If you are contemplating on pursuing a career in medicine, you may choose from a wide range of paid medical internships for high school students to help you make an informed decision on which route to take. After all, the last thing you want to happen is to waste your time, energy and money on a college major where your heart is really not into. This is the common mistake that some students make when they realize that their course gets tougher than they have imagined.

What medical internships for high school students do is to provide a clearer idea of what the medicine field is all about. Interns get to experience actual scenarios involved with being a medical professional, and how these can be beneficial or even profitable to them on a long-term basis. So, if you want to learn about these schools that offer paid medical internships for high school students, pros and cons of each, as well as tips on how to choose the best medical program for you, read along to find out more about these topics to jumpstart your career.

Contents:

• Summer Medical Internships for High School Students
• In-Hospital Medical Program Internships for High School Students
• General Science and Medical Research Programs for High School Students
• Nursing Internships for High School Students
• Benefits to Expect from Medical Internships for High School Students
• Important Points to Consider About Medical Internships for High School Students

Summer Medical Internships for High School Students

There is no better time to become a medical intern than during the summer since you have more time in your hands to explore on possible career opportunities for you in the field of medicine. What’s more, summer is the time of the year where schools offer a wider range of experiences in the medical industry, which means more options in store for you.

These medical summer internships for high school students are varied in terms of professional experiences provided. For instance, you may opt for an in-hospital setting for an actual feel of how it is like to be a medical professional based in a healthcare facility, or expand your knowledge further by doing medical research. These programs may be available to qualified students for a fee, while others are free of charge.

It is important to note, though, that some schools offering medical internships for high school students may only accept applicants who reside in the specific area or state where the university or college is located. Thus, you should look into the different requirements and cost of the program offered before sending in your application.

Whether you are interested in applying for a program linked with medical research or in-hospital medical experience, the following list of schools and internship programs offered can guide you in making a solid choice.

In-Hospital Medical Program Internships for High School Students

If your idea of becoming a medical professional involves getting a hands-on experience in a healthcare facility, then a medical program internship is your best bet. This will expose you to a selection of the first-hand experience in the medical field including interacting with hospital patients, shadowing medical doctors, observing surgical procedures and learning how simple medical procedures are performed.

However, there is a limited number of medical programs available to high school students, so it is important to contact the school to learn more about the scope of the program and application fees and requirements. The different programs offered by certain institutions include the following:

• Medicine Summer Program for High School Students at the University of Pennsylvania, PA
• Medical Youth Science Program at Stanford University, CA
• Medicine and Health Care Program by the National Student Leadership Council
• High School Senior Summer Internship Program at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, OH
• Summer Medical Academy at the University of California San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital, CA

General Science and Medical Research Programs for High School Students

If your interest is more on other branches of science such as organic chemistry, biology, and biochemistry, you may consider doing an internship on General Science research programs. These medical internships for high school students will give you a sneak peek of what to expect from the different courses offered in medical school, so you can determine whether you are up for it or not. Moreover, if you are more interested in doing lab work, these programs will offer you key insights and experience on this career.

Below are among the internship programs and institutions providing General Science Research Programs:

• Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program at George Mason University, VA
• Plant Genome Internship at Cornell University, NY
• Summer Research Program at Monmouth University, NJ
• National Space Club Scholars Program at NASA (MD and VA)
• Summer Youth Internship Program at the Museum of Science, MA
• Apprenticeships in Science and Engineering Program at Saturday Academy, OR
• Summer Research Apprentice Program at University of Wyoming, WY
• Geosciences Bridge Program at University of Maryland, MD
• High School Student Research Education Program at Scripps Research Institute, CA
• Bioscience Summer Research Program for High School Students at University of Utah, UT
• Howard Hughes Summer Science Program at Spelman College, GA

In case you are more keen on doing medical-related research or examining slides and samples under a microscope in a laboratory, then a medical research internship program is for you. Some other activities involved in this type of program available to high school students include encoding in the computer study participants’ information, interviewing clinical study participants, and assisting medical researchers on clinical studies. Furthermore, you will be working with a mentor who can assist you and walk you through the entire program. Keep in mind, though, that may have to prepare a presentation or an output at the end of the program, as part of the requirement by the school.

By having a clearer picture in your mind how medical researchers work, you can decide if this career is suitable for you or not. In addition, upon completion of this program while still in high school, you will be notched up ahead the class if you end up taking pre-med in college.

Medical research programs offered by some schools and institutions include:

• Disease Detective Camp at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, GA
• Summer Science Internship Program at Arthritis Foundation, CA
• Biomedical Research Internship for Minority Students at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, OH
• Summer Experience for Students at Coriell Institute for Medical Research, NJ
• Summer Internship Program at Banner Sun Health Research Institute, AZ
• Summer Researc Program at Indiana University Cancer Center, IN
• Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research at NIH, MD
• Summer Cancer Research Experience Program for High School Students at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, NY
• High School Student Research Apprentice Program at University of Connecticut Health Center, CT

Nursing Internships for High School Students

Another option when it comes to medical internships for high school students is a student nurse internship program. There are nursing internships for college students, as well as high school students, depending on the school or institution that offers the program. Either way, these programs will provide you with much-needed experience and overview of what it takes to become a nurse by profession, so you can prepare physically and mentally for this job once you decide to purse it.

Another benefit you can get from an internship program is the clarity of mind when choosing a course to take in college. Most high school students – or even college students – hardly have any idea what profession they really want. So, they end up enrolling on a course and changing their mind somewhere along the way, and switching to a different course of study. Unfortunately, so much time and money have already been lost because of indecisiveness.

If you are looking into taking up a career as a nurse, then you may want to start by doing an internship related to this profession. Below are among the different institutions that offer medical internships for high school students. Find out which one works for you as you go through the program features of each.

1. Kaiser Permanente

Based in California, this health care provider provides a way for high school students to explore the field of medicine through the KP Launch High School or the Summer Youth Employment Program. This is a paid medical internship program open to Kaiser Permanente students situated in southern and northern California.

Available during the summer, and goes for a period of 8 weeks, this medical internship program for high school students provide qualified applicants with mentoring, professional networking opportunities and workshops to improve on their professional and personal life.

2. University of Alaska Anchorage

One of the medical internships for high school students offered in Alaska is the Della Keats Health Sciences Summer Program. This takes place at the University of Alaska Anchorage, which is a paid internship from June to July. It goes from 4 to up to 6 weeks in length, and this immersion program strengthens the interest of high school students in the field of medicine. Aside from having free board and lodging at the university’s dormitories, attendees are given stipend that should cover their miscellaneous expenses including food.

3. Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium

If you are of tribal descent or a native Alaskan student, you may participate in medical internships for high school students such as the summer internship program or the Ethel Lund Village Health Occupation Program. These provide qualified applicants a chance to explore further what it is like to be in the medical field. These programs take place for 3 months or from June to September.

Once your application is approved, you are required to devote about 30 to 40 hours of your time a week for the program. Moreover, you will receive a small stipend for your miscellaneous expenses, as long as you continue and complete the program.

4. Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

An Illinois-based hospital gives high school students an opportunity to immerse themselves in various healthcare fields. This program is available to junior and high school students who are planning on spending 5 weeks of summer to gain an overview of what medical professionals do in a typical work week. This is a paid internship program that exposes students to a number of areas in a healthcare facility including the adult nursing center, ambulatory surgery center, administrative office, and adult or pediatric physical therapy.

Successful applicants are required to complete the 5-week program, which goes for 20 hours or more a week. They are also given a $500 stipend, which should cover their expenses such as meals and other needs.

5. Children’s Hospital Colorado

There are three different times a year when medical internships for high school students are provided to eligible applicants at the Children’s Hospital in Aurora, Colorado. Internship programs are available during fall, spring and summer, and students are given a chance to work in several areas at a hospital such as the newborn center, radiology, orthopedics and in-patient units, to name a few.

For the spring and fall internship program sessions, students work for about 10 hours a week for a duration of 12 weeks. As for the summer program, participants should devote 30 hours of their time a week and complete the 6-week program.

Requirements for applicants vary from one institution to another. Thus, you will need to contact the school to learn more about the required documents and fees to submit along with your application form.

Benefits to Expect from Medical Internships for High School Students

The reason why several professionals feel misplaced or uncertain about their jobs is their lack of clarity and motivation prior to taking up a course in college. In fact, there are those who have zero ideas on what they want to pursue after college, so they end up taking a random course or letting their parents dictate the route to take

Unfortunately, these only end up badly for anyone since they decide to drop their current course and switch to another one in the middle of the year. There are also those who finish the program for 4 years or more, then choose to take post-graduate studies that are not relevant to their degree.

In the case of medical internships, these are available to high school students who wish to learn more about the life and work of a scientist, nurse, researcher or any type of medical professional. Upon completion of these programs, it should be clearer to you whether the medical field is something that works for you or not.

If you take up a summer internship program at a particular college or university during your high school years, you can also determine if it is the right school for you. Living in a dormitory can offer you a genuine experience of what college life is all about. It will also be easier for you to evaluate if you are indeed better off with pre-med or a different course in college. Hence, you can be ahead of your class once you take up pre-med and have a better shot at doing well in your chosen career.

However, you also have to take into account the cost of these internship programs, which may go up to $10,000. This can be quite expensive for an average high school student, so it may be worth looking into free internship programs that will work well for your financial situation. Although some programs offer a minimal stipend that should pay for your miscellaneous expenses, it is still best to check further details about fees involved before you send in your application.

It is also worth noting that some institutions have strict requirements to interns. For instance, there are those that only accept students situated in the state where the school is located or a GPA of 3.5 or even higher. While this should be no problem for most students who are excelling in their studies, it can be an issue for those who may not reach the cut-off mark but very much interested in doing a medical internship program.

Important Points to Consider About Medical Internships for High School Students

So, with the extensive selection of internship programs available, how can you possibly choose one that works for you? First, you should have a realization of your primary interest in the field of medicine. Remember, there are different types of programs to choose from such as medical research, in-hospital medical program, and general science research program. Each program has its own set of objectives and features, so you need to be clear about your interest to make sure you get the best experience out of your internship.

In addition, you need to set your budget for the program or your specifications whether you want paid internship or just an experience as a volunteer. If you are a little low on funds, you may do some research on paid programs that are completely free of charge. Some programs may also come with stipends that will cover your food and other expenses.

You should also think about the amount of time you are willing to spend on the program. Are you willing to work for several hours a week or an entire day on a program that requires full-time interns? There are also weekend programs for shadowing a medical professional, while others offer summer programs that go for 5 to 8 weeks. These are more intensive programs that can provide you with in-depth experience of how it is like to become a medical professional.

These medical internships for high school students all require passion, dedication and a sense of responsibility for participants to complete these programs. After successfully completing your internship, this will have a positive impact on your college application while giving you a boost in your future profession in the field of medicine.