Medical Internship for High School Students – Overview
If you are planning to make a career in medicine, then it is recommended to try a few medical internships before plunging into the industry. In fact, most high school students aspiring to be doctors or nurses go into medicine only to change their major during a college semester when the coursework becomes too difficult.
However, medical school is still challenging. It will definitely take a whole lot of your time and money, so it makes sense to try out 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 is the first year of training after you graduate from medical school. It is also called the first year of residency, or PGY-1 (post-graduate year-1), with the following years called PGY-2, PGY-3, etc.
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, where you can rotate between different departments and gain knowledge of different medical specialties.
Besides this, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Students (ACGME), certifying graduate medical training programs, now considers interns PGY-1 students.
As a medical intern student working in a hospital, you will receive a modest salary of around US$ 35,000 per year. This is sponsored by the government department of health and human services, mainly Medicare.
Usually, an internship program can last for a semester or quarter at an academic institution. Hence, on average, many universities use a semester pattern that lasts between 14 to 16 weeks.
Top 3 Medical Internship Programs for High School Students in 2023
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 in 2023:
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 also get trained in monitoring, observing and clinical immersion.
This is a 5-day long internship program where students from grades 9 through 12 (residents of the Bay Area) can pay US$ 900 and join as medical interns.
Visit its official website to learn more about MISA and the 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
- UCLA 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. You also get an opportunity to take an online college credit course offered by American University faculty once you complete this program.
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 junior or senior in high school, you can easily join this medical internship program for high school students at the cost of 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 in 2023. Suppose you aspire to be a doctor or a professional in the healthcare and medical industry, then 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, then you can plan a career in medical school by getting admission into an accredited medical school.
References
https://mycollegeguide.org/medical-internships-for-high-school-students/
https://ausoma.org/upcoming-events/
https://www.projects-abroad.org/medical-internships-high-school-students/
See Also
Best Medical Schools in the US
First Generation College Student Grants
Student Loan Forgiveness for Healthcare Workers
Grants for Medical Students in UK
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