Medical Internships for High School Students
How Do High School Students Get Experience in the Medical Field?
Medical internships for high school students are like “test drives” for employment in the medical industry if you are a high school student thinking about pre-med and a future in medicine.
You will get beneficial knowledge, experience, and abilities that will help you in the future. Getting experience in the medical profession now shows that you are serious about medicine and can improve the competitiveness of your college applications. You might have an experience that would make the ideal anecdote for your personal statement for medical school.
So, how do high school students get experience in the medical field? You might still be unsure of how to obtain experience in the medical industry. Here are five directions you could go.
1. Offer to volunteer at a medical facility or clinic.
Volunteering at a nearby hospital or health center is one of the finest ways to gain experience in the medical industry.
Volunteers don’t perform the same tasks as a medical professional or student, but you could be able to welcome patients and offer customer service, accept phone calls and file paperwork, or otherwise assist in making patients more comfortable.
You can engage with and observe doctors, work with patients, and experience a real-world medical setting by volunteering in a hospital or clinical setting. You can use this experience to determine whether you would actually like to work every day in the medical industry.
Visit the websites of the nearby clinics or hospitals where you want to volunteer to discover a position. Find out more about their volunteer programs next. You can also give them a call and find out whether they accept high school kids and are searching for volunteers.
2. Submit an application for a research or internship program.
For high school students, numerous medical groups, schools, and universities provide research internships. These organizations include the Mayo Clinic, Stanford Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, the University of Chicago, and others.
These events usually take place in the summer. Your tasks and experiences will vary, but many programs offer job shadowing opportunities as well as opportunities for you to practice your skills or conduct research while working with renowned scientists and medical experts.
These programs require applications, and a lot of them have a lot of competition. Make a list of the opportunities you find interesting and start looking into online opportunities. Take into account elements like price, travel, and housing options.
You should start applying for medical internships for high school students after noting significant application dates for the schools you are interested in.
3. Take part in a medical program over the summer.
Additionally, you can take part in less cutthroat summer medical programs through institutions of higher learning or associations like the National Student Leadership Conference.
These initiatives are essentially summer camps for high schoolers thinking about pursuing a career in medicine. Attending workshops, speaking with medical students and/or professors, taking part in research studies and simulation labs, studying the fundamentals of physical examination and surgery, and more, are just a few examples.
These summer programs do provide useful experience, even though they are not as remarkable for your CV as a competitive internship or research post.
4. Work as a doctor’s assistant.
You can spend a day or several days observing a professional in a position that interests you via job shadowing. You might get the chance to carry out some fundamental job responsibilities, and you’ll get to talk with a professional about the vocation and find out about their timetable, daily activities, and obligations.
Ask your guidance counselor if they are aware of any organizations you may get in touch with if you want to work as a shadow for a doctor. You can also get in touch with a nearby hospital or clinic by phone or email and inquire about shadowing opportunities.
Prepare some questions you’d like to ask the doctor you’re shadowing once you’ve scheduled a time and date. Take in the experience by asking any further questions that come to mind.
Pay close attention to the setting as a whole, the flow of work, and the activities the doctor engages in throughout the day. To decide if the medical industry is a suitable fit for you, try to put yourself in the position of the person you are shadowing.
5. Help out in a homeless shelter or nursing home.
Doctors need to have empathy, be able to relate to individuals from all walks of life, and be compassionate. Therefore, any time spent volunteering to help others is beneficial.
Even if your prior experience is not in line with medical internships for high school students, you may start honing the traits necessary to become a successful doctor.
Volunteer in locations that mirror the demographics you will be dealing with in the future if you know you want to practice medicine in underserved communities or in rural areas. You can find these volunteer opportunities by consulting your guidance counselor, conducting an online search, or getting in touch with local organizations directly.
What Are Medical Internships for High School Students?
Future medical professionals can get experiences like working in a lab, running trials, getting practical clinical experience, and more through internships and other pre-college medical programs. In addition to universities, clinics, hospitals, and research institutes, you will learn in these places.
Now, what are medical internships for high school students? Here are some strategies for entering the medical field early.
Stanford Medical Youth Science Program
Low-income, underrepresented high school sophomores and juniors from Northern and Central California receive intensive instruction in medicine and health science, as well as mentoring, professional development workshops, networking opportunities with members of the health professions, and college admissions advice during this five-week online program. Along with finishing a college-level research program, students will learn how to navigate a career in medicine.
Although the Stanford Medical Youth Science Program application for 2022 is now closed, be sure to sign up for their email list to learn about upcoming possibilities.
Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego: Summer Medical Academy
The Summer Medical Academy, run by Rady’s Children Hospital-San Diego, offers medical internships for high school students interested in a future in healthcare.
This two-week program is open to students who have finished the ninth grade and who are between the ages of 15 and 19. Participants will get hands-on experience, hear from experts on important medical topics, and network with potential future colleagues.
The admission of potential participants is based on their interest in a profession in health, their involvement in extracurricular activities, and their academic performance.
Students that live close to San Diego, who are in their senior year of high school, or who have a connection to Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego will all receive special attention.
Arthritis Foundation Summer Science Internship Program
The Rheumatology and Immunology Laboratories at Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco provide an eight-week medical internship program for high school juniors and seniors as well as first- and second-year college undergraduates.
The 12 chosen students work under the direction of eminent researchers at Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco in prestigious research and clinical laboratories (UCSF). In either clinical epidemiological/translational (patient-focused) research or fundamental laboratory (bench) research, students put in 40 hours per week of work.
Graduates of the Summer Science Internship Program have gone on to successfully pursue careers in science, medicine, and research.
Participants in high school receive a $1,500 stipend from the program.
Center for Disease Control (CDC) Museum Disease Detective Camp
Rising high school juniors and seniors get the chance to spend five days learning about public health at the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Public health interventions, chronic disease, injury prevention, data analysis, school wellness initiatives, environmental health, laboratory technologies, disease surveillance, and epidemiology are just a few examples of the diverse topics that may be covered.
A laboratory session, an introduction to chronic disease surveillance, public health law, and brief lectures from well-known CDC scientists are among the varied activities that are offered. Some activities simulate outbreaks and mock press conferences, environmental and global health activities, and mock press conferences.
Residents of Atlanta may participate in the program for free, but they are responsible for finding their own accommodation. There are two similar sessions, from July 25 to 29 and June 27 to July 1.
Indiana University Simon Cancer Center Summer Research Program
Participants in this six-week online program are partnered with mentors and put in 40 hours each week on tasks like clinical research, database research using computers, or lab research. Along with professional development seminars, they also take part in weekly workshops on themes related to getting accepted into graduate and professional programs of study.
To qualify for medical internships for high school students in this institution, students must have finished their senior year of high school or be undergraduates who have completed no more than 80 credits in no more than two years of college.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Summer Internship Program for Senior High School Students
This eight-week program is for graduating seniors in the Cincinnati region who want to work with a mentor in one of 10 pediatric clinical specialties.
Additionally, participants take part in group activities such as a hands-on training session with computer-simulated pediatric patients in the SIM Center in the afternoon, a Summer Intern Alumni lunch, and a presentation on how to prepare for medical school admission from the assistant dean for admission at the UC College of Medicine.
A graduation celebration with student presentations on their experiences marks the program’s conclusion for medical internships.
Students are paid $9.30 an hour for working 20 hours per week. The program begins usually at the start of June.
Penn Summer Academies
High school students have the chance to participate in 3-week subject-intensive programs that combine cutting-edge scientific or social theory with pertinent applications through the prestigious University of Pennsylvania’s Summer Academies.
Biomedical research, chemical research, experimental physics, and neuroscience are among the topics covered at Penn Summer Academies.
High school students in grades 9 through 11 are invited to apply, and there are options for residential and in-person programs. Some Philadelphia students are eligible for financial aid.
Health Care Career Exploration Camp
Participants in this free program for Nebraska students in grades 10 through 12 can get knowledge from authorities in subjects like athletic training, clinical dietetics, clinical engineering, neuropsychology, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language pathology, surgical technology, radiation therapy, radiologic technology, respiratory care, pharmacy, physical therapy, and respiratory care are just a few examples.
Two CHI Health facilities in Nebraska provide the program. Due to space restrictions, previous attendees are placed on a waitlist so that new students can attend.
The Seacole Scholars Program
Accepted candidates in Seacole’s medical internships for high school students will perform a seven-week paid summer internship at a Lifespan hospital, spending four days a week in the nursing units and one day a week attending Lifespan Workforce and Youth Development training. Ages 16 to 19 who are willing to reside in Providence, Mount Hope, or Newport, Rhode Island, are eligible for this opportunity. A current CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) license is required.
Following completion, the program also provides career advice, and some of its participants receive job offers. Every year in November, applications are accepted, and if you’re selected for an interview, you must go. It runs from June to August.
Medical Immersion Summer Academy (MISA)
You will learn about healthcare at MISA through clinical immersion, shadowing, mentoring, and hands-on skill training (EKG, suturing, CPR, splinting, and taking vitals). In addition, you’ll partake in VIP lunches with medical specialists, watch patients undergo surgeries, and take part in “Step into the Shoes of an MD” skill-building and patient-case workshops with doctors.
All high school students in grades 9 through 12 may enroll in the five-day program, which costs $900. When the program begins, you must be at least 15 years old.
Are Internships Worth It for High School Students?
High school internships are becoming more common, according to studies, and for good reason. But what exactly is an internship? Are internships worth it for high school students? Here are some more reasons why you should consider doing one.
Check to See if Your Career Option Fits
You still have time to achieve professional success. Find out which of your passions can lead to employment right now. Helping a non-profit for stray animals is the ideal option if you want to help animals but struggle with needles. You may have dreams of designing websites but discover that you prefer to write copy. Or perhaps you’ve tried getting into medical internships for high school students because you always wanted to be a nurse but discovered that being outside and with plants makes you happy.
According to Brandon Street, director of the Career and Professional Development Center, “Internships allow students to try out an industry or career.” There is no danger in doing an internship to see whether you appreciate the field or job you are pursuing because internships are intended to be temporary positions.
Acquire Relevant Experience
An internship is a perfect opportunity to rapidly acquire the fundamental work skills, information, and experience needed in any chosen field. They enable you to begin with the fundamental work abilities and quickly expand upon them from there. Often, developing a strong foundation of expertise in one job can readily apply to other fields that interest you as well, thereby increasing your future career options!
Connect With Others And Build A Network
Internships involve a lot more than just knowledge and abilities. Making connections and establishing relationships is a big part of an internship since you never know when one of those interactions can lead to a job offer. It occurs more frequently than you might imagine. Additionally, if you choose an internship in a field that interests you, you’ll be surrounded by others who share your interests. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people and get feedback on your ideas.
Improve Your Applications or Resume
Perhaps you want to begin your professional path while still a high school student, or perhaps you want to determine whether the college degree you want to pursue is a suitable fit for you. A high school internship will be extremely beneficial to you and will make you stand out on any application you submit. Especially for highly competitive careers such as doctors, medical internships for high school students are a great help.
“Internships help students gain the related experience that employers a looking for when hiring,” according to Street.
When requesting a job or college, you can also ask your internship supervisor to serve as a reference. Additionally, they will be able to discuss their mentorship and working with you in a letter of recommendation.
Embrace Opportunity
Contrary to what we see in the movies, an internship does not involve running errands and getting the boss coffee. You can quickly and significantly increase your expertise through internships. It’s where you can travel or meet someone from a big business. It’s also a chance for you to gain your first paid professional experience because certain internships are willing to pay.
Medical internships for high school students are highly crucial if you wanted to pursue an in-demand and competitive career like medicine. How to start? Consult with your guidance counselors or admission experts like AdmissionSight to help you find a suitable internship for your goals. Contact AdmissionSight and set up an appointment to discuss your options.
