Why do internships in high school?
Before we jump into a long list of medical internships for high school students in Los Angeles, it is important to understand why these opportunities could matter for your future. According to PRISM, a consultancy, 70% of students attending a US News top 50 University have completed at least one internship while in high school. These opportunities serve as a way to distinguish yourself in the admissions process by showing that you have gone out and verified your future goals through experience. Doing internships will help you enter college with a clearer idea of the professional environments you enjoy or don’t enjoy, which will make it easier for you to recruit into a job you love after graduation. Students who have done at least one internship in high school also typically have an easier time recruiting into college internships and pre-professional organizations such as finance or pre-law clubs.
How to Find Medical Internships for High School Students in Los Angeles
The best way to find medical internships for high school students in Los Angeles is through online search tools and lists. The StandOutSearch database provides the largest free resource that lists almost every internship program for the high school age group and allows you to search by interest area. MIT Admissions also provides a helpful list of High School Internships.
However, official programs tend to be very competitive, so if you are serious about finding a summer internship in high school, you should also prepare a cold outreach strategy. You can read more about how to form a cold outreach strategy to find a high school internship at the end of this article. We also include email templates to make finding an internship or research position through cold outreach less daunting.
10 Medical Internships for High School Students in Los Angeles
Most of the medical internships for high school students in Los Angeles below have an acceptance rate of 20% or lower, given that there are many more high school students looking for internships relative to official programs that provide them. We recommend choosing at least five opportunities to apply to. If you see an opportunity that excites you, take a moment to write the deadline on your calendar!
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program created thanks to investment from UChicago’s Polsky Center for Innovation that matches high school students with internships in their interest area. Students interview with potential mentors who are leaders and innovators within their area of interest until they are hired for a two-month internship. Many students then receive optional return offers to continue with their internship for as long as they would like.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: None
Teen volunteers assist with the everyday operations of a large medical center getting the opportunity to get an early look into the medical field. Hours are flexible and are offered year-round allowing students to volunteer during school and the summer.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
Volunteers have the opportunity to contribute to various critical areas within the hospital including patient transport and wayfinding preparing them for a career in healthcare.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: End of March
The Pre-Med Summer Scholar Program is an educational program incorporating medical guest speakers and hands-on activities giving the Summer Scholar an involved sense of working in the field of medicine. The goal of the program is to expose the Summer Scholar to a variety of medical professions in hope that they make a more informed decision about their own path to medicine.
Ages: 15 and up
Location: Santa Clarita, California
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: None
Teen volunteers are exposed to the medical field assisting staff with various tasks which include but are not limited to the following: guest ambassador, art and music for healing, resupply, patient transport, and patient visitation.
Ages: Freshman - Senior
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: January
Camp CHLA is a five-day, in-person healthcare career exploration camp, held twice per summer, designed for high school students eager to delve into the world of healthcare. The camp offers a platform for students to engage, learn, and immerse themselves in the impactful work undertaken by healthcare professionals. Activities include presentations by healthcare experts, providing insights into their career trajectories and daily responsibilities; hands-on training in health promotion and injury prevention techniques such as CPR, first aid, and ergonomics; networking opportunities aimed at connecting students with shared interests in CHLA's mission; and firsthand exposure to the dynamic and vital healthcare environment within the hospital, offering a glimpse into the lifesaving efforts being carried out.
Ages: Junior
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February
The Samuels Family LA-HIP provides training to more than 200 high school students residing in the Los Angeles area. LA-HIP stands as a comprehensive yearlong high school internship initiative merging biomedical research with robust college counseling support. Participants benefit from college-level didactic teaching in biology, SAT preparation sessions, and workshops on college applications. Under the guidance of scientists at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, interns engage in cutting-edge biomedical research experiments during the summer preceding their senior year.
Ages: 14 - 17
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: None
If you're a high school student who is interested in a career in healthcare, the experience of volunteering at Cedars-Sinai is invaluable. It offers the opportunity to interact with patients and healthcare staff and is a rewarding way to learn firsthand how a large medical center operates. Teen volunteer opportunities are available year-round and require a minimum of 100 hours.
Ages: 15 - 17
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
Children's Hospital Los Angeles offers a High School Summer Program for students who have completed their freshman year. High School Volunteers provide service to patients, families and staff throughout the hospital, while gaining experience and self-confidence. Volunteers will work directly with patients through opportunities such as: escorting patients to hospital appointments, greeting patients upon entry to hospital and gifting developmentally appropriate items to patients, and administrative support.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March
Scripps Research Translational Institute (SRTI) leads pioneering studies in precision medicine, focusing on digital health, clinical genomics, and community engagement. We invite medical student research interns to join our investigative teams for an engaging summer of patient-centered research. The 8-week program encompasses designing and conducting a distinctive research project, attending translational science seminars, participating in an intern journal club, engaging in faculty round table discussions, and gaining clinical exposure under the mentorship of a physician-scientist. Stipends, travel, and housing expenses are provided.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Internships
If the opportunities listed above don’t turn out to be a fit, the next step to finding medical internships for high school students in Los Angeles is to launch a cold outreach strategy. This may seem intimidating at first, but the guide below should make it much more simple. As an added note, please exercise caution when reaching out to professionals you don’t know. It is always safest to interview or meet virtually.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Use LinkedIn to find small companies where you can help with skills such as social media, coding, content/grant writing, or graphic design. Smaller companies that need more hands on deck will be the most likely to hire high-school-aged students. Try to find personal connections with the professionals you reach out to, such as being from the same state originally or liking the same sports team.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
You can use online university staff directories to find professors to reach out to for research positions. Note that if you are looking for a remote research position with a professor, you should be aware that these opportunities tend to be harder to come by. Professors typically have high school students help with more manual laboratory tasks such as washing beakers or running equipment and usually do not have very much use for interns at a high school education level within a remote setting. The exception is if you are doing computational research, which generally requires introductory knowledge of Python or R to parse large datasets. You should be able to learn Python or R on your own for free within a few months using resources such as Coursera’s R Programming Course or Python for Everybody.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
For a successful cold-outreach strategy, aim to send at least 50 emails to potential internship providers. Be sure to include a link to your resume, which should be no more than one page while you are in high school. UChicago provides a helpful free resume template and guide. We recommend including your resume as a Google Drive link because including it as a PDF will sometimes negatively impact the deliverability of your email. However, be sure to check that the sharing settings on the document allow anyone with the link to view its contents. It can also be a good idea to include work samples in your resume, such as the link to a website you designed, a social media account you manage, or your GitHub profile.
Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
If you are unsure how to structure your outreach emails to potential internship providers, here are some basic templates you can customize to your needs.
Template for Finding an Internship
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Mr./Ms.____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I read about your company on LinkedIn and found the concept quite interesting. For context, [briefly state how the company relates to your interests or experience].
I was wondering if you might be looking for interns. I know I would have a great deal to learn from working with you, and I would love to contribute in any way I can. I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Template for Finding a Research Position
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Professor/Dr. ____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I recently read your paper on [restate the abstract] in [name of publication] and was quite intrigued by [part you found interesting]. I was wondering if I might be able to intern for you over this summer. [Elaborate on your relevant skills and experience and why you are passionate about the field].
I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Conclusion
Whether you are applying to established programs or launching a cold outreach strategy, the name of the game when looking for medical internships for high school students in Los Angeles is perseverance. These opportunities can be extremely difficult to secure, but most high school students find it worth it in the end to get a head start on building their careers. If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to save it for later or share it with a friend. Good luck on your internship search journey!