11 Medical Internships for High School Students in Minnesota

Participating in a medical internship as a high school student can be a valuable experience. It can offer you insight into the healthcare industry, allowing you to learn about medical procedures, patient care, and the day-to-day responsibilities of healthcare professionals. Internships also give you the chance to explore a career in the medical field, gain real-world experience, and develop essential skills that can shape your future. 

This experience can be particularly valuable for those considering a career in medicine, as it helps you explore your interests and ambitions. Engaging in medical internships gives you the chance to learn from industry professionals and build your professional network. It also gives your college applications the edge you need to stand out and be noticed by college admissions teams. 

If you're a high school student interested in pursuing a medical career, here are 12 medical internships for high school students in Minnesota to explore.

1. Ladder Internships—Healthcare and Medicine Track

Eligibility: Open to high school students who can dedicate 5-15 hours per week for 8-16 weeks
Cost: Starts from $2490 (financial aid is available) 
Location: Virtual 
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year.
Internship Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. 

Ladder Internships is a program founded by Harvard graduates and designed to connect high school students with non-profits and startup companies from around the world. As a participant, you can choose to work with companies in a variety of industries, including tech, finance, and of course, healthcare and medicine. 

During a Ladder internship, you will get to work on real-world projects that are essential to the company and eventually present your work at the end of the program. You will also get to work closely with a mentor from the company, who will act as your manager and guide you during your tenure with them, as well as a Ladder Coach, who will act as a second mentor. 

Aside from 1-on-1 sessions with your mentors, you will also benefit from group training sessions with fellow interns. One of the companies you could work with that’s in the healthcare and medicine track is JuneBrain. They are a health tech company specializing in remote monitoring in ophthalmology/neurology. 

2. Career Immersion Program, Mayo College of Medicine and Science

Eligibility: Must be juniors and seniors from high school with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Students from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
Cost: Free
Location: Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester
Application Deadline: March (tentatively) 
Internship Dates: 5 days in June (tentatively) 

This immersive, week-long residential program provides a deep dive into the diverse world of healthcare careers. As a participant, you'll explore various career options, including specialized roles like radiographers and respiratory therapists. 

The program features hands-on activities, opportunities to network with peers and professionals, and insights into professional etiquette and the academic paths leading to these careers. Be prepared—the application process is competitive and includes an interview. 

3. Biomedical Engineering (BME) High School Internship Program 

Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 16 years old, rising high school seniors, and U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Stipend: A stipend (amount unspecified) is provided.
Location: College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota
Application Deadline: Please check the website for updates!
Dates: Six weeks | June  – August (tentatively)

 The BME High School Internship provides students interested in biomedical technology and related fields the opportunity to pursue their passion for biomedical engineering. This is a paid, award-winning, six-week internship program at the University of Minnesota's Department of Biomedical Engineering. 

As a rising senior, you'll gain hands-on research experience guided by graduate students while exploring both biological and engineering fields. Tour renowned research labs like the Visible Heart Lab, connect with faculty and mentors, and sharpen your skills in scientific writing, effective communication, and more—all designed to set the stage for a successful career in biomedical engineering.

4. LHI-AHA Summer Research Scholars Program

Eligibility: High school students must be 16 years of age or older, current juniors or seniors at the time of application, and U.S. citizens.
Stipend: All scholars will receive an hourly wage.
Location: Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota
Application Deadline: Applications open in December and close in February. 
Dates: 8 weeks | June – July

The Lillehei Heart Institute’s prestigious Summer Research Scholars program offers students the chance to explore the cutting-edge world of cardiovascular research. This highly competitive program is designed for those passionate about making a difference in the field of medicine. As a scholar, you will engage in hands-on research, working closely with a faculty mentor in a dedicated lab to tackle intensive basic or clinical research. 

The program takes a multi-disciplinary approach, exposing participants to various facets of cardiovascular disease, from molecular biology to clinical applications. With weekly seminars led by industry leaders and field trips that provide insights into clinical, industrial, and academic medicine, you will gain invaluable knowledge of career opportunities in cardiovascular science. 

5. Scrubs Programme: Minnesota State HealthForce Centre for Excellence

Eligibility: Open to students entering grades 9-12
Cost: Fee ranges from $100 to $400 
Location: Camps are organized at multiple locations in the state of Minnesota. Check out the listings here!
Application Deadline: This information is not available. Please check the website to stay updated on new dates.
Dates: 2-5 days in the summer

Scrubs Camp has expanded across multiple campuses since its launch in 2008 at Winona State University, drawing more students into the program each year. It has both an in-person and online experience that you can choose from and aims to provide a unique and engaging method of getting you to consider a healthcare career. 

This dynamic summer program, coordinated by HealthForce Minnesota, offers a unique, hands-on experience, where you can interact with working professionals, explore various healthcare careers through field trips, and engage in labs with the latest equipment. Each year brings a new theme and fresh activities, making Scrubs Camp an exciting and inspiring way for you to explore your future in healthcare.

6. Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth’s Expand Your Mind Program

Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 9-12
Cost: As of last year, the program costs were: 
- Commuter: $855 per session 
- Residential: $2,150 per session 
- International Student: $150  
- Financial aid available
Location: Macalester College, MITY
Application Deadline: Rolling | Check the website for updates on the upcoming session dates. 
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer (June to July, tentatively) 

MITY, a non-profit organization, offers academic enrichment programs, including the Expand Your Mind program, a two-week intensive course focused on specific subjects. Medically inclined students may be particularly interested in immersive classes like Forensics –  which covers topics like handwriting and blood splatter analysis, the science of the polygraph – and Introduction to Biomedical Engineering, which includes hands-on learning with medical devices and visits to biomedical facilities. 

With both residential and commuter options, the program provides a valuable preview of college life before pursuing an undergraduate degree. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with only 16 students admitted into classes. 

7. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) 

Eligibility: The virtual experience is open to junior and senior high school students from across the U.S. 
Stipend: $500 scholarship 
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Applications open on Dec 1 and close on March 1 annually.
Dates: 5 weeks | July-August

The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) is a summer research program designed for high school students interested in learning more about a career in the neurological sciences. As a participant, you will benefit from pre-college exposure to the medical field, a hands-on, mentored research experience, and educational resources. 

During the 5-week virtual experience, you will be involved in activities like professional development training, educational presentations, learning more about basic laboratory techniques and experiments, mentorship, and more. It’s a good chance to explore a future in medical research and will be a good addition to your resume as it is a pretty selective program (it accepts 5-6 students for each session).  

8. Go4Brains: High-School Neuroscience Summer Program

Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 9-11 from underrepresented groups in Science and Medicine
Cost/Stipend: Free for 10 of 12 students | $400 stipend
Location: University of Minnesota
Application Deadline: March (tentatively) 
Dates: 1 week during the summer (July, tentatively)

Go4Brains is a week-long neuroscience summer program for high school students underrepresented in neuroscience. The program aims to improve diversity in the field of neuroscience by offering high school students passionate about science and medicine the chance to explore a career in neuroscience. 

As a participant, you will get to participate in neuroscience lab tours, see how research is done and conduct your own, meet neuroscience students and researchers, learn about neuroscience-related career paths and career skills, and more. You will also attend short lectures and workshops, network with fellow students and industry professionals, and establish mentoring connections with faculty and students for long-term support. 

9. M-ASCEND School-Year High School Program

Eligibility: Must be high school students in 10th or 11th grade, attending one of the following metro area public high schools: Brooklyn Center, Central, Harding, Hiawatha, Highland Park, Patrick Henry, Roosevelt, Johnson, Washington Tech, South. Students should be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. 
Stipend: $15 per hour 
Location: Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota
Application Deadline: Please check the website for updates on the next session. 
Dates: Students must attend 8 online and 5 in-person sessions during the school year.

The M-ASCEND School-Year High School Program is one that offers 50-60 high school students in Minnesota access to college readiness, mentorship, and cancer research and healthcare career pathways. It is a paid program that is conducted throughout the fall and spring semesters and encourages students to explore careers in a research or clinical field.

During the program, you are expected to attend seminars and workshops that explore topics like cancer biology, clinical trials, health disparities research, identity building, professional development sessions, and more. You’ll also get mentorship from undergraduate students currently studying in science fields. 

For students who are at least 16 and have participated in this program, you will be able to apply to the M-ASCEND Internship Opportunity. The internship only accepts 10 students and is divided into two parts: an 8-week research internship over the summer and a 12-month Community Health internship program the following year. 

During the 8-week research internship, you will work on an individualized research project that will be presented at the UMN Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium. You will also tour UMN labs, network with professional scientists, attend workshops on college readiness and career-building, and more. 

The 12-month Community Health internship, on the other hand, is split into two phases: the first summer internship period and the academic year period. During the summer internship, you will work on campus from June to Aug, participate in lectures and mentoring sessions, work on a research project on DNA damage in saliva, and present your findings. During the academic year period, you will mostly work online and engage in community-based service learning and more. 

For more details on the program, check out this document.   

10. The Harris Neuroscience Internship

Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 16 years old and attending high school in the U.S. while participating in the internship.  
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Applications open in February and close in April.
Dates: TBD

The Harris Neuroscience Internship at Stanford aims to introduce girls and under-represented minorities to potential careers in neuroscience and neurosurgery. As an intern, you will participate in weekly Grand Rounds, the Neuroscience Journal Club, a scholarly project, and a community-based project. 

The scholarly project can be focused on any neuroscience topic, while the community-based project will have to increase engagement with girls and/or underrepresented minorities. During the Neuroscience Journal Club, you will attend monthly virtual meetings where you discuss scientific literature and developments in the field of neuroscience with expert Stanford scientists. 

11. Elio Academy: Biomedical Online Summer Courses

Eligibility: Open to high school students between the ages of 14 and 18 with an interest in medicine or biomedical research 
Cost: Application fee: $29 (non-refundable) | Program fees start from $575
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Keep an eye on the website for updates on the next session. This information is not available yet!
Dates: Depends on the specific course

Elio Academy of Biomedical Sciences offers a variety of virtual (and in-person) biomedical summer programs to high school students with an interest in exploring a career in medicine or biomedical research. It is a selective program that accepts only 30 students from around the world into each course. 

As a participant, you can choose from three different types of virtual tracks: the Accelerator Track, the Extended Research Track, and the Foundational Track. Some of the courses you can choose from include Biotechnology, Biomedical Data Science, Neuroscience, and more. This program is a good chance to expand your knowledge of biomedical science and explore a potential career in medicine.