15 Summer Medical Programs for High School Students in New York
If you’re in high school and living in New York, you have access to some of the country’s best-known hospitals, medical schools, and research centers. Summer programs can be a great way to help you learn more about your interest in medicine and gain relevant knowledge and connections in the field. Many of these programs let you spend time in healthcare environments.
New York offers a wide variety of such programs from reputable institutions and organizations. These programs can vary significantly from one another. In some programs, you will work in a lab where you run experiments or study medical samples. Others focus on public health projects, basic clinical training, or shadowing doctors and nurses during their day. A few combine these experiences with research, where you design a small project and share your results at the end. Either way, you get a closer look at the work that goes into healthcare, which can give you more insight into the field.
With that, here’s a list of 15 summer medical programs in New York for high school students!
15 Summer Medical Programs for High School Students in New York
1. Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)
Location: Rockefeller University Campus, NY
Cost/Stipend: No fee. Need-based stipend available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, 32 students
Dates: June 23 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 3
Eligibility: Students must be enrolled as a junior or senior in high school, and must be at least 16 years old at the start of the program
This free, seven-week biomedical research program is for high school juniors and seniors interested in medical science. You’ll work in a small team at Rockefeller University with mentors from Rockefeller, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Weill Cornell. After lab training, you’ll choose a research question, run experiments, and present your results in a final poster. Topics vary by team and often include cancer biology, neuroscience, and other areas of human health. You’ll also attend electives, lectures, and workshops to build research and communication skills.
2. Veritas AI (AI + Medicine)
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by the program type. Need-based financial aid is available. You can apply here.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Competitive
Dates: Varies based on cohort; you will spend 25 hours over 10 weeks
Application Deadline: Varies based on cohort
Eligibility: Completion of the AI Scholars program or prior Python experience.
The Veritas AI + Medicine Deep Dive is a 10-week online program that enables high school students to explore the applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare. You will attend interactive sessions led by researchers working at the intersection of AI and Medicine. Topics include neural networks, clinical data, and medical decision-making. In small teams, you'll apply what you learn to a project focused on real-world applications, such as pharmaceutical research, neuroscience, or hospital systems. You can find out more about the program by checking out the brochure and the application form.
3. Summer Student Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Manhattan, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free with $1,200 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 2%. 20 students out of 1000+ applicants
Dates: June 30 – August 22
Application Deadline: February 7 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: Current high school juniors with permanent addresses within a 25-mile radius of NYC, with a 3.5 GPA in science, and authorized to work in the U.S.
The Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Summer Student Program (SSP) is an eight-week paid internship for high school students interested in biomedical research. If accepted, you will be assigned a mentor in an MSK research lab, where you’ll build technical skills, attend lab meetings, and work on a self-directed research project tied to your lab’s ongoing work. Research areas range from Immunology and Cancer Biology to Genomics, Imaging, and Drug Development. Beyond the lab, you’ll join events that introduce you to translational medicine and scientific careers.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program: Medicine track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: High school students
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
5. Columbia University’s YES in the HEIGHTS
Location: Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC), New York, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June 30 – August 22
Application Deadline: December 13 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: Students who are at least 14.
YES in the HEIGHTS (Youth Enjoy Science Training in Health Equity, Highlighting Environmental Inequities, & Growing Neighborhood Teachers and Students) is an eight-week paid summer research internship at Columbia University’s Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. If you’re interested in STEM and cancer research, you’ll be matched with a faculty mentor and spend the summer contributing to their ongoing project or developing your own.
Each week, you’ll join the HICCC Cancer Biology Journal Club to read and discuss published research with other interns. You’ll also build professional skills through an Individual Development Plan, abstract writing, and training in research presentation. If you return for a second summer, you’ll be expected to deliver a formal scientific oral presentation to the community.
6. Sophie Davis Health Professions Mentorship Program (HPMP)
Location: CUNY’s School of Medicine, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly Competitive
Dates: Two 4-week summers + monthly school-year sessions
Application Deadline: April 19 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors with an overall minimum GPA of 80
The Sophie Davis Health Professions Mentorship Program (HPMP) is a free, two-year opportunity for New York City high school students interested in healthcare. You start the summer after Grade 10 with a four-week session, then attend monthly Saturday workshops during the school year. You’ll explore clinical cases and careers in medicine, nursing, public health, and more, guided by medical students and faculty from the CUNY School of Medicine. A key part of the program is a group project where you’ll research a real healthcare issue in NYC and propose a solution.
7. The Health Scholars Program at Maimonides Medical Center
Location: Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly Competitive
Dates: Multiple rotation shifts through the year. June 16 – September 1 for the Summer
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students in grades 11 and 12
The Maimonides Health Scholars Program is an opportunity for you to volunteer in the Emergency Department at one of Brooklyn’s busiest hospitals. You will spend three months helping patients, shadowing doctors and nurses, and getting a close look at how a hospital really works. Each week, there are virtual sessions where you will learn about medical topics and hear from professionals working in the field. You also have optional sessions in CPR, suturing, and other emergency medicine skills. At the end, you submit a creative capstone reflecting on your rotation experience. Expect to commit to at least one five-hour shift a week.
8. BEYOND ALBERT Summer High School Research Program
Location: Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
Cost/Stipend: $2,500 stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly Competitive
Dates: June 30 – August 22
Application Deadline: January 12 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: High school students in the Bronx who are at least 16 and are entering the 11th and 12th grades in the fall
The BEYOND ALBERT High School Research Program is a free, eight-week summer research experience for Bronx high school students hosted by Albert Einstein College of Medicine. You’ll work full-time in a biomedical lab at the Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, gaining experience with cancer research. You’ll attend seminars and workshops led by faculty, postdocs, and medical students, and create a research presentation to share with Einstein scientists. After summer, you can join a weekly after-school program during the school year for continued mentorship and skill-building.
9. Summer Neuroscience Program (SNP)
Location: Rockefeller University, Manhattan, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 students
Dates: August 4 –15
Application Deadline: March 15 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in a New York City public school and must be at least 16 years old by the start of the program
The Summer Neuroscience Program (SNP) is a free, two-week course for NYC public high school students hosted by The Rockefeller University. You’ll learn how the brain works through lectures, lab visits, and experiments. You’ll read and discuss scientific papers with graduate student mentors, design your neuroscience project, and dissect a brain. Students new to neuroscience are especially encouraged to apply. All materials, meals, and MTA passes are provided.
10. The BrainSTORM Program at Columbia
Location: Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June of the starting year to May the following year
Application Deadline: January 1 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: High school students
The Brain Seminar for Teens and Opportunities for Research Mentorship (BrainSTORM) is a year-long program for high school students looking to explore neuroscience through monthly online seminars and an optional research mentorship. Each seminar, led by experts in fields like neurology and neuroimaging, covers a different topic, like Alzheimer’s Disease or Epilepsy, and encourages discussion amongst peers. You can also apply for a mentorship; up to 25 students are matched with researchers to work on a guided project. These projects can be done in person or remotely and end with your research presentation at the final symposium.
11. Brooklyn Scholar Athletes with Academic Goals Program (BK-SWAG)
Location: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: No fee. Stipend provided.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June 25 and June 26 (virtual evening sessions); June 30 – July 25 (in-person full-day sessions)
Application Deadline: February 2 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: Current high school students
The BK-SWAG Program at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is a summer opportunity for underrepresented high school student-athletes interested in healthcare careers connected to sports and medicine. The program includes experiences like clinical shadowing, basic first aid training, mental health awareness sessions, and field trips. You will also receive CPR certification. You will attend college readiness workshops, meet healthcare professionals, and work on a group research project. For more details, check here.
12. Summer Research Experience in Cancer (SURE-CAN) Program
Location: Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
Cost/Stipend: No fee. Limited financial support available.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June 26 – August 8
Application Deadline: January 31 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: High school juniors who are 15 or older, either U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and residents of Western NY counties of Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua, living within commuting distance to Roswell Park
The SURE-CAN program at Roswell Park is a six-week research internship that gives you exposure to cancer research and related health science fields. You will work in a professional lab, working alongside research mentors on a project in areas like cancer biology, imaging, genomics, or even artificial intelligence in medicine. Expect to spend about 40 hours a week on campus. Through the program, you will explore the interdisciplinary integration of math, physics, and engineering with biology in cancer research. You will attend seminars, class discussions, and build skills in scientific communication. Finally, you will present your work at a research symposium.
13. The Summer Exposure Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering
Location: Hybrid
Cost/Stipend: Not available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Less than 10%
Dates: June 30 – August 8
Application Deadline: February 7 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-11
Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Summer Exposure Program offers a hybrid, six-week opportunity for high school students considering careers in healthcare. You will spend 8-hour days learning alongside MSK faculty and MSK Summer Pipeline Medical Students. The program includes career talks, scientific lectures, and 18 hours of Kaplan SAT preparation. You will work on a research project and present your findings in a five-minute talk at the end. Members of groups historically underrepresented in medicine and science are encouraged to apply.
14. The International Young Researchers' Conference (IYRC) Medicine And Research Summer Program
Location: Virtual + in-person at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S), New York, NY
Cost: $700 (base program); $1,000 (base + community program option). Need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 400 students
Dates: June 21 – August 30
Application Deadline: April 26 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: High school students
IYRC’s Medicine and Research Summer Program at Columbia University is a ten-week hybrid experience for high school students interested in clinical medicine. You’ll learn from doctors and med students about topics like cancer, mental health, and women’s health. You’ll practice patient interviews, join research workshops, and write your research paper. Outside class, you’ll complete clinical assignments and reflections, and can enter an essay contest. You can also apply for the Community Health Literacy Worker (CHLW) module to earn certification in stroke, dementia, and health insurance literacy through extra training.
15. Veterinary Medicine: Science and Practice
Location: Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY
Cost/Stipend: $8,399 (tuition and residence). Financial assistance is available.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 80 students
Dates: June 22 – July 12
Application Deadline: May 9 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
Cornell School of Continuing Education (SCE) offers the Veterinary Medicine: Science and Practice course for high school students considering a career in veterinary medicine. In this rigorous, three-week summer residential course, you learn about anatomy, physiology, and clinical specialties and are introduced to the range of careers in veterinary and related fields. The course runs at a college pace, equivalent to a full semester curriculum. Expect daily lectures, several hours of homework, and college-level grading. You will study alongside Cornell undergraduates and other pre-college students, so a strong background in Honors or AP Biology is highly recommended. You will get three college credits and the Cornell transcript at the end.