Exploring medicine early can help you understand whether a career in healthcare is the right fit for you. Medical programs for high school students give you the chance to step into environments you wouldn’t normally encounter in a classroom—like anatomy labs, patient care simulations, or biomedical research projects. These experiences help you develop both technical skills (such as using diagnostic tools or analyzing lab results) and transferable ones like collaboration, critical thinking, and scientific communication. For many students, programs like these are a first glimpse into the realities of medical practice and research, making them a valuable way to test interests before college.
If you’re based in Florida, you don’t have to travel far to find meaningful opportunities. The state has a wide range of hospitals, universities, and research institutes that run summer programs specifically for high school students. Choosing a local program often comes with practical benefits—lower costs, easier access, and sometimes stronger community ties. Florida’s mix of major research universities and healthcare systems means you can find options that balance academic rigor with hands-on learning.
Below, you’ll find 15 programs across Florida that provide high school students with structured exposure to medicine through labs, mentorship, and guided projects.
1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program – Medicine Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary by cohort; the Winter cohort application deadline is November 16
Eligibility: High school students with strong academic performance (average admitted GPA ~3.3 unweighted)
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a 12-week online mentorship where high school students work one-on-one with a PhD researcher to complete an independent project. In the medicine track, students focus on topics such as biology, neuroscience, or public health. The program emphasizes core research skills, including developing a research question, conducting literature reviews, analyzing data using tools such as R or SPSS, and producing a formal paper. By the end of the program, you will have a polished research project suitable for college applications or academic competitions.
2. Veritas AI + Medicine Deep Dive
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,490; need-based financial aid available
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Program Dates: Multiple 12–15 week cohorts throughout the year, including summer
Application Deadline: Rolling; Winter application deadline is October 19
Eligibility: Open to high school students of grades 8–12 who have completed the AI Scholars program or have a background in coding
Veritas AI’s AI + Medicine program, run by Harvard graduate students, offers structured programs for high school students interested in learning how artificial intelligence is transforming the field of medicine. The AI Scholars program introduces you to the fundamentals of machine learning and data science through a 10-session boot camp. For those focused on healthcare, the 10-week AI + Medicine Deep Dive explores how AI is used in clinical settings. You will apply machine learning models to analyze medical scans, build tools for disease detection, and practice interpreting outputs in ways that can support doctors and patients.
3. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS)
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free; $500 scholarship provided for virtual participants
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Program Dates: July – August (specific dates vary)
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors from underrepresented groups in the U.S.
The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) offers high school students mentored research experience in neuroscience. You will join research teams, contribute to ongoing projects, and attend professional development sessions that emphasize both technical and academic skills. Virtual interns engage in journal discussions, learn core lab concepts, and receive structured guidance on the college application process. The program highlights collaborative learning while introducing students to the methods and language of neuroscience research.
4. JJ Vance Memorial Summer Internship (University of Miami Miller School of Medicine)
Location: Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL
Cost/Stipend: Free; interns earn ~$15 per hour
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective; ~12 students selected
Program Dates: June 16 – August 8 (tentative, based on previous years)
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: High school juniors from Miami and Broward-area schools; must be legally authorized to work in the U.S.
The JJ Vance Memorial Summer Internship is an eight-week research placement at the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics. Each student is paired with a faculty researcher, staff scientist, or postdoc to gain direct lab experience. You will learn techniques in genetics research, practice data collection and analysis, and present your findings in a formal research talk. The program emphasizes hands-on use of lab tools while introducing students to the study of genes and their role in human disease.
5. University of Miami Pre-College Summer Scholars Program
Location: University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
Cost: $9,532 (residential) | $8,144 (commuter) + $75 application fee; limited scholarships available
Acceptance Rate: High acceptance rate
Program Dates: June 28 – July 18 (tentative, based on previous years)
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors with a minimum GPA of 3.0
The Pre-College Summer Scholars Program lets students earn six college credits in three weeks while exploring an academic specialty. In the healthcare and medicine track, you will take two courses that combine lectures with hands-on labs, discussions, and field trips. Faculty-led instruction emphasizes both academic foundations and applied problem-solving, with students also engaging in presentations and group projects. The program provides early exposure to university-level coursework while building subject-specific knowledge.
6. FIU Center for Translational Science (CTS) High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Florida International University, Miami, FL
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Program Dates: June 9 – July 10 (tentative, based on previous years)
Application Deadline: April 8
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors enrolled in St. Lucie County schools
The FIU-CTS High School Summer Internship places students in modern labs where they learn the full cycle of research, from forming a hypothesis to interpreting results. Interns are mentored by scientists working in areas such as neuroscience, spinal cord injury, cardiovascular health, immunity, and drug discovery. You will run experiments, analyze data, and prepare a scientific poster that can be presented at competitions or used for college applications. The 5-week program also offers over 100 volunteer hours upon completion, a certificate of completion, and the chance to present work at the CTS Internship Luncheon, where you can network with professionals in biomedical science.
7. FIU Summer Research Internship in Cardiovascular Health
Location: Florida International University, Miami, FL
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly competitive; ~26 students
Program Dates: June 13 – August 8 (tentative, based on previous years)
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: South Florida high school juniors, FIU-bound seniors, and accepted FIU transfer students; minimum GPA of 3.0; must be at least 16 years old
This internship provides students with intensive exposure to cardiovascular research. As a participant, you will complete safety training before being paired with a faculty mentor, then dedicate ~15 hours weekly to lab-based research alongside curriculum sessions held three times a week. These sessions include case studies, journal clubs, and professional workshops. You will develop skills in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific communication, culminating in an abstract and a research presentation. The top three presenters receive awards and the opportunity to present at the MARC U*STAR symposium in December.
8. Nova Southeastern University – Achieve in Medicine (AIM-High) Day Camp
Location: NSU Davie/Fort Lauderdale Campus (30 miles from Miami, FL)
Cost/Stipend: $1,600 + $50 application fee; need-based scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective; ~50 students per session
Program Dates: July 7 – 11 | July 14 – 18
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.2
The AIM-High camp is a five-day program that introduces high school students to various medical fields, including pediatrics, pharmacy, neuroscience, and public health. You will rotate through hands-on sessions in suturing, sports medicine, dissection, and cancer detection, while also earning certifications in CPR and first-aid. The curriculum incorporates new technologies, such as 3D modeling, augmented reality, and natural language processing. You will also engage in community health and emergency response through disaster medicine training with Sunrise Fire and Rescue, while connecting with NSU medical students for mentorship and peer learning.
9. Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) Internship
Location: MPFI, Jupiter, FL
Cost/Stipend: Free; interns earn $12.50/hour
Acceptance Rate: Info not available
Program Dates: June 17 – July 26
Application Deadline: March 4
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in Palm Beach or Martin County
This six-week neuroscience internship immerses students in research on brain structure, function, and development. You will contribute to projects alongside MPFI scientists and specialize in areas such as advanced microscopy or coding for brain data analysis using Python or MATLAB. The program also includes training in experimental design and scientific writing, with each student preparing an abstract and presenting their findings in a mini-symposium. Interns also attend weekly research seminars, gaining exposure to current neuroscience investigations.
10. Medicine Encompassed Internships
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free; certificate may be provided
Acceptance Rate: Not highly selective
Program Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
Medicine Encompassed is a student-led nonprofit offering high school students flexible, year-round internships in medical education and outreach. Volunteers join one of 18 committees, such as neurology or anatomy, and contribute by creating educational materials, writing articles, developing quizzes, or designing graphics. The program emphasizes collaboration and project-based work, with opportunities to engage in literature reviews, webinar planning, and outreach initiatives. You will gain experience in medical communication, scientific writing, and teamwork, while also earning community service hours.
11. Kenan Fellows Summer Internships – UF Scripps
Location: Hybrid, 1 week at Palm Beach State College, 8 weeks at UF Scripps Institute, Jupiter, FL
Cost/Stipend: Free; $4,480 for the eight-week lab component
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Program Dates: June – August
Application Deadline: March
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents; entering junior or senior year; age ≥ 16 by start; GPA ≥ 3.0; residents of Palm Beach or Martin counties
The Kenan Fellows program is a nine-week, full-time, paid research internship exclusively for high school students in Palm Beach and Martin counties. After one week of intensive lab training at Palm Beach State College, you spend eight weeks conducting research alongside scientists at the UF Scripps Institute. You’ll use professional techniques such as pipetting, high-throughput screening, CRISPR/RNA methods, microscopy, and data analysis. Weekly seminars introduce you to cutting-edge fields like immunology and molecular imaging. You will also gain experience in experimental planning, abstract writing, poster design, and oral presentation, developing skills in wet lab work, scientific writing, and hypothesis testing, culminating in a final symposium to showcase your research.
12. Baptist Health Academics Observer Program
Location: South Florida (Baptist Health hospitals)
Cost/Stipend: Free; no stipend
Acceptance Rate: No information available
Program Dates: All year, up to 4 weeks (flexible per clinician)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students aged 16+; must provide enrolled student proof, health clearance, and clinician sponsorship
This program offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at hospital-based care through clinical observerships. You will shadow licensed clinicians during rounds, observe procedures (with access to operating rooms in some cases), and attend medical conferences. The program highlights professional etiquette, confidentiality, and medical ethics, giving high school students firsthand exposure to clinical environments. Observerships are typically available in specialties like surgery, cardiology, or pediatrics, depending on the clinician’s availability. Students must secure a sponsoring clinician, meet health and background requirements, and comply with HIPAA regulations and dress code standards.
13. American Psychological Association (APA) Virtual Internships
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Mix of paid and unpaid opportunities
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Program Dates: September – December
Application Deadline: Varies by role
Eligibility: U.S.-based high school students; under-18s may require a D.C. work permit
The APA offers selective remote internships across various fields, such as research, communications, and mental health policy. As an intern, you have the chance to contribute to digital content creation, support policy briefs, or assist with academic and editorial projects, depending on the department. While these internships are not clinical in nature, they are a strong fit if you wish to explore careers in psychology, behavioral science, or public health, enabling you to develop skills in scientific communication, policy research, and psychology-focused content writing. Some roles are open to high school students under 18 with a D.C. work permit, making this a flexible entry point into a professional environment. Opportunities vary by each semester, so students are encouraged to track departmental postings and apply early to maximize chances.
14. Stanford AIMI Virtual Research Internship
Location: Virtual (hosted by Stanford Center for AI in Medicine and Imaging)
Cost/Stipend: $850 if accepted and $40 application fee; financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive; ~25 students
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: U.S. high school students aged 14+ with an interest in AI or medicine
This intensive two-week program introduces high school students to the applications of artificial intelligence in medicine and diagnostic imaging. You will attend lectures by Stanford faculty, join small-group mentoring sessions, and work on collaborative projects that integrate Python coding with real-world medical datasets, developing skills in machine learning, diagnostic imaging, and interdisciplinary research. Core topics include machine learning, radiology, disease detection, and ethical considerations in AI healthcare applications. Students gain experience in both technical analysis and critical thinking. Those who demonstrate strong engagement may be invited to pursue an independent research extension, thereby enhancing their academic profile while exploring how AI shapes the future of medicine.
15. SPARK SIP – Virtual Health & Science Projects
Location: Virtual (hosted by SPARK SIP, Seattle)
Cost/Stipend: Free; select students receive
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Program Dates: June – August, with some fall extensions
Application Deadline: April
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 (preference for Seattle-area applicants)
SPARK SIP is a competitive summer mentorship program that matches high school students with experts in healthcare, biotechnology, AI, and data science. Mentors guide you through real-world research projects in areas such as cancer biology, bioengineering, disease detection, and public health. You will typically dedicate 10–12 hours a week to activities like literature reviews, data modeling, and running simulations, thereby developing skills in research methodology, data analysis, and healthcare innovation. The program emphasizes independent research skills while fostering collaboration with peers and mentors. At the end of summer, students present their work in a virtual showcase, with some projects continuing into the fall depending on mentor availability.
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 – SPARK