High school summers can be a valuable time to explore healthcare before university. Medical internships in NYC for high school students give you early exposure to clinical settings, research environments, and professional mentorship, helping you clarify your interests, build confidence, and strengthen future applications.

Imagine standing inside world-class hospitals, observing medical professionals, or assisting with clinical laboratory research. These experiences can combine rigorous clinical observation with structured field trips to simulation centres across Manhattan, giving you practical insight into healthcare beyond the classroom.

Collaborating with ambitious peers can also sharpen your communication skills. You may analyse complex patient case studies, solve medical data puzzles, and learn how a fast-paced urban emergency room operates each day.

What kinds of medical internships are available in NYC for high school students?

High school students in New York City have access to a wide variety of medical internships and pipeline programs designed to give them early exposure to the healthcare field. 

Students more interested in the science behind medicine can also find lab-based summer research internships at local universities and research institutes, where they assist with basic medical science projects or data collection. Whether a student is looking to gain hands-on clinical exposure, explore hospital administration, or dive deep into scientific research, the city’s vibrant medical community offers incredible opportunities to help them figure out if a career in medicine is the right fit.

To simplify your search, we’ve compiled a list of 15 medical internships in NYC for high school students. I picked every included program based on its hospital partnerships, mentor availability, and student safety records.

For related opportunities, consider the online medicine program.

Key takeaways

• Rockefeller University’s Summer Science Research Program admits only 32 students annually with a 3 to 10 percent acceptance rate, and international students may apply though visa assistance is not provided.
• Immerse Education’s Medicine Summer Internship runs two weeks and is open to high school students worldwide aged 15 to 18, with rolling admissions across multiple summer cohorts.
• Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Summer Student Program pays a $1,200 stipend but has roughly a 2 percent acceptance rate and restricts eligibility to residents of New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut within 25 miles of MSK’s main campus.
• BEYOND ALBERT at Montefiore Einstein pays a $2,500 stipend plus a daily meal voucher and Metro OMNY card, but is limited to Bronx residents entering 11th or 12th grade.
• Weill Cornell Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics Summer Internship is open to international students who hold independent work or student visa authorization, making it a rare exception among NYC clinical internships.
• CUNY School of Medicine’s Health Professions Mentorship Program runs an 18-month structured arc with no stipend, guiding students from the end of sophomore year through junior year.
• Maimonides Health Scholars Program places volunteers directly inside Brooklyn’s busiest hospital emergency department, which treats over 120,000 patients a year, on a rolling admissions basis with no stipend.
• Nearly every medical internship in NYC restricts eligibility to NYC or tri-state residents with US work authorization, with Weill Cornell Pediatrics and Immerse Education’s Medicine Summer Internship standing out as the main options open to international students.

15 Medical Internships in NYC for High School Students

1. Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)

Location: Rockefeller University, Upper East Side, New York, NY
Stipend: Transit cards are provided, and need-based stipends may be awarded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 3%-10% (est.); 32 students per year
Dates: June 22nd – August 6th
Application Deadline: January 2nd
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors at least 16 years old by program start; international students are welcome to apply, but visa assistance is not provided

SSRP is a full-time, seven-week team-based research experience at Rockefeller University, where you join a cohort of 32 scholars working in dedicated RockEDU teaching laboratories. Research teams are led by scientist-mentors from the Tri-Institutions: Rockefeller, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Weill Cornell Medicine, and mirror the structure of a real laboratory.

Over the program, you define a research question, collect and analyze data, and present your findings at a final end-of-program symposium. Guest lectures, elective courses, workshops, and networking events round out the seven weeks.

Why it stands out: It places high schoolers inside one of the world’s leading biomedical research universities, working alongside actual scientist-mentors from Rockefeller, MSK, and Weill Cornell for a full seven weeks.

2. Immerse Education’s New York Medicine Summer School

Location: Barnard College, Columbia University, New York
Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: High school students across the globe aged 15-18

Immerse Education’s Medicine Career Insights Program is one of the most career-focused medical internships in NYC for high school students, letting you explore healthcare pathways in major global industry hubs. You’ll participate in hands-on medical simulations, attend engaging classes, and take part in critical discussions. You’ll receive guidance from experienced medical professionals and gain both clinical and critical thinking skills. You’ll not only gain theoretical knowledge about a medical career but also understand the development of treatment plans.

Participants engage in project-based learning with established companies, attend interactive workshops, and visit offices, factories, and headquarters. The program also includes in-person weekly 1:1 career coaching sessions and sessions where you will receive personalized feedback on your resume and overall profile. You’ll also present your findings to industry experts at the end of the program. At the conclusion of the program, you’ll receive a certificate. You can find more details about the application here!

Why it stands out: You’ll explore university-level concepts in fields like medicine and psychology, giving you early exposure to the academic pathways behind real careers.

3. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE)

Location: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; cohort size not specified
Dates: July 6th – August 14th
Application Deadline: February 1st
Eligibility: New York City high school students from grades 9 through 12; some tracks specifically require students to be upperclassmen (rising juniors or seniors); primarily for students from underrepresented or economically disadvantaged backgrounds; not open to international students

The Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE) is a dedicated unit within the Mount Sinai Health System designed to prepare youth (from 7th grade through college) for careers in STEM and healthcare. Its primary mission is to foster a “scientist identity” in students by providing early, rigorous exposure to the biomedical fields.

Summer offerings include the Medical and Scientific Exploration Program (MSEP), which introduces students to careers across Oncology, Neuroscience, Cardiology, and Pediatrics through weekly sessions with Mount Sinai specialists. Year-round options add the Lloyd Sherman Biomedical Enrichment Program, a multi-year after-school research immersion for juniors and seniors at partner schools.

Why it stands out: It’s one of the nation’s longest-running youth STEM programs, giving NYC students years of access to Mount Sinai’s faculty and labs. 

4. Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia (BRAINYAC)

Location: Columbia University Zuckerman Institute, New York, NY
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; around 20 students per year
Dates: Summer, June – August
Application Deadline: Typically, fall
Eligibility: NYC students in grades 10 and 11 enrolled in partner programs such as S-PREP, BioBus, Lang Youth Medical, Columbia Secondary School, or Double Discovery Center; not open to international students

BRAINYAC is a neuroscience research apprenticeship at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute, open to NYC high schoolers nominated from a set of partner programs in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Each student is matched with a Columbia neuroscientist and spends the summer in a research lab, progressing from foundational techniques, such as microscopy, pipetting, dissection, experimental coding, and neuroethics, to an original research project.

Weekly Thursday class sessions deepen your science knowledge, and the program culminates in a poster symposium at the Zuckerman Institute and a STEM event at the American Museum of Natural History. 

Why it stands out: It gives NYC high schoolers a full-semester neuroscience mentorship inside Columbia’s research institute, with the possibility of returning as a paid fellow in future years.

5. NYU Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE)

Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York, NY
Stipend: $2,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~60 students
Dates: June 1st – August 14th
Application Deadline: February 27th
Eligibility: NYC public high school students currently in 10th or 11th grade who live and attend school in New York City; not open to international students

ARISE is a fully funded, 10-week STEM research program at NYU Tandon that combines remote skill-building workshops with full-time placement in an NYU research lab. The first four weeks, held as remote evening sessions, cover research fundamentals, lab safety, and academic writing.

For the following six weeks, you work in an interdisciplinary lab on topics ranging from bioengineering and robotics to artificial intelligence and machine learning, mentored by NYU faculty. Public speaking workshops, resume-building sessions, and a final Colloquium and American Museum of Natural History Poster Symposium close out the program.

Why it stands out: Ten weeks of funded research; the first phase remote, the second in a real NYU lab; plus a $2,000 stipend and a public symposium make it one of the most structured free STEM internships available to NYC students.

6. Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Pediatrics Summer Internship

Location: Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY (select projects are fully remote)
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~20 interns
Dates: June 1st – August 7th
Application Deadline: January 5th
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (undergraduates and medical students also eligible); open to international students if they possess independent work or student visa authorization

Weill Cornell’s Department of Pediatrics places interns in speciality divisions, including behavioral health, neonatal virus immunology, nephrology, and child health advocacy, for either a six-week or ten-week summer. Among medical internships in NYC for high school students, this option gives you a closer look at paediatric medicine through faculty mentorship, data collection, literature reviews, clinical rounds, and provider shadowing.

A fully remote advocacy internship option lets interns contribute to pediatric health policy writing and public health communications without commuting. The programme especially aims to broaden access for students from underrepresented or underserved communities.

Why it stands out: Rather than rotating generically, you embed inside one specific clinical specialty, from epilepsy research to health policy, giving a much closer look at how one area of pediatric medicine actually works.

7. BEYOND ALBERT High School Research Program; Montefiore Einstein

Location: Albert Einstein College of Medicine / Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bronx, New York, NY
Stipend: $2,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~20 students
Dates: Eight weeks, late June through August; academic-year component runs September through May
Application Deadline: January 12th
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors at least 16 years old attending high school in the Bronx; not open to international students

BEYOND ALBERT is a paid, full-time summer research program for Bronx high school students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, set inside one of the city’s leading cancer research centers. You work in a faculty research lab progressing from foundational lab techniques to an original project, while attending biomedical education sessions and workshops with Cancer Center scientists, postdoctoral researchers, and students.

A standout benefit is the $2,500 stipend, daily meal voucher, Metro OMNY card, and up to three college credits through Lehman College Now; all at no cost to participants. Weekly sessions from September through May extend the mentorship into the academic year.

Why it stands out: Among NYC high school research programs, it offers one of the most generous support packages: a paid stipend, college credits, and transportation covered, for students from the Bronx.

8. SUNY Downstate Brooklyn Scholar Athlete with Academic Goals (BK-SWAG)

Location: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, NY
Stipend: $1,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; ~19 students
Dates: June 29th – July 24th
Application Deadline: February 8th
Eligibility: High school students (preference for sophomores, juniors, and seniors); not open to international students

BK-SWAG is a SUNY Downstate programme connecting student-athletes and students with a passion for sports to careers in healthcare, run through the Office for Institutional Equity at Brooklyn’s only academic medical center. Over the programme, you meet with healthcare leaders across sports-related specialties, attend workshops on health disparities and sports medicine, and receive academic support, guidance, and mentorship.

Every participant earns a free CPR certification and gains a clearer picture of pathways such as athletic training, physical therapy, nursing, and sports psychology. 

Why it stands out: It’s the only NYC academic medical center programme specifically designed for the intersection of sports and healthcare, making it a natural fit for student-athletes considering clinical careers.

9. CUNY School of Medicine Health Professions Mentorship Program (HPMP)

Location: CUNY School of Medicine (Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education), New York, NY
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not publicly specified
Dates: 18-month program; two four-week summer sessions held after sophomore and junior years of high school; monthly Saturday seminars during the academic year
Application Deadline: April 13th
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors; not open to international students

HPMP is a structured 18-month mentorship initiative at the CUNY School of Medicine that guides NYC students from the end of their sophomore year through their junior year. Each summer, you attend a four-week session offering early exposure to a wide range of health science pathways, including medicine, nursing, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy, public health, and biomedical research.

Monthly Saturday seminars connect you with faculty and medical student mentors for expert presentations, group seminars, and collaborative problem-solving. A core component of the program is a community-based project where students identify actual public health challenges facing NYC communities and work together to develop practical solutions.

Why it stands out: Its 18-month arc and focus on a collaborative community health project give students a deeply structured foundation in the social and economic determinants of health, preparing them for a wide variety of clinical and research careers.

10. Memorial Sloan Kettering Summer Student Program (SSP)

Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Upper East Side, New York, NY
Stipend: $1,200
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 2% acceptance rate; ~20 students
Dates: June 29th – August 21st
Application Deadline: February 6th
Eligibility: Current high school juniors (11th grade); at least 14 years old by June; 3.5+ GPA in science subjects; must live in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut within 25 miles of MSK’s main campus; must be legally authorized to work in the United States; not open to international students

MSK’s Summer Student Program embeds 20 high school juniors in eight-week biomedical or computational lab-based research at one of the world’s leading cancer centers. Each intern works on a self-directed project supporting their Principal Investigator’s research in fields such as cancer biology, genomics, chemical biology, and immuno-oncology, guided by a dedicated mentor.

Lab meetings, journal clubs, and program-wide sessions expose you to the broader MSK scientific community. Professional-development events hosted by MSK departments round out the eight-week translational medicine experience.

Why it stands out: With a 2% acceptance rate and placement in active cancer-research labs, it’s the most selective high-school lab internship in the NYC biomedical ecosystem.

11. Maimonides Health Scholars Program

Location: Maimonides Medical Center Emergency Department, Brooklyn, New York, NY
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: Fall: September 7th – January 10th; Winter: January 11th – April 4th; Spring: April 5th – June 27th; Summer: June 28th – September 5th
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students 16 years of age and older, college students, and post-baccalaureate students; not open to international students

The Health Scholars Program is one of the most direct medical internships in NYC for high school students interested in emergency medicine. It places high school students in the Emergency Department of Brooklyn’s busiest hospital, Maimonides Medical Center, which treats over 120,000 patients a year, as volunteer team members.

Over three months, you rotate through the adult and pediatric Emergency Department, speaking with patients, clarifying their needs, and helping them feel supported in a high-pressure environment. Optional training sessions introduce you to suturing on simulator skin and CPR on medical models, and weekly virtual sessions feature presentations from healthcare professionals. At the end, you submit a capstone reflection on your ED rotation.

Why it stands out: It puts you on the floor of an active, high-volume Emergency Department rather than a classroom or lab, giving an unfiltered look at emergency medicine from the very start.

12. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – Bridge to Biostats Summer Program (B2BSP) 

Location: Midtown Manhattan, New York City
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; specific cohort size not officially published
Dates: June 29th – August 14th
Application Deadline: February 20th
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores to rising seniors; New York City residents attending school in NYC; not open to international students

In this program, you explore how data science and statistics drive modern medicine and cancer research. You learn the fundamentals of statistics and gain beginner training in R programming, then apply those skills directly to a cancer data analysis project that you present to an audience. Throughout the program, you attend “statistical thinking” sessions covering concepts like data ethics, sampling, and correlation versus causation, while being mentored one-on-one by professional biostatisticians from Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department.

You also build technical fluency in interpreting medical datasets and translating numbers into clinical insight. Beyond the quantitative work, you receive SAT preparation and college readiness workshops to support your academic path forward.

Why it stands out: It pairs hands-on biostatistics and R programming training with real cancer data analysis and one-on-one mentorship from working biostatisticians at one of the world’s leading cancer centers, all offered free with a stipend to NYC high school students.

13. Downstate Health Sciences University – Brooklyn Health Promotion – Summer Internship Program / BHDC CHAMPS 

Location: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York
Stipend: $750
Acceptance rate/cohort size: First-come, first-served basis; small local high school cohort
Dates: July 6-30
Application Deadline: May 17th
Eligibility: Local high school students interested in public health, health sciences, stakeholder engagement, or medicine; not open to international students

This program is a four-week community-engaged research experience that grounds your interest in medicine in the realities of population health. In the program, you learn the fundamentals of public health, health sciences, and research while examining the social determinants of health and health disparities that shape Brooklyn’s neighborhoods.

You partner with local community-based organizations to design and develop a research project, building skills in study framing, data gathering, and presenting findings. You connect clinical curiosity to the upstream factors that influence patient outcomes before they ever reach a doctor. You earn a $750 stipend and a letter reflecting your community service.

Why it stands out: It pairs a paid, in-person internship at a Brooklyn medical university with hands-on community-engaged research, letting you see firsthand how social determinants of health shape medicine in the neighborhoods you come from.

14. RISE Sports Institute; Summer Research Internships and Shadowing Opportunities

Location: New York, NY area (affiliated with Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and partner sites)
Cost/Stipend: $150 application fee / Paid and non-paid roles are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not disclosed
Dates: June 21st – August 13th
Application Deadline: March 15th
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and professional healthcare students interested in sports medicine, exercise science, injury prevention, and applied statistics; not open to international students

The Research Institute of Sport & Exercise (RISE) runs a portfolio of summer research internships and shadowing opportunities at the high school, pre-healthcare, and medical student levels, placed across partner institutions in the New York area. High school interns gain experience in sports medicine, injury prevention, and exercise science research, working alongside clinicians and researchers at sites including the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Interns develop practical healthcare knowledge in sports-focused clinical and research settings alongside students at multiple career stages, with opportunities to submit original work to major national science competitions like the Regeneron Science Talent Search.

Why it stands out: It’s the only NYC-area internship specifically dedicated to sports medicine, placing high schoolers inside clinical and research settings at institutions like the Hospital for Special Surgery.

15. Weill Cornell Medicine Meyer Cancer Center / Englander Institute for Precision Medicine – Summer Internship Program 

Location: New York City (Weill Cornell Medicine Upper East Side campus)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; specific cohort size not stated
Dates: June 24th – August 14th
Application Deadline: January 19th
Eligibility: Some STEM experience required, such as STEM programs, AP courses, science fairs, competitions, clubs, or research; 16 years old as of March 1st; currently enrolled in high school or college at the time of application; past participants may not reapply; proof of COVID-19, MMR, and Varicella vaccinations and TB testing required; not open to international students

In this program, you spend seven weeks immersed in the practice of cancer and precision medicine research alongside Weill Cornell Medicine faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students on the Upper East Side campus. For students exploring research-focused medical internships in NYC for high school students, you investigate a defined scientific question while learning how clinicians and scientists apply precision medicine tools such as genetics, genomic sequencing, and clinical data to improve patient care.

You attend didactics in cancer biology, cancer epidemiology, health disparities, and computational biomedicine, plus journal clubs and seminar series. You also draft a two-page research paper following NIH grant guidelines and present your work at an end-of-program event.

Why it stands out: It pairs high school students directly with Weill Cornell Medicine cancer researchers to conduct mentored, translational precision medicine research culminating in an NIH-style paper and formal presentation, entirely free of cost.

Frequently asked questions: Medical internships in NYC for high school students

Are medical internships in NYC open to international students?

Most medical internships in NYC are not open to international students, since programs like Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Summer Student Program, BEYOND ALBERT, and CUNY’s HPMP require NYC or tri-state residency and US work authorization. Weill Cornell Medicine’s Pediatrics Summer Internship is a partial exception, accepting international students who already hold independent work or student visa authorization. If you’re looking for a globally accessible option, Immerse Education’s Medicine Summer Internship is open to high school students worldwide aged 15 to 18.

Do medical internships in NYC pay a stipend?

Many NYC medical internships pay a stipend, though amounts vary considerably. BEYOND ALBERT offers $2,500 plus a meal voucher and transit card, while Memorial Sloan Kettering pays $1,200 and Rockefeller’s SSRP provides transit cards along with need-based stipends. Some programs, like CUNY’s HPMP and Maimonides Health Scholars, offer no stipend at all, since they’re structured more as mentorship or volunteer experiences. Always check whether a program’s paid status matches your expectations before applying.

How competitive are medical internships in NYC?

Competitiveness varies dramatically by program. Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Summer Student Program has approximately a 2 percent acceptance rate, and Rockefeller’s SSRP admits just 32 students from a large applicant pool. Other programs, like Maimonides Health Scholars or SUNY Downstate’s BHDC CHAMPS, operate on a rolling or first-come basis, making them comparatively more accessible. Regardless of selectivity, meeting every eligibility detail precisely, including residency and GPA requirements, matters significantly for your chances.

What is the difference between a clinical internship and a lab research internship in NYC?

Clinical internships, like Maimonides Health Scholars Program, place you directly in a hospital setting where you interact with patients and shadow healthcare providers in real time. Lab research internships, like Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Summer Student Program or BEYOND ALBERT, instead have you working on an independent research project under a faculty mentor, often in genomics, cancer biology, or computational science. Some programs, like Weill Cornell’s Pediatrics internship, blend both, combining clinical shadowing with literature review and data collection.

Do you need prior science experience for a medical internship in NYC?

Requirements vary, but many NYC medical internships don’t expect extensive prior experience. Programs like SPARKED and BEYOND ALBERT are designed to build research skills from the ground up rather than assuming you already have them. Others, like Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Summer Student Program, do require a minimum GPA in science subjects as a baseline. Check each program’s eligibility section closely, since expectations range from open access to fairly specific academic prerequisites.

Which NYC medical internship is best if you’re interested in a specific specialty?

If you already know which area of medicine interests you, look for programs organized around that specialty rather than general exposure. Weill Cornell’s Pediatrics internship lets you embed in specific divisions like neonatal immunology or child health advocacy, while SUNY Downstate’s BK-SWAG focuses specifically on sports medicine pathways. The Bridge to Biostats programs at MSK are a strong fit if you’re drawn to the data and statistics side of oncology rather than direct patient care.

Is Immerse Education a good fit for exploring medicine before college?

Immerse Education’s Medicine Summer Internship suits students who want structured exposure to medical careers without needing NYC residency or prior clinical experience. The two week program includes hands-on medical simulations, guidance from experienced medical professionals, and weekly 1:1 career coaching sessions with personalized feedback on your resume. Open to high school students worldwide aged 15 to 18, it concludes with a presentation to industry experts and a certificate, giving you concrete material for future applications.

Continue Your Journey Into Medical Knowledge

Healthcare becomes clearer when you see it from different angles, from hospital shadowing and lab research to emergency departments, sports medicine, and cancer data analysis.

Through these medical internships in NYC for high school students, you can test interests, build confidence, and understand which medical settings genuinely motivate you most.

That experience becomes even stronger when you keep reading, because books can deepen the questions, conditions, and career paths you encounter firsthand.

Ready to keep learning after your internship search? Explore our Medicine Top Books Guide for inspiring reads that sharpen curiosity and medical ambition.