If you’re a high school student interested in science, healthcare, or research, online medical research programs allow you to learn and gain experience from home. These programs introduce you to research in biology, medicine, and public health and let you explore topics you might not cover in school. Depending on the program, you might work on small projects, analyze data, read scientific papers, or learn research methods directly from mentors and professors
Since all the programs below are online, you can join from anywhere and typically work on a flexible schedule that accommodates your school or summer plans. These programs are a good way to explore your interests, whether you’re considering a career in medicine, curious about research, or just trying something new.
Here are 10 online medical research programs for high school students!
1. Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills and Education Center’s Stanford Summer Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,500 + a non-refundable $95 application fee; need-based financial aid is available
Cohort Size: Approximately 100 students per session
Dates: June 23 – July 4 | July 14 – July 25
Application Deadline: March 14
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old by the start of the program. Juniors who have not yet turned 16 are also eligible.
Stanford’s Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills and Education Center offers a hands-on internship for high school students interested in science or medicine, especially anatomy, surgical techniques, and physiology. You will receive a kit that contains all the essential tools, supplies, and simulators. Instructors utilize an overhead camera to direct you through real-time lessons on skills like knot tying, valve replacement, suturing, and coronary artery bypass grafting. You will attend lectures led by Stanford faculty, residents, and staff on topics such as anatomy, valve and bypass surgeries, heart transplants, and physiology. Additionally, you will engage in lab sessions to practice techniques, observe demonstrations, and get live feedback.
2. Stanford Clinical Summer Internship (CSI)
Location: Virtual or in person at the Stanford School of Medicine campus, Stanford, CA
Cost:
- Summer sessions: $6,380 (In person) | $4,380 (Virtual) + $95 application fee
- Fall Intensive: $1,980 (Virtual) + $35 application fee
Cohort Size: Maximum 24 students per class
Dates:
- Summer Sessions: July 14 – July 25 (In person) | July 28 – August 8 (Virtual)
- Fall Intensive: September 10 – November 12 (Virtual)
Application Deadline: February 24 (Summer) | June 2 (Fall Intensive)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors, seniors, and undergraduate pre-medical students who are 16 or older
The Stanford Clinical Summer Internship (CSI) gives you a close look at what it’s like to practice medicine. You will gain insights from Stanford medical students, residents, and faculty while exploring both the scientific and human aspects of healthcare. CSI provides three formats: on-campus summer sessions at Stanford, live summer sessions via Zoom, and a 10-week virtual fall intensive for students seeking a more adaptable schedule. You’ll work with supply kits, practice suturing, injections, and taking vital signs, and go through clinical cases. You’ll also review patient histories, develop differential diagnoses, and participate in simulated medical team exercises. The fall intensive meets once a week for 90 minutes, fitting easily alongside schoolwork while covering the same core skills.
3. Wake Forest Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) Virtual Academy
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not listed
Dates: July 13 – July 17 (Virtual)
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Middle and high school students aged 14–18
The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) offers a week-long Virtual Regenerative Medicine Academy for students interested in the field of regenerative medicine. Zoom sessions run Monday to Thursday, with an optional in-person visit on Friday, which includes workshops, demonstrations, and a tour of WFIRM’s facilities. You’ll learn from industry experts, WFIRM faculty, and near-peer mentors, studying topics such as current research, career paths, educational opportunities, and emerging technologies in regenerative medicine. Highlights include 3D bioprinting, attending the Regenerative Medicine Essentials Course, regenerative medicine in space and microgravity, and even participating in real research meetings.
4. The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI)—Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $850 program fee + $40 application fee (waivable based on financial need) | Unpaid
Cohort Size: 25 students
Dates: June 16 – June 27
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th graders who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and will be 14 or older by the program’s start
The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging offers a project-based internship for high school students with skills in coding, statistics, or math. You will engage in advanced lectures and practical activities to develop both technical and clinical understanding of AI applications in healthcare. Under mentor guidance, you’ll work on an AI-centered medical project, acquire hands-on research experience, and attend talks about AI in medicine. Additionally, you’ll collaborate with peers, receive mentorship from Stanford students and researchers, and participate in Virtual Career Lunch and Learn sessions featuring guest speakers from industry, academia, government, and nonprofits. After completing the program, you’ll earn a Certificate of Completion, and you will also have the option to continue with an extended independent research internship.
5. Stanford University’s Harris Neuroscience Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Cohort Size: 12 students
Dates: September – May
Application Deadline: April 4
Eligibility: U.S. high school students
Stanford Medicine’s Harris Neuroscience Internship is a year‑long virtual program for high school students. As an intern, you’ll work alongside Stanford neuroscience faculty and trainees. You’ll engage in weekly Neurology Grand Rounds and a monthly Neuroscience Journal Club, offering an informal setting to discuss current papers with Stanford experts. Your primary focus will be working on a research project that aligns with your interests. This will help you build your knowledge in neuroscience and refine your skills in data analysis, research, and academic writing. You’ll also get to work on a community-based project, which will help you gain experience with outreach and engagement in the neuroscience field.
6. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) at George Mason University
Location: Remote, hybrid, or in-person at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA
Cost/Stipend: Free, with a $25 application fee (waivable based on financial need); housing and transportation are not covered | Unpaid
Acceptance Rate: Around 10%
Dates: June 18 – August 8
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: For computer lab internships (remote, in-person, or hybrid), students must be at least 15 years old by the program start date. For in-person or hybrid wet-lab internships, students must be at least 16 years old.
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) is an 8-week research program where you will work with George Mason University faculty researchers on real projects. You’ll build skills in using research tools, scientific writing, communication, and problem-solving, as well as explore STEM careers. Internships can be in-person, remote, or hybrid, depending on your mentor and project. Research areas include math, cybersecurity, computer science, medicine, engineering, data science, digital innovation, and more. Your work might even be published or presented at a conference. If you’re interested in medical science, projects may cover topics like veterinary medicine, regenerative medicine, biomedical data analytics, orthopedics, medical image analysis, osteoarthritis, cartilage healing, and wound healing. You can also view examples of past projects from various departments here.
7. Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X) at Stanford University
Location: Virtual or in person at Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: $1,595 (Virtual) | $2,895 (In-person); scholarships and financial aid are available
Acceptance Rate: Approximately 12%
Dates:
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, or seniors aged 14–18
Stanford’s Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X) is designed for students interested in psychology, neuroscience, and psychiatry. You’ll join classes, work on a group capstone project, and learn about cutting-edge research from Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Faculty and researchers lead sessions on topics like neuroscience, clinical neuropsychiatry, psychiatric epidemiology, and behavioral and social sciences. You’ll also discuss careers in science and medicine, get advice on self-care as you prepare for adulthood, collaborate in groups of 8–10 students to work on real-world neuroscience and psychology problems, and present your findings during the final capstone session.
8. UChicago Medicine’s SHE in Oncology
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free | Students earn a $500 taxable stipend upon completing the program
Cohort Size: 20 students
Dates: SHE is a part-time, two-week program usually held in the second half of July
Application Deadline: March 3
Eligibility: High school students can apply, with priority given to those who identify as female, are underrepresented in biomedicine, and live in Cook, Lake, Will, or DuPage counties in Illinois, or Lake County in Indiana
SHE (Summer Healthcare Experience) in Oncology is a virtual opportunity designed for high school students interested in science and medicine, with a particular focus on students who identify as women and are underrepresented in the field of science. This program provides an introduction to biomedical careers, with a specific focus on cancer research. Participants will engage in a genetics-based research project and a patient case study to deepen their understanding of cancer science and care. The program also includes daily faculty lectures, panel discussions, and skill-building workshops. Using a home lab kit, you’ll get hands-on research experience and take part in career development activities with cancer research professionals.
9. The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Science Program (JHIBS): Virtual Experience
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Dates: Five weeks between July and August
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors from underrepresented groups who live in the U.S. or Canada
The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) is a summer program designed for students interested in clinical careers, such as psychiatry or psychology, or brain-focused fields, including neurology, neuroscience, and neurosurgery. You’ll gain early experience in academic research and clinical settings, along with long-term mentorship, educational support, and guidance. The virtual option includes professional development workshops, mentorship training, networking, college prep, and an introduction to basic lab techniques. You’ll work on collaborative projects, participate in group discussions, and present your research at the conclusion. You’ll also receive a certificate upon completion. Past student projects can be viewed here.
10. NASA’s GeneLab for High Schools (GL4HS) Program
Location: Virtual (asynchronous)
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Cohort Size: Around 800 students
Dates: June 2 – August 29
Application Deadline: April 9
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors who have an unweighted GPA of at least 3.0, are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and have completed a college‑prep biology course
NASA’s Ames Research Center offers GL4HS, a 12-week virtual program that allows you to explore bioinformatics, space biology research, omics studies, computational biology, and data analysis. You’ll also improve your presentation skills and learn how bioinformatics supports NASA Space Biology. The Basic Level includes recorded lectures with JupyterLab Notebooks for self-paced study and optional live Office Hours for 5–6 hours per week. After completing this level, you can join the Capstone Project, working in teams of 4–5 to create hypothesis-driven research proposals from the Open Science Data Repository, analyze bioinformatics datasets, and present your findings at a full-day competitive symposium. The top eight teams advance to a written-proposal round, and the top three teams earn an all-expenses-paid trip to present at the annual American Society for Gravitational and Space Research conference.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image source – UChicago Medicine