Summer Medical Research Programs for High School Students
Medical research is a different entry point from the pre-med pipeline most students hear about. Instead of shadowing or volunteering, you join a real lab for the summer — at a university or hospital — and work on a piece of someone's actual research in immunology, neuroscience, genomics, or bioengineering.
Every program below is pulled from Pathfind's verified database and pairs a high schooler with mentored research or clinical work: eight weeks in a Stanford lab, genomics at Stanford, a UCSF research symposium, a Stony Brook fellowship with a stipend. Some are free, some pay you, and some charge tuition — cost and eligibility differ enough that the details on each listing matter more than the name.
Two honest notes before you apply. Most lab placements concentrate in grades 11–12, and most strongly favor students who can commute to the site — a handful of these are open only to specific county or district residents. Check the eligibility line on each one before you plan a summer around it.
We found 27 verified matches below. Want the full list instead? See all Biology & Medicine Opportunities.
Research Science Institute
Six-week research program on MIT's campus pairing juniors with a mentor for original STEM research, capped by a formal presentation. Free, including room and board; seniors are not eligible.
Summer High School Advanced Research Program (SHARP)
Summer research program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for high school sophomores and juniors. For U.S. citizens and permanent residents, with a 3.0 GPA, a completed science course, and two recommendation letters considered.
Simons Summer Research Program
Seven-week research fellowship for juniors, working in an active Stony Brook lab in science, math, or engineering under a faculty mentor. Tuition-free, with a $1,000 stipend on completion; commuting avoids the optional housing cost.
SEP High School Intern Program
Paid eight-week summer research internship at UCSF with a scientist mentor in neuroscience, immunology, or molecular biology, paying $4,500 on completion. Roughly 25 spots, open only to juniors at SFUSD or San Francisco public charter high schools.
Clinical Summer Internship
Two-week program covering clinical medicine through lectures, simulation labs, and hands-on skills practice, on campus or virtual. This is simulation-based instruction, not patient shadowing; fee waivers exist for households under $80,000.
Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program
Eight-week mentored research placement in a Stanford lab spanning immunology, cancer biology, neuroscience, and bioengineering. Free, with special consideration for Bay Area students.
Genomics Research Internship (GRIPS)
Eight-week wet-lab genomics research internship with a Stanford mentor, free apart from a waivable $55 application fee. You must be 16+ with a 3.0 GPA and live in one of six Bay Area counties.
Young Scholars Program
Six-week residential research program placing about 40 students in UC Davis labs to run original biological, agricultural, or environmental science projects.
Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience
Two-week immersion in neuroscience, psychiatry, and psychology taught by Stanford faculty, ending in a capstone project. Offered on campus and virtually, with scholarships available.
PITCH Health Careers Program
Three-week summer program at UCSF exploring health and medical science careers through mentored investigations and college-readiness workshops. Prioritizes first-generation and low-income students; 2.5 GPA minimum.
Northeastern Young Scholars Program (YSP)
Free six-week research placement in Northeastern labs in engineering, science, and health sciences for Massachusetts juniors. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and live within commuting distance of Boston.
Careers in Science Internship
Multi-year paid internship in Golden Gate Park for SFUSD 9th and 10th graders underrepresented in STEM, doing fieldwork and visitor programs through graduation. Requires a 2.5 GPA and a 2-3 year commitment.
Experiences in Research
Paid six-week internship ($500/week) working about 30-35 hours a week with Berkeley Lab scientists on real projects in data science, coding, or experimentation. Northern California students who turn 16 by mid-June, with priority near the Berkeley site.
Stanford Medical Youth Science Program
Tuition-free five-week science, medicine, and public health program admitting a small cohort of juniors. Limited to low-income and/or first-generation students in Northern and Central California.
AI4ALL Summer Internship
Ten-week internship at UCSF Mission Bay working with faculty on biomedical research using data science and AI. Restricted to SFUSD juniors taking AP Statistics or AP Computer Science; unpaid and you commute daily.
AEOP Internships and Fellowships
Paid research internships in Army research labs and partner university labs. Positions are competitive.
Clark Scholar Program
Seven-week summer research program pairing high school students with Texas Tech faculty for a mentored original project across the sciences, engineering, and mathematics. No tuition, and a stipend is provided for housing.
High School Research Academy
Five-week non-residential research experience embedded in a UT Austin lab, at roughly 15–25 hours a week. Open to Texas residents who will be rising sophomores, juniors or seniors, with preference for juniors and seniors. The 2027 program runs June 7 to July 14. Tuition is $4,500, and a limited number of need-based scholarships may be available. The 2027 application opens in mid-January, with a deadline in March.
Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Paid, fully online 1-on-1 research mentorship pairing a student with a PhD mentor over about 12 weeks to produce an independent research paper in a topic of their choosing. Need-based aid is available.
Magee-Womens HS Summer Research Internship
Six-week biomedical research internship in Pittsburgh where each student runs their own project with an investigator. Students must be over 16, and a $1,800 stipend is available to students from households that qualify. Applications for 2027 open in late fall 2026.
Polygence Core Program
Paid, online 1-on-1 mentorship pairing a student with an expert to complete a self-chosen research project, paper, or app over roughly 10 sessions. Need-based aid is available.
Research in Science & Engineering (RISE)
Six-week summer research practicum placing students in Boston University labs to work on an independent project with a faculty mentor, ending in a research paper and symposium presentation.
Science Research Mentoring Program
Multi-year mentored research program where New York City students work on museum research projects in biodiversity, astrophysics, or earth science and present results at a symposium.
Summer Science Research Program
Six-week mentored laboratory research placement in biomedical science at Rockefeller University, with a stipend and a closing research symposium. Open to New York-area students.
Summer Student Research Program
Seven-week full-time program pairing you one-on-one with UCSF researchers and clinicians, ending in a research symposium; high schoolers received a $3,000 stipend. Requires being 16+ and demonstrating economic, educational, or medical disadvantage.
UCSC Scholar Immersion Program (SIP)
Summer research with UC Santa Cruz mentors on open-ended projects. The SIP 2027 application fee is $68, and fee waivers are available.
Van Andel Institute HS Graduate Research Program
Eight-week paid lab research program for graduating high school seniors, working full time with scientists on cell biology, genetics, neuroscience, and more. It pays $15 an hour and has 10 spots. U.S. citizens and permanent residents only. Applications run January to mid-March 2027.