If you’re interested in healthcare, technology, or problem-solving, radiology shows how medical decisions are made behind the scenes. Radiology uses medical imaging to diagnose and, in some cases, treat health conditions. These images make it easier to see what is happening inside the body while avoiding invasive procedures. Participating in radiology internships can help you work in clinical settings, learn how imaging equipment is used, and understand how radiologists and technicians support accurate diagnoses. You’ll learn about tools like X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds that doctors use to spot injuries, diagnose illnesses, and plan treatment without surgery.
Why should you do an internship in Radiology?
A radiology internship can help you decide if the field fits your interests before choosing a major or career path. You’ll gain exposure to how imaging is used in real clinical settings, which can strengthen your resume and show colleges that you have explored your interests beyond the classroom. You may get to observe procedures, develop basic workplace skills, and learn how healthcare professionals work together to help patients. Just as importantly, internships allow you to interact with healthcare professionals, ask questions about their career journeys, and understand the teamwork involved in patient care.
To help get you started, here are 15 radiology internships for high school students. If you’re interested in exploring biomedical engineering programs, you can find them here. You can also check out medical research programs for high school students here.
15 Radiology Internships for High School Students
1. Mayo Clinic CARES (Career Advancement, Research, and Education Summer) Program
Location: Mayo Clinic campus, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 2 – 11 (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays)
Application Deadline: January 15 – February 15
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores or juniors in Arizona can apply; no prior clinical experience is required
The Mayo Clinic CARES Program helps local high school students explore healthcare careers in a hospital setting. You’ll learn about different medical fields and receive guidance from a Mayo Clinic mentor. The program will also help you develop skills such as public speaking, resume writing, wellness, interview preparation, college planning, and understanding your strengths. You can observe the daily work of hospital professionals, including physicians, surgeons, physician assistants, and nurses, but there are no individual shadowing or research opportunities. You’ll explore career paths like rehabilitation medicine, radiology, medical labs, biomedical research, clinical genomics, social work, engineering, public health, and community-engaged research. You’ll also learn about roles including surgical technician, respiratory therapist, clinical research coordinator, nurse anesthetist, medical assistant, and CT technologist.
2. UCSF Research Initiative to promote Diversity in Radiology (RIDR)
Location: University of California, San Francisco, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free | High school students receive a $3,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; around 20 students
Dates: 8 weeks during the summer; the start date is flexible, and students can begin anytime between June 1 and July 1
Application Deadline: Applications open in December
Eligibility: High school, college, and medical students who are from medically, economically, or educationally disadvantaged populations
RISE is a summer research and academic development program that allows students to participate in basic science, translational, or clinical radiology research and explore radiology as a possible career through guided mentorship. You will be matched with a faculty mentor and a project that fits your interests within the UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging. Over the course of eight weeks, you’ll collaborate with a researcher on an active project, gaining practical research experience. You’ll submit an abstract for the department’s Summer Students Symposium and will be encouraged to submit abstracts to conferences. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate on any manuscripts resulting from your research. Research areas include Body Imaging, Neuroimaging, Vascular and Cardiac Imaging, Intelligent Imaging, Advanced Imaging Technology, Chemistry, Probes, and Molecular Therapy.
3. Barrow Neurological Institute’s Summer High School Internship Program
Location: Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 8 – July 9; orientation is held on June 5
Application Deadline: January 6 – February 10
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 or older
Barrow Neurological Institute’s Summer High School Internship enables students to explore research in areas such as neuroimaging, neuropsychology, stroke, neurosurgical devices, neuro-oncology, and neurodegenerative diseases. You’ll pick a lab that matches your interests and work with a mentor on a research project. The program provides exposure to neuroscience research and neuroimaging technologies, helping you understand clinical research in fields such as radiology. You will read scientific papers, study biology and disease, learn laboratory techniques, and practice communicating your research. Projects might be showcased at competitions or published. Additionally, you’ll learn how teams outside the lab, such as Marketing, Neuroscience Publications, and the Barrow Neurological Foundation, support research.
4. Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH) High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Multiple Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH) centers across Illinois
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 18 – July 31
Application Deadline: January 5 – April 13
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, as well as graduating seniors
The SIH Summer Internship Program is designed for students pursuing a future career in healthcare and provides hands-on experience to explore different roles. You can choose from areas like Radiology, Respiratory Therapy, Laboratory, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and other approved healthcare fields. The program will help you learn about different healthcare careers and what daily life in a hospital looks like. If you are interested in MRI, Radiation Therapy, CT, or Ultrasound, the Radiology internship allows you to shadow an X-ray technologist and observe how medical images are created and used by physicians to support accurate diagnoses. The program lasts 6 to 8 weeks, primarily during day shifts unless specified otherwise. You will work 4 to 6 hours a day, two or three days per week, from Monday to Friday. Additionally, you are required to complete hospital and departmental orientation before beginning your internship.
5. High School Summer Research Experience in Cancer (SURE-CAN) Program at Roswell Park
Location: Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Limited cohort size
Dates: June 26 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 2
Eligibility: Current high school juniors who live in Western New York and attend school in Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus, or Chautauqua counties. Applicants must be 15 or older by the program start and be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center offers the SURE-CAN summer research internship for local high school students. This program provides practical experience in health science fields such as cancer research, medical imaging, engineering, IT, and research administration. It will help you learn about radiology by providing exposure to cancer treatment, imaging, and diagnosis. You’ll also gain research experience that can be applied to fields such as medical imaging and radiation oncology. During the program, you’ll participate in group discussions, lectures, and hands-on dry- or wet-lab research while learning cancer biology, imaging, genomics, and emerging tools such as AI. You’ll attend seminars on scientific communication and careers in cancer-related fields, as well as present a research poster at a final symposium. The program also covers research ethics, basic statistics, and how math, physics, and engineering connect to cancer science.
6. University of Washington Radiology High School Immersion Week
Location: UW Medical Center – Montlake, Seattle, WA
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 23 – 27 | July 21 – 25 | August 25 – 29
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students
The University of Washington Radiology High School Immersion Week introduces students to medicine and healthcare careers through radiology and medical imaging. All activities take place at the UWMC Montlake Radiology Department, where you’ll work in groups under the supervision of faculty and medical staff, with safety measures like radiation badges and protective equipment. You’ll learn about anatomy and imaging modalities, including X-ray, MRI, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, CT, and nuclear imaging. You’ll explore career paths like technologist, physician, nurse, physicist, informatics specialist, physician assistant, and administrator. You’ll also participate in activities like imaging everyday objects, practicing ultrasound on tissue phantoms, and shadowing healthcare professionals to see what their workdays are like.
7. Children’s Mercy College and High School Student Observerships — Non-Medical Student (and Allied Health) Observerships
Location: Children’s Mercy (Adele Hall, Kansas City, MO, and other locations)
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: The time commitment ranges from a half day to a full day, with flexible scheduling
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Non-medical college students and high school students
Children’s Mercy offers short observerships for high school and non-medical college students interested in exploring careers in medicine or allied health. An observership is a brief shadowing experience that lasts from half a day to one full day, with a maximum of eight hours. You will shadow a licensed physician with full medical staff privileges who is not a resident or fellow. You can also learn about allied health roles, which are a big part of patient care at Children’s Mercy. Observation areas include pharmacy, radiology, lab services, physical and occupational therapy, pulmonary lab, child life, respiratory care, hearing and speech, spiritual services, nutrition, audiology, home care, transport, and clinical engineering. Before participating, you must find a physician to observe, review the brochure, sign the agreement form, and collect the required faculty signatures.
8. Dartmouth Health High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH
Cost/Stipend: Free | Interns earn $14 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application Deadline: December 15 – March 11
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who live in the local or regional area served by Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center & Clinics and will be at least 16 by the start of the internship
The Dartmouth Hitchcock High School Foundations Summer Internship Program allows students to explore a range of healthcare careers and develop practical workplace skills. Over the summer, you’ll rotate through two or three departments to see how a large medical center runs and learn about different roles in patient care. Past placements include Radiology, Inpatient Administration, Pharmacy, Facilities and Engineering, Supply Chain, Medical Labs, and Clinic Support. As a radiology intern, you’ll help with daily tasks, get exposure to imaging methods like ultrasound and CT, and have chances to shadow staff in the Diagnostic Radiology Department. You’ll take part in cohort workshops on mentoring, professional skills, networking, and personal growth.
9. Cooper University Health Care High School Volunteer Program
Location: Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited spots are available
Dates: June – September
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; you can find the application form here
Eligibility: High school students between the ages of 14 and 17
Cooper University Health Care’s High School Volunteer Program allows students aged 14 to 17 to support various hospital departments while learning how a healthcare center operates. One placement option is the Radiology Ambassador role, where you’ll assist imaging department staff and learn how radiology supports patient care. Other roles include patient support, clerical work, transport services, and concierge duties. You’ll work with both clinical and non-clinical teams and get exposure to the medical and administrative sides of healthcare. You will also earn community service or internship hours and explore possible career paths.
10. Uniformed Services University Summer Scholars Program
Location: Uniformed Services University (USU), Bethesda, MD
Cost/Stipend: Free | $3,500 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – August 14 (8 weeks for high school students)
Application Deadline: January 30
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores through recent graduates who are U.S. citizens, will be at least 16 by June 7, and have a minimum 2.5 GPA
The USU Summer Scholars Program is an eight-week program that introduces students to social and behavioral research, basic and clinical research, health policy, and research administration. You’ll work with research mentors across USU departments like Radiology, Pathology, Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Psychiatry, Pharmacology, Surgery, Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology. Students interested in medicine have also worked with Psychiatry, Preventive Medicine, Pathology, Nursing, and Biostatistics, as well as the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health. You’ll take part in field trips, lab work, seminars, observations, and research planning meetings. The program will end with you creating and presenting an abstract at the Summer Scholars Program symposium based on your research project. Past projects have examined blood cell responses to arbovirus infections, Alzheimer’s-related proteins, and the effects of cellular stress on the FUS protein.
11. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free, with a $50 application fee (waivable based on financial need) | Limited need-based stipends are available through special grants
Cohort Size: Around 50 students
Dates: June 8 – July 30
Application Deadline: December 19 – February 21
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who will be at least 16 by the start of the program. Applicants must live in the U.S. and attend high school there, and be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident with a green card
The SIMR program enables students to participate in real-world medical research alongside Stanford faculty, researchers, and students. You’ll work one-on-one with a mentor in a SIMR lab and contribute to ongoing research projects. Lab placements are matched to your interests, with eight focus areas available, including bioinformatics, cancer biology, immunology, neurobiology, genetics, cardiovascular biology, stem cell and regenerative medicine, and bioengineering. If you’re interested in radiology, you may be paired with researchers focused on medical imaging, AI uses in imaging, or molecular imaging. You’ll also get exposure to radiology tools such as MRI, CT, and PET. You’ll attend lectures, complete lab work, and take part in weekly group discussions to exchange ideas and learn from other students. The program will conclude with you creating and presenting a research poster based on your work.
12. Nationwide Children’s High School Career Academy
Location: Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
Cost/Stipend: Free | Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 34 students participated in last year’s program
Dates: November – April
Application Deadline: September 26
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors from Franklin County and nearby areas
The High School Career Academy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is a six-month after-school program for local high school juniors and seniors. It includes paid shadowing and training that will introduce you to a range of healthcare careers and help you earn industry-recognized credentials. You’ll get hands-on experience, meet clinical staff from in-demand departments, and explore roles in Behavioral Health, Radiology and Ultrasound, Dental, Infectious Disease, IT, Lab Technology, Pharmacy, Respiratory Therapy, and the Simulation Center. You’ll attend two evening sessions per month from 4:30 to 8 p.m. You’ll learn medical terminology, HIPAA, CPR, financial literacy, interview skills, resume writing, and networking. You’ll also earn internship or volunteer hours, receive validation for skills on the Ohio Means Job Readiness Seal, and learn how certifications connect to career paths and tuition assistance at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
13. The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI)—Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $2,400 program fee + $45 application fee; need-based financial aid is available | Unpaid
Cohort Size: Around 50 students
Dates: June 15 – 26 | July 6 – 17
Application Deadline: December 15 – February 20
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th graders who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and will be 14 or older by the program’s start can apply. Strong preference for students with strong math and/or computer programming skills and/or experience with a healthcare project
The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging offers an internship for high school students interested in exploring how AI is used in healthcare. You’ll attend advanced lectures and receive mentorship from Stanford student leads and researchers, gaining insight into both the technical and clinical sides of AI in medicine. You’ll work on an AI-focused medical project, gain hands-on research experience, and attend lectures on AI in medicine. You’ll also join Meet the Expert sessions with speakers from academia, government, industry, and nonprofits. The program will also introduce you to radiology through artificial intelligence, with hands-on projects and lectures that apply AI and machine learning to clinical imaging data and show how AI supports disease diagnosis.
14. MediTrack USA High School Medical Internships
Location: Internships are offered across New York, Miami, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles
Cost/Stipend: Information about a cost or stipend is not provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 2-week Summer Intensives or 4-week Extended Programs during summer or winter break; flexible schedule
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12; no prior medical experience is required
MediTrack USA offers high school internships for students interested in medicine, healthcare, research, and biomedical sciences. You’ll shadow doctors, observe patient care in HIPAA-compliant settings, and learn basic clinical terminology and procedures across departments like Emergency, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Radiology. The program includes short lectures on anatomy, public health, and medical ethics, as well as interactive workshops, case discussions, and overviews of pathways to the USMLE, MCAT, and medical school. You’ll get hands-on exposure to the U.S. medical system through structured clinical and research experiences, guided by physicians and healthcare professionals. You’ll also earn a Certificate of Completion and may receive personalized letters of recommendation to support college and pre-med applications.
15. BIO5 Institute’s Keep Engaging Youth in Science (KEYS) Research Internship
Location: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 66 students participated in last year’s program
Dates: June 1 – July 17
Application Deadline: November 3 – December 18
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old by June 1 and have lived in Arizona for at least one year
The KEYS Research Internship at the BIO5 Institute offers students interested in STEM the opportunity to gain practical experience through real research projects at the University of Arizona. Participants collaborate with active research teams, learn laboratory tools and techniques, and receive mentorship guidance. Before summer, you’ll complete online coursework in data science, biotechnology, and science literacy from April through June. This will help you stay up to date on advancements in radiology and medical imaging. The program begins with a Training Week on core research skills, followed by full-time lab work supported by faculty, students, and lab staff. Each week includes a Science Seminar where you’ll hear from UA researchers, practice presenting, and work on a research poster. You’ll get to present your project to family, friends, and the academic community at the final showcase.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like diagnostic radiology, imaging technologies, interventional radiology, and AI in medical imaging, 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!
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