Medical Internships for High School Students – Overview
If you are planning to make a career in medicine, it is recommended that you try a few medical internships before plunging into the industry. Most high school students aspiring to be doctors or nurses go into medicine only to change their major during college when the coursework becomes too difficult.
However, medical school is still challenging. It will take a lot of your time and money, so it makes sense to try an internship in the industry before deciding to make a career in it.
What Is a Medical Internship
Medical Internships for High School Students – What Is a Medical Internship?
A medical internship, as commonly understood in the context of medical training, does not apply to high school students. The term might refer to informal or pre-medical internships designed to provide exposure to the medical field for those still in their secondary education.
Internships are excellent for gaining experience in a lab, gaining hands-on clinical experience, conducting trials, and more. In addition, the internship is an excellent opportunity to learn how things work in different medical and healthcare settings, such as in clinics, hospitals, universities, and research facilities.
For high school students, medical internships are a period of training and apprenticeship with medical experts that helps them to understand what to expect in medical school.
As a medical intern, you can work in hospitals, rotating between different departments and gaining knowledge of different medical specialties.
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) oversees graduate medical education programs and residents, including those in their first postgraduate year (PGY-1). However, this does not directly relate to high school internships, as ACGME accreditation applies to post-medical school training.
High school students participating in medical internships typically do not receive a salary, especially not one comparable to that of medical interns post-medical school to which the salary described pertains. These experiences are usually educational and unpaid.
While college internships might last a semester or quarter, high school medical internships often have more varied durations, ranging from a few days to several weeks, and do not necessarily follow the academic semester pattern.
Top 3 Medical Internship Programs for High School Students
To help you make the best decision and determine if a career in medicine is right for you, we have listed the top medical internship programs for high school students:
1 – Medical Immersion Summer Academy (MISA)
At the Medical Immersion Summer Academy, you will learn about healthcare through hands-on skill training in taking vital signs, splinting, CPR, ECG and sutures. In addition, this internship opportunity allows students to participate in VIP luncheons with healthcare professionals. Student interns are also trained in monitoring, observing, and clinical immersion.
This is a five-day internship program in which students from grades 9 through 12 (residents of the Bay Area) can pay US$900 and participate in medical activities.
Visit its official website to learn more about MISA and its incredible medical internship opportunities.
2 – National Conference for Student Leadership in Medicine and Health Care
The National Student Learning Council (NSLC) offers high school students an opportunity to learn about controversial health and medicine topics, including present healthcare challenges, and also has exceptional facilities for scientific research in cancer, HIV/AIDS, etc.
This medical internship program is offered in different medical schools and universities across the country, including in:
- Georgia Tech
- American University
- Northwestern University
- Harvard Medical School
- UC Berkley
- Rice University
- University of Miami
- Vanderbilt University
- University of Washington
Under this student medical internship program, you will perform clinical rounds and learn medical examination, surgical techniques, diagnosis, and medication. Once you complete this program, you will also have the opportunity to take an online college credit course offered by American University faculty.
To know more about this medical internship program for high school students, we recommend you to visit the official website.
3 – Penn Medicine Summer Program for High School Students
The Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine offers a 4-week internship opportunity to high school students from the highly acclaimed Penn faculty. You will have lectures and interactive lab sessions to learn the most important topics in medicine and healthcare, such as emergency medicine, transplant surgery, resuscitation science, cancer treatment, kidney disease, and sports medicine.
During the internship, you will also participate in virtual and simulated hands-on experiences at the Penn Clinical Simulation Center and other places. If you are a junior or senior in high school, you can easily join this medical internship program for high school students at US$ 7,995.
To learn more details about this medical internship program by Penn Medicine, you can visit its official website.
Conclusion
These are the top 3 medical internships for high school students in the US. Suppose you aspire to be a doctor or a professional in the healthcare and medical industry. It is highly advised that you take up an internship for high school students before making a firm decision about your career.
If you find the internship material and experience interesting, you can plan a career in medicine by getting admission into an accredited medical school.
See Also
Best Medical Schools in the US
First Generation College Student Grants
Student Loan Forgiveness for Healthcare Workers
Grants for Medical Students in the UK
Research Grants for Medical Students
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