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First Year Medical Student Summer Opportunities

Here is a list of available summer internship and fellowship programs for first year medical students. This list is not all-encompassing so we encourage you to look at other resources as well.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation Pediatric Oncology Student Training - The POST program is designed for graduate and undergraduate medical students who have an interest in pediatric oncology research and would like to experience the field first hand. Students train with a pediatric oncology research mentor. 

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Summer Medical Student Fellowships (AACAP) - The AACAP Summer Medical Student Fellowships offer a chance for medical students to explore a career in child and adolescent psychiatry, gain valuable work experience and meet leaders in the child and adolescent psychiatry field. 

Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation - The Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship program is open to medical students in the United States or Canada who have completed one or two years of medical school and wish to spend a summer working in a neurosurgical laboratory, mentored by a neurosurgical investigator who is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).

American Association for Thoracic Surgery Summer Scholarships in Cardiothoracic Surgery (AATS) - The AATS Summer Intern Scholarship program introduces the field of cardiothoracic surgery to first and second year medical students from North American medical institutions. The summer intern scholarship provides medical students with insight into the scientific investigation and study of cardiothoracic surgery.

American Brain Tumor Association Medical Student Summer Fellowship Program - The Medical Student Summer Fellowships are awarded to current medical students wishing to spend a summer conducting brain tumor research with esteemed scientist-mentors. The intent of this program is to motivate talented medical students to pursue a career in neuro-oncology research. 

American Society for Nutrition - The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) is sponsoring nutrition internships for medical students. Each student will work under a recognized authority in clinical nutrition in a U.S. medical school or hospital.

American Society of Hematology Minority Medical Student Award Program (MMSAP) - The MMSAP is an 8-12 week summer research experience for underrepresented minority students in their first or second years of medical school.

Arnold P. Gold Foundation Student Summer Fellowships - The Gold Foundation offers fellowships that provide medical students the opportunity to complete a research or service project related to community health. 

ASTRO Minority Summer Fellowship Award - The purpose of the ASTRO Minority Summer Fellowship award is to introduce students from backgrounds that are under-represented in medicine to the discipline of radiation oncology early in their medical education. The experience is designed to expose students to clinical, basic and translational research questions in radiation oncology. 

Betty Ford Center Summer Institute - The Summer Institute for Medical Students is a unique learning opportunity for students to gain understanding and insight into addictive disease and the recovery process.  

Campagna Summer Research Scholarship in Neurological Surgery - The scholarship supports a 10-week summer semester of research under the supervision of a neurosurgical mentor at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and residence expenses in Portland, Oregon.

Children's Hospital Los Angeles Summer Oncology Fellowship Program - This program is intended to provide the highest quality experience for first-year medical students pursuing interests in oncology research.

Children's Mercy Hospital Orthopedics Summer Scholar Program- Children's Mercy Hospital's Orthopedic Summer Scholar Program provides scholarships for students to do research with orthopedic staff and faculty. The purpose of this program is to address important questions that affect the health of Children's Mercy patients and to introduce promising students to the fields of pediatric orthopedics and pediatric rehabilitation.

CNS/CSNS Medical Student Summer Fellowship in Socioeconomic Research. - This fellowship is open to all medical students in the United States and Canada with an interest in the socio-economic issues that impact the field of Neurosurgery. 

David E. Rogers Fellowship Program - The program, through the New York Academy of Medicine, offers fellowships to support summer projects for first year medical students. 

Endocrine Society Research Experiences for Graduate and Medical Students (REGMS) Program - The Endocrine Society offers research experiences to encourage promising undergraduate students, medical students and students entering graduate school to pursue careers in endocrinology. 

FAERS Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowship (MSARF) - The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowships provide students with a challenging and rewarding experience that exposes them to the opportunities within the medical field of anesthesiology and research. 

Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship - The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. (LFA) is offering Student Summer Fellowships to foster an interest among young researchers in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Undergraduate, graduate and medical students are eligible to apply. 

Harvard Catalyst Visiting Research Internship Program (VRIP) - This summer research program is designed to enrich medical students' interest in research and health-related careers. In addition to a mentored clinical/translational research experience, VRIP students will participate in weekly seminars with Harvard faculty focusing on topics such as research, methodology, health disparities, ethics and career paths. 

Harvard-Longwood Research Training in Vascular Surgery - Harvard Medical School is offering student summer research fellowships in vascular surgery, including research training in molecular and cell biology, biomechanics, coagulation and thrombosis, and angiogenesis, with a focus on clinically relevant problems such as atherogenesis, intimal hyperplasia, prosthetic/host interactions and thrombosis.

Heart, Lung and Blood (HLB) Summer Research Program- The Heart, Lung and Blood Summer Research Program through CaseWestern Reserve University is designed to engage undergraduates and medical students in state-of-the-art biomedical research in cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematological and sleep disorders research. 

National Injury Research Training Program - The Center for Injury Research and Policy in the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital hosts a summer training program that focuses on research training to future physician-investigators while introducing them to the field of injury research and prevention.

Johns Hopkins University Summer Employment - Johns Hopkins University is recruiting qualified medical students to work in their summer program. Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth provides academically talented young students aged 8-16 the opportunity to take rigorous summer courses in mathematics, science, computer science, humanities and writing. Medical students during the summer between their first and second years are needed for the position of health assistant. 

KU Cancer Center Student Summer Research Training Program - The University of Kansas Cancer Center will be sponsoring a Student Summer Research Training Program for college undergraduate, graduate or medical students. Students must submit an application and a minimum of 1 letter of recommendation, preferably from a mentor or other teacher. Mentors must be a current cancer center member and must submit a research project for consideration. It is advisable that a mentor and student interested in working together submit their Project Descriptions and Student Applications at the same time. Students interested in the summer program should email Susan Harp to obtain an application. 

Liberal, Kansas, Medical Spanish Immersion Weekend - During this interprofessional weekend-long, field-based summer course, you will develop skills and knowledge on culturally competent care. Participants will be able to practice Spanish in a real context while providing health education and screenings to rural Latino families. Free housing, transportation, meals and refreshments.  For more information and to apply, email Maria Alonso Luaces.

Mayo Clinic Summer Research Fellowship - The Summer Research Fellowship was created to address the need for clinical investigators from diverse backgrounds. The health needs of U.S. minority populations have been studied inadequately, due in part to the shortage of clinical investigators belonging to underrepresented groups. Members of groups that the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine considers underrepresented are eligible to apply.

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Summer Research Program - The 10-week program provides interested students with an opportunity to participate in biomedical research experiences related to oncology and to be introduced to the clinical problems presented by cancer patients. At the end of their summer experience, students will submit their research data in journal article format. 

Medical Student Summer Clinical Externship (MSSCE) -The Medical Student Summer Clinical Externship (MSSCE) program has been developed for medical students with a strong desire for clinical experience in the field of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) and who are eagerly seeking opportunities to see patients. This program aims to provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient clinical exposure and to allow students to explore the human side of patient care and the psychosocial environments their patients face.

Medical Student Training in Aging (MSTAR) Program- Administered by AFAR and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the MSTAR Program provides medical students with an enriching experience in aging-related research and geriatrics, with the mentorship of top experts in the field. This program introduces students to research and academic experiences early in their training that they might not otherwise have during medical school.

Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology Summer Program - Washington University's and Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology's cosponsored program provides an introduction to current radiological sciences research. Participants develop close interaction between clinical and research sections for possible correlation of biological concepts and clinical activities.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research (SIP)  -  Summer programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide an opportunity to spend a summer working at the NIH side-by-side with some of the leading scientists in the world, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research.

Nicodemus, Kansas Annual Homecoming Celebration - Experience health care in a rural setting in Nicodemus, Kansas, while learning new skills as you rotate through different screening stations.  Participants receive free housing, transportation, meals and refreshments. For more information and to apply, email Maria Alonso Luaces.

Pediatric Bioethics Internship -The Children's Mercy Hospital Bioethics Center offers two summer internships for medical students with a demonstrated interest in pediatrics or bioethics. Interns will conduct mentored research on a self-identified topic of interest. If interested, email a one-page personal statement, CV and names of two references to Mary Ellen Hudson.

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Summer Externship Program - This Summer Externship program, sponsored by the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Northwestern University Medical School, is held at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), located in downtown Chicago at the McGaw Medical Center. This program offers a unique and early clinical exposure related to the care of persons with acute and chronic disabilities for comprehensive rehabilitation. Primarily, students will assist in the clinical management of patients admitted to RIC. In addition, students will participate in a research project in a rehabilitation related field. There will be ongoing didactic and in-service efforts directed at the M1-M2 student level.

Rehabilitation Research Experience for Medical Students (RREMS) - The Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) and the Foundation for PM&R offer the annual Rehabilitation Research Experience for Medical Students. This program has been developed for first year medical students with strong research interests.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute Summer Oncology Research Program - Expand your horizons in the care and treatment of cancer patients by participating in state-of-the-art clinical research. Special emphasis is placed on cancer prevention through lectures and practical experiences. 

Simon Kramer Society Summer Externship in Radiation Oncology - The Simon Kramer Society Externship in Radiation Oncology, awarded annually, provides a unique opportunity for medical students to obtain experience in radiation oncology. 

Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital -Siteman Cancer Center invites undergraduate, graduate and medical students to participate in the Leah Menshouse Springer Summer Opportunities Program. This program is designed to provide participants with hands-on cancer research experience. Opportunities range from basic science research to clinical research to prevention/control and population research.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - NIH/NCI-funded Pediatric Oncology Education (POE) Program - The Pediatric Oncology program offers a unique opportunity for students preparing for careers in medicine to gain biomedical and oncology research experience. Medical students will work in clinical research with physicians and staff in areas such as chart review, record screening and examination, data collection and entry and may also apply to attend clinics and observe procedures. 

Telluride Patient Safety Summer Camps- Travel to the Rocky Mountains for a week of education and discussion on patient safety and quality. The Telluride Science Research Center (TSRC) has been home to the Telluride Patient Safety Education Roundtable & Student/Resident Summer Camps for ten years and continues to provide excellent lodging resources and a classroom environment conducive to relaxed learning that allows for both the creativity and openness that stimulates real change. 

University Of Maryland School Of Medicine's SPORT program- The Summer Program in Obesity, Diabetes and Nutrition Research Training (SPORT) program offers mentored research training for medical students during the summer between the first and second year of medical school. Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), this program offers medical students the opportunity to conduct basic science or clinical research in the areas of obesity, diabetes, nutrition and related diseases. 

Vanderbilt Student Research Training Program - The Vanderbilt Student Research Training Program (SRTP) is sponsored by the National Institute of Health and allows medical students to conduct research under the direction of an established scientist in the areas of diabetes, obesity, kidney disease or digestive disease at Vanderbilt during the summer between first and second year or second and third year of medical school.

KU School of Medicine

University of Kansas Medical Center
KU School of Medicine Office of Student Affairs

3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160-7303
Phone: 913-588-1483