Updated October 2026
TL;DR
This guide covers 13 medical internships for high school students in Utah, including paid lab research, virtual AI and cancer research programs, and hospital career exploration programs. You’ll find details on cost or stipend, dates, deadlines, and eligibility, verified against official program pages in October 2026. Jump to paid lab research internships, virtual research and AI programs, or career exploration and shadowing programs. At least 9 programs are free or pay a stipend. You can also explore the Horizon Academic Research Program if you want to research your own medical question with a professor or PhD mentor.
If you’re hoping to explore medicine this year, Utah gives you more options than you might expect, and a surprising number of them are free or pay you to participate. Several run through Huntsman Cancer Institute, where you can do cancer research in person or from home with a lab kit mailed to your door. Others are shorter, career-focused programs run through local hospitals and health systems. To help you compare, we looked at cost, stipend, location, and eligibility, and narrowed the list down to 13 programs worth considering. If you’d like to compare paid options everywhere, see our list of summer programs with stipends for high school students.
What kinds of medical internships can Utah high schoolers do?
They fall into three groups, and each one asks something different of you.
Paid lab research internships: You work alongside a scientist on a real project, usually full-time for several weeks, and you get paid for it. PathMaker Scholars, NIH STEP-UP, the Uintah Basin Student Research Internship, and the Utah DHHS Summer Internship all work this way.
Virtual research and AI programs: You join from home, usually for one to five weeks, often with a lab kit mailed to you or a Zoom-based project. Examples are the Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship, JHIBS Virtual Experience, the Cancer Research High School Program, and the HCI-RISE Program.
Career exploration and shadowing programs: You tour hospitals, practice basic clinical skills in a simulation setting, and hear from health professionals about what their jobs are actually like. This group includes Crossroads Utah AHEC’s Pre-Health Summer Program, the IHealth Summer Program, the Wasatch Front High School Partnership, the Medical Laboratory Science Summer Immersion Program, and the Health Care Career Academy.
Which Utah medical internship fits what you want?
| If you want | Look at |
|---|---|
| A paid, full-time research placement | PathMaker Scholars, NIH STEP-UP |
| To stay entirely online | Stanford AIMI, JHIBS Virtual, Cancer Research HS Program, HCI-RISE |
| A short taste of hospital life | IHealth Summer Program, Health Care Career Academy |
| Hands-on lab testing skills | MLS Summer Immersion Program |
| A semester-long commitment, not just a summer | Wasatch Front High School Partnership, Health Care Career Academy |
| A stipend plus college-readiness classes | Crossroads Utah AHEC Pre-Health Summer Program |
| Rural or Mountain West eligibility | Cancer Research HS Program, HCI-RISE |
| State government experience | Utah DHHS Summer Internship |
Paid Lab Research Internships
1. PathMaker Scholars
Location: Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Stipend: Up to $4,000, plus housing, meals, and travel support for out-of-state students
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: May 25 to July 30)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: February 1)
Eligibility: Completed junior year of high school by the start date; U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or valid Alien Registration Card holders
In this internship, you live on the University of Utah campus for 10 weeks and work full-time in a cancer research lab under a principal investigator. You attend weekly research meetings, learn core lab techniques, and present your findings at the Summer Research Symposium. Students who finish are automatically re-admitted the next year without reapplying.
Who is it right for? Students who want a serious, paid introduction to cancer research and don’t mind living on campus for the summer.
2. NIH STEP-UP Summer Research Program
Location: Research sites nationwide, including placements in Utah through local coordinating centers
Stipend: A summer research stipend, reported around $5,500, plus paid travel to the symposium
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: eight weeks, typically June to August)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: February 15 for high school applicants; the application portal opens October 15)
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors, at least 16, who are U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents
STEP-UP matches you with a research mentor near your home, so you don’t need to relocate. You spend eight weeks on a biomedical research project in areas like endocrinology, nutrition, or kidney disease, then continue a nine-month mentorship through the school year. The program ends with a trip to NIH’s Bethesda campus to present your work.
Who is it right for? Students who want paid biomedical research close to home without leaving Utah for the summer.
3. Uintah Basin Student Research Internship (UBRI)
Location: Utah State University, Uintah Basin campus, Vernal, UT
Stipend: Paid internship
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: about 8.5 to 9 weeks, through late July)
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: At least 16 and have completed junior year of high school. Preference goes to USU Uintah Basin students, but high schoolers are eligible.
In this program, you design a research project with a USU faculty mentor and work on it full time for the summer, then present to the Uintah Basin research community. Past projects have covered topics like environmental DNA detection and medically relevant genetics. Only a small number of students, around four, are selected each year.
Who is it right for? Students in or near the Uintah Basin who want a small, mentor-driven research project.
4. Utah Department of Health & Human Services Summer Internship
Location: Salt Lake County and Utah County, UT
Stipend: $15 per hour, plus a UTA transit pass
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: June 16 to August 8, part-time)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: May 11)
Eligibility: Utah youth ages 16 to 19 with prior involvement in a DHHS program, such as foster care, juvenile justice, or disability services
You rotate through different divisions of a state health agency, learning how public health and human services actually operate. Past rotations have covered communicable disease control and risk management. The internship includes leadership and professional development sessions alongside the paid work.
Who is it right for? Utah youth already connected to a DHHS program who want paid public health experience.
Virtual Research and AI Programs
5. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $850 program fee plus a $45 application fee. Financial aid can cover both.
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: two weeks)
Application Deadline: TBA. The 2027 cycle reportedly opens November 10, 2026, with a February 1, 2027 deadline; confirm on the program page before applying.
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents who will be 14 or older by the start date
Here, you spend two weeks learning how AI is used in medical imaging and diagnosis, taught by Stanford’s Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging. Daily lectures cover AI fundamentals and medical imaging, and you build a group project applying those concepts to a health care problem. You also meet Stanford mentors and hear from professionals in AI and medicine.
Who is it right for? Students interested in both coding and medicine who want to stay fully online.
6. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) – Virtual Experience
Location: Virtual
Stipend: $500 stipend
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: five weeks, July to August)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: March 1)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
You’re paired with a Johns Hopkins neuroscientist and work through virtual research projects on topics like juvenile epilepsy or HIV-related brain conditions. The program includes online lectures, mentorship, and professional development workshops. You finish with a presentation at a final symposium and a certificate of completion.
Who is it right for? Students drawn to neuroscience who want direct mentorship from a research hospital, without travel.
7. Cancer Research High School Program
Location: Virtual, hosted by Huntsman Cancer Institute
Stipend: Up to $500
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: July 6 to 17, two weeks, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. MST)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: April 25; applications opened February 10)
Eligibility: Rising sophomores or juniors in Utah, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, or Wyoming
In the Cancer Research High School Program, you receive a lab kit at home and spend week one on hands-on cancer research experiments, then week two on career exploration in oncology and biomedical science. Live online workshops and panels connect you with researchers and medical professionals across the country. You must commit to all 40 hours of virtual sessions to receive the stipend.
Who is it right for? Mountain West sophomores and juniors who want an early, paid look at cancer research.
8. HCI-RISE Program
Location: Virtual, hosted by Huntsman Cancer Institute
Stipend: Up to $400.
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: July 13 to 16 and July 20 to 23, 8:30 a.m. to noon MST)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: April 25; applications opened February 10)
Eligibility: Completed freshman year of high school; residents of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, or Wyoming
RISE stands for Remote Immersive Science Experience, and it’s built for students from rural communities who are curious about cancer research and health careers. Week one covers cancer research, data, and community health at Huntsman Cancer Institute. Week two focuses on skills and leadership for careers in and beyond the institute.
Who is it right for? Rural Mountain West students who want an entry-level, paid introduction to health careers.
Career Exploration and Shadowing Programs
9. Crossroads Utah AHEC Pre-Health Summer Program
Location: Salt Lake Community College, Jordan Campus, West Jordan, UT
Stipend: $15 per hour, plus free lunches
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: June 8 to July 17, six weeks)
Application Deadline: TBA (applications for the 2026 cycle opened in January)
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in Salt Lake County. Priority goes to students interested in health careers, first-generation students, and those who qualify for free or reduced lunch.
You take college-readiness classes in math, English, and science while visiting healthcare facilities for hands-on exposure to nursing, dentistry, and occupational therapy. Each day ends with a short talk from a health professional, from pharmacists to clinical engineers. It’s one of the only programs on this list that blends academic prep with paid healthcare exposure.
Who is it right for? Salt Lake County juniors and seniors who want both college prep and a paycheck.
10. IHealth Summer Program
Location: Intermountain Healthcare facilities across Northern Utah
Cost: No cost
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: three days, June to July)
Application Deadline: TBA. Enrollment has opened in March in past cycles.
Eligibility: Ages 16 to 18, residing in the Salt Lake area. Select cohorts for younger students have been offered.
Over three days, you tour hospital departments like nursing, respiratory therapy, laboratory science, and pediatrics, and practice basic clinical skills in simulations. Both in-person and virtual sessions are offered, with lunch and transit passes provided. It’s a good first step if you’ve never set foot in a hospital department before.
Who is it right for? Students who want a short, free sampler of several healthcare careers at once.
11. Wasatch Front High School Partnership
Location: Salt Lake County, UT, across partner healthcare sites
Cost: None
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: one semester, offered fall and spring)
Application Deadline: TBA. Apply through your high school counselor; deadlines vary by school.
Eligibility: Salt Lake County juniors and seniors, ages 16 to 18
You split your week between classroom instruction and on-site visits to facilities like Intermountain Health, Shriners Children’s Hospital, and Salt Lake Community College health labs. Skills labs teach CPR, first aid, and other clinical fundamentals in a simulated setting. Because it runs a full semester, it’s a bigger time commitment than most other programs here.
Who is it right for? Students who want sustained healthcare exposure across a semester, not just a few summer weeks.
12. Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Summer Immersion Program
Location: University of Utah’s Eccles Health Science Education Building, Salt Lake City, UT
Cost: $25 registration fee
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: one week, late June)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: March 2)
Eligibility: Ages 16 to 18, entering sophomore, junior, or senior year
You spend a week in a simulated lab running the tests that diagnose disease, covering hematology, microbiology, urinalysis, clinical chemistry, parasitology, and blood banking. You use real microscopes and lab equipment to understand how medical lab professionals work. It’s the most hands-on, lab-bench-focused program on this list that doesn’t require a multi-week commitment.
Who is it right for? Students curious about the diagnostic side of medicine who want a short, affordable lab week.
13. Health Care Career Academy
Location: Salt Lake County, UT, at Primary Children’s Hospital and Intermountain sites
Cost: Free
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: fall semester, after school and some weekends)
Application Deadline: TBA. Apply through your high school counselor; deadlines vary by school.
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in Salt Lake County
You complete 21 observation hours at Primary Children’s Hospital, shadowing pediatric specialists, and attend sessions led by medical residents on public and community health. You also practice clinical skills in non-patient labs at Intermountain Health campuses. Class sizes run from 20 to 40 students.
Who is it right for? Students interested in pediatric care or public health who want structured shadowing hours.
If getting paid matters most, start with PathMaker Scholars and NIH STEP-UP, since both pay the most and cost nothing to apply.
These Utah internships put you in a lab or a hospital for a summer. If you’d rather lead your own study from start to finish, the Horizon Academic Research Program pairs you one-on-one with a professor or PhD scholar to write a research paper of about 20 pages on a medical topic you choose, from anywhere in Utah.
What students often ask about Utah medical internships
It depends on the internship. Several of the research-based programs put you at a lab bench full-time, running your own experiments and presenting results at a symposium, while a few of the shorter career-exploration programs are built more around tours, simulations, and shadowing health professionals.
Not usually. Some internships assign you a mentor based on your stated interests, and a couple let you rank your top research areas or mentor preferences on the application, so you don’t need to have it fully figured out.
A few are fully virtual and open to students across the wider Mountain West, while most of the others expect you to commute to a lab or hospital in Utah. If you’d rather research a medical question from anywhere, the Horizon Academic Research Program pairs you with a professor or PhD mentor online.
Most do, with stipends ranging from a few hundred dollars up to several thousand for a full summer of research. A couple charge a small application or registration fee instead of paying you, so check each program’s cost before you apply.
Image source – University of Utah Health