitative and quantitative findings, drafting project deliverables, interfacing with clinicians and staff, and presenting results to internal audiences. Dedicated program time is set aside for professional development seminars with senior thought leaders, networking events, career development sessions, and social activities with your intern cohort.
Location: NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
Stipend: $5,000
Dates: May 31 - August 1
Application Deadline: Applications open in late fall; deadline is February 2 (5:00 PM ET); notifications sent in mid-March
Eligibility: U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have completed their sophomore or junior year of college but are not graduating in the spring or summer of the program year
SURP at NYU Grossman School of Medicine is a rigorous 10-week biomedical research program that places approximately 30 undergraduate students each year in faculty research laboratories across NYU Langone Health. You will be matched to a laboratory aligned with your preferred research area and will conduct hands-on research under the direct supervision of a faculty mentor, spending the majority of each week in the lab. Weekly "Conversations with a Scientist/Physician" lunch sessions, journal clubs, and a Wednesday seminar series give you structured access to faculty across specialties. At the end of the summer, you will have the opportunity to present at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium (LANS) and participate in a poster presentation for the NYU Langone research community. Available research disciplines include biostatistics, epidemiology, computational biomedicine, molecular biophysics, stem cell biology, and more.
Location: Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Stipend: $5,000
Dates: June 15 - August 21
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Currently enrolled sophomore or junior undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The Stanford LCGM Summer Internship is a paid research experience hosted within the Laboratory for Cell and Gene Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, and has you work on an assigned research project with laboratory faculty and staff, gaining hands-on experience in cell and gene therapy research. The program provides mentorship from Stanford researchers engaged in translational and clinical science, with a focus on the development of novel therapeutics that move from laboratory discovery to clinical trials. At the close of the program, you will present your findings in a format determined in collaboration with your mentor. Stanford University School of Medicine's placement within Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital provides access to a clinical and scientific community with significant reach in both academia and biotech.
Location: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Stipend: $4,500
Dates: June 8 - July 31
Application Deadline: January 9
Eligibility: Current undergraduate or graduate students who will still be enrolled in the fall of the program year. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, including first-generation college students, those who have experienced homelessness or the foster care system, prior Pell Grant recipients, and those from rural areas, are strongly encouraged to apply.
This internship, offered through Mass General Brigham's Disparities Solutions Center and associated labs, is an eight-week in-person biomedical research experience at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. You will be matched with a faculty mentor for a wet lab or dry lab research project, with 100% in-person participation required for wet lab work and a possible hybrid arrangement for dry lab or computational projects. The program is designed to serve students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have a genuine interest in biomedical research, and provides access to professional development programming, research mentorship, and the institutional resources of a hospital system with broad integration into Harvard Medical School's research network.
One more option – Ladder University Internships
Ladder University Internship Program is a selective, virtual internship program where you work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup. Apply now!
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 graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics. 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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