Ever wonder what it’s like to work in a hospital before college? High school hospital internships let you get a firsthand look at healthcare in action. You’ll see how hospitals operate, meet different healthcare teams, and understand how various roles come together to care for patients.
New York City is home to some of the country’s top hospitals, including teaching and research institutions that offer structured internships for high school students. These programs give you the chance to explore medicine, nursing, public health, and medical research while gaining real-world experience. Many also include mentorship sessions, skill-building workshops, and opportunities to shadow professionals in their daily work.
Since these internships are local, you can participate without worrying about relocation or housing. They also provide practical experience to strengthen your resume and college applications, especially if you’re considering a pre-med or health-related path.
To help you get started, we’ve listed 13 hospital internships for high school students in NYC!
13 Hospital Internships for High School Students in NYC
1. Mount Sinai – Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE) Summer Program
Cost: Free
Location: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Manhattan, NY
Program Dates: Varies by track (typically June – August)
Application Deadline: Typically opens in January; closes in March
Eligibility: Open to high school students enrolled in NYC schools with a strong interest in STEM, medicine, or healthcare.
CEYE offers high school students a structured summer immersion across Mount Sinai’s hospital and research labs, providing direct exposure to clinical departments and biomedical research. You will participate in lab-based projects, hospital shadowing, and seminars in biostatistics, bioethics, and medical terminology. Mentorship from medical faculty and graduate researchers helps students strengthen analytical thinking and understand real-world health disparities through data-driven study. You’ll gain a foundation in research design, patient care principles, and the professional culture of a medical institution.
2. NewYork-Presbyterian – Lang Youth Medical Program
Cost: Free
Location: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Washington Heights & Inwood, Manhattan, NY
Program Dates: Multi-year program with summer internships (typically June – August each year)
Application Deadline: Typically opens in November; closes in February
Eligibility: Open to middle and high school students from Community School District 6 (Washington Heights and Inwood) with strong academic performance and interest in healthcare careers.
The NewYork-Presbyterian Lang Youth Medical Program is a six-year initiative that immerses you in the hospital environment. It combines academic learning with clinical rotations, shadowing, and public health workshops. You study human anatomy, pathology, and physiology while applying scientific methods in real healthcare settings. With guidance from physicians and medical students, you learn to interpret patient data, observe medical procedures, and understand how different healthcare teams work together. The long-term structure supports continued mentorship, college preparation, and career readiness within a clinical setting.
3. Memorial Sloan Kettering Summer Student Program (SSP)
Stipend: $1,200
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Manhattan, NY
Program Dates: June 29 – August 21
Application Deadline: Opens December 1; closes February 6 (8:00 a.m. EST)
Eligibility: High school juniors residing within 25 miles of MSK’s main campus in NY, NJ, or CT; minimum 3.5 GPA in science; legally authorized to work in the U.S.; must be at least 14 years old by program start.
The Memorial Sloan Kettering Summer Student Program is an eight-week internship where you work in a research lab on a self-directed biomedical or computational project. You are guided by a principal investigator while developing skills in lab techniques such as cell culture, imaging, and molecular biology assays. You also get exposure to bioinformatics tools used in genomics and cancer research. You take part in lab meetings, translational medicine sessions, and poster presentations, building both your technical and communication skills. The program blends independent work with strong mentorship, making it a good fit for students interested in biology, medicine, and computation.
4. Columbia University – YES in THE HEIGHTS Program
Cost: Free
Location: Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Manhattan, NY
Program Dates: June 29 to August 21
Application Deadline: Opens November 14; closes January 9
Eligibility: Open to high school and undergraduate students from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds.
YES in THE HEIGHTS is a two-year cancer research training program that pairs students with Columbia University faculty across population, clinical, and basic sciences. As participants, you will conduct independent or mentored projects in oncology, epidemiology, and molecular biology, learning to analyze data, prepare scientific abstracts, and present findings at a research symposium. The curriculum includes professionalism workshops, academic writing sessions, and one-on-one mentorship.
5. Hospital for Special Surgery – RISE High School Summer Research Internship
Cost: Free
Location: Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY
Program Dates: June 21 – August 13
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Open to high school students with strong academic performance and interest in sports medicine, epidemiology, or biomedical research.
The Hospital for Special Surgery RISE High School Summer Research Internship is an eight to twelve-week program where you work with HSS and Weill Cornell faculty on sports medicine and exercise science research. You take part in projects involving injury surveillance, epidemiology, biomechanics, and software engineering, sometimes in collaboration with researchers from NYU, Columbia, and UCSF. You gain hands-on experience in data collection, statistical analysis, and clinical observation, along with seminars on science ethics and epidemiology. You present your findings at a research symposium and may qualify for science competitions such as Regeneron STS and LISEF.
6. Weill Cornell Medicine – High School Catalyst Program
Cost: Free
Location: Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Manhattan, NY
Program Dates: July 7 – August 15
Application Deadline: Typically February – April
Eligibility: Open to high school students with a strong interest in biomedical science; applicants from first-generation, underrepresented, or socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply.
The Weill Cornell Medicine High School Catalyst Program is a six-week in-person research internship. You work with a graduate or postdoctoral mentor in a lab at Weill Cornell or Memorial Sloan Kettering. You take part in hands-on biomedical research, assist with experiments, and join journal clubs, panels, and workshops on topics like medical ethics, research communication, and experimental design. You spend about 25 hours a week on lab work and scientific meetings. The program ends with a poster symposium where you present your research, giving you practical exposure to academic and clinical research settings.
7. Manhattan–Staten Island AHEC – Summer Health Internship Program (SHIP)
Cost: Free
Location: Hospitals and health centers across Manhattan and Staten Island, NY
Program Dates: Six weeks (typically June – August)
Application Deadline: Typically January – March
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors (age 17+ at program start) who live or attend school in Manhattan or Staten Island; college freshmen and sophomores also eligible.
The Manhattan–Staten Island’s SHIP offers a six-week health-focused internship combining clinical exposure, public health education, and professional mentorship. You’ll be placed in hospitals, community health centers, or health organizations, where you will observe healthcare operations, shadow clinicians, and participate in weekly seminars on leadership, teamwork, and cultural competence. You will also attend field trips and workshops on community health challenges relevant to NYC populations.
8. Columbia University – BRAINYAC (Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia)
Cost: Free
Location: Columbia University Zuckerman Institute, Manhattan, NY
Program Dates: June – August (typically 8 weeks)
Application Deadline: October 6 – October 31
Eligibility: Open to 10th and 11th-graders enrolled in NYC partner programs (S-PREP, BioBus, Lang Youth Medical, Double Discovery Center, or Columbia Secondary School). Applicants must reside in NYC, with preference for students in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.
Hosted by Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute, BRAINYAC connects high school students with Columbia neuroscientists for an immersive summer lab internship. You will conduct hands-on research in neuroscience, molecular biology, and cognitive science, learning lab techniques such as microscopy, data collection, and electrophysiological recording. You will also attend lectures, professional development sessions, and a final symposium where you’ll present your projects.
9. NYU Langone – Medical Ethics Internship Program
Cost: Free
Location: NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Manhattan, NY
Program Dates: Offered in fall and spring (typically February – April and September – December)
Application Deadline: Late January (for spring intake)
Eligibility: Open to high school and college students interested in medical ethics, healthcare, or biomedical research.
NYU Langone’s Division of Medical Ethics offers research internships for high school students focused on real ethical questions in medicine and biotechnology. You work with faculty on projects involving pediatric gene therapy, sports ethics, transplant ethics, and compassionate use policies, learning how ethical frameworks shape healthcare decisions. You also attend seminars with experts in public health, law, and biotech, building skills in ethical analysis, writing, and policy communication.
10. Lenox Hill Hospital – Health Care Immersion Summer Volunteer Program
Cost: Free
Location: Lenox Hill Hospital, Manhattan, NY (part of Northwell Health)
Program Dates: July (100-hour program, four days per week, Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m)
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Open to high school students with prior volunteer experience and a demonstrated interest in healthcare; applicants must be available for the full month of July.
The Lenox Hill Hospital Health Care Immersion Summer Volunteer Program is a selective opportunity for ten high school students to gain firsthand experience inside the hospital. You complete at least 100 volunteer hours, support non-clinical tasks, and learn about hospital workflow, patient communication, and teamwork across departments. You also meet and learn from hospital staff through mentorship and professional development sessions. The program offers an inside view of how a major NYC hospital functions, making it useful for students interested in medicine or health management.
11. Memorial Sloan Kettering – Bridge to Biostats Summer Program (B2BSP)
Cost: Free
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Midtown Manhattan, NY
Program Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: Opens December 1
Eligibility: Open to rising high school sophomores through seniors who live and attend school in NYC; must have an interest in math, computer science, statistics, or data science.
The Bridge to Biostats Summer Program introduces high school students to applied data science in cancer research through a 6-week, in-person training at Memorial Sloan Kettering. You will learn R programming, statistical analysis, and research design while working on real cancer data projects under the guidance of MSK biostatisticians. You will gain a foundation in biostatistics, computational biology, and quantitative reasoning, essential skills for modern medical research.
12. NYU Langone – Division of Medical Ethics High School Bioethics Project
Cost: Free
Location: NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Manhattan, NY
Program Dates: Typically June – August
Application Deadline: Typically opens in February; closes in April
Eligibility: Open to high school students interested in bioethics, medicine, or life sciences; prior coursework in biology or ethics preferred.
The NYU Langone Division of Medical Ethics High School Bioethics Project brings high school interns into bioethics work with guidance from faculty. You help create lesson plans and case-based learning materials on topics such as CRISPR, vaccine policy, environmental ethics, and medical decision-making. You gain experience in research, writing, and ethical analysis, and your projects become part of NYU’s educational resource library. The program helps you build strong analytical, writing, and communication skills while deepening your understanding of ethical issues in medicine.
13. Rockefeller University – Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)
Cost: Free
Location: The Rockefeller University, Manhattan, NY
Program Dates: June 22 – August 6
Application Deadline: Applications due January 2; recommendation letters due January 5
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors and seniors aged 16 or older by the program start date; full-time attendance required.
The SSRP is a seven-week mentored laboratory research internship hosted at Rockefeller University in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering and Weill Cornell Medicine. You will join small research teams led by scientific trainees to investigate molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, or neuroscience topics, following a workflow that mirrors real lab operations. Scholars learn pipetting, microscopy, data analysis, and research poster design, culminating in a symposium presentation. Workshops on scientific writing, ethics, and experimental design complement the lab work, offering deep immersion in the collaborative culture of biomedical research.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like biology, neurology, biomedical, public health, 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 topic 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 – NYU Grossman School of Medicine