High School Programs
High School Senior Summer Internship Program

High School Senior Summer Internship Program

The High School Senior Summer Internship Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is an eight-week program in which graduating high school seniors work 20 hours per week with a mentor in one of multiple pediatric clinical specialties. This internship is a paid, part-time position for Cincinnati-area graduating high school seniors only. The program is very competitive, offering an exciting opportunity for highly motivated students interested in pursuing higher education (MD, PhD, or MD / PhD) to learn more about careers in Medicine and Clinical Research.

Important Details

Interns work part-time (20 hours per week) and are paid $13 per hour. Attendance is mandatory on Orientation Day, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Please note that applicants must be a resident in the Cincinnati metropolitan area graduating from high school in 2023.

All Summer interns will shadow their primary mentor in the clinic and can participate in clinical or research projects (see photos from past summers below). Follow the links to mentor faculty webpages in the box below to help you decide which specialty and faculty mentor you would like to work with. You will be asked to rank the top two specialties you are interested in and discuss your reasoning for your ranking in an essay. Faculty are organized under categories of primarily clinical shadowing, a combination of shadowing and research and primarily research. Each summer intern will have a unique experience. Interns also have the option of observing in other specialties upon request. All interns attend a weekly group luncheon every Tuesday to network with their peers and interact with other specialists. There are also scheduled group activities including an afternoon hands-on training session with computerized simulated pediatric patients in the SIM Center (see photos), group community service opportunities and a presentation by the assistant dean for admission at UC College of Medicine on tips for preparing for Medical School admission. At the end of the internship, students present a summary of their unique experiences to the group at the graduation party.

Use the links below to research the 2023 potential mentors and their specialties:

Dean Beebe, PhD, ABPP: Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology

Rebeccah Brown, MD, FACS, FAAP: Pediatric Surgery

Cristina Cebiran, PhD: Developmental Biology

Hassan Chaib: Human Genetics

Timothy Chlon, PhD: Hematosis, Thrombosis

Christopher Dandoy, MD, MSc: Bone Marrow Transplantation

Jason Frischer, MD: Pediatric Surgery

Fukun Guo, PhD: Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology

Kohta Ikegami, PhD: Molecular Cardiovascular Biology

Jessica Kahn, MD, MPH: Adolescent and Transition Medicine

Richard Lang, PhD: Ophthalmology

Yaping Liu, PhD: Human Genetics

Laura Peterson, MD: Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology

Nelson Rosen, MD: Pediatric Surgery

Debora Sinner, PhD: Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology

Anne Slavotinek, PhD, MBBS: Human Genetics

Mary Allen Staat, MD, MPH: Infectious Diseases, International Adoption Center

Nanhua Zhang, PhD: Biostatistics and Epidemiology

Aaron Zorn, PhD: Developmental Biology

In addition to all of the above opportunities, there are additional shadowing offerings:

  • Operating Room
  • Hospital Medicine
  • Emergency Department
  • Intensive Care Unit

The application will open on December 7, 2022 and will consist of two phases. Phase one will be an administrative review to assess eligibility and will close on January 31, 2023 and can be found at this link. If applicants are selected to move forward to Phase two they will be asked to provide the following information and documents before 5:00 PM on March 10, 2023:

1.Academic record (official transcript and weighted GPA through fall semester, 2022).

2.All standard test scores, if available (SAT and ACT preferred, PSAT scores not necessary).

3. Select top three specialties and mentors in which they are most interested. We make every effort to match interns with their specialty of greatest interest.

4. Resume featuring leadership in extracurricular activities, community service, and employment.

5. Please prepare a one page or less essay. In the essay, please include a personal statement describing yourself in more detail and your passions and interests. Also, explain why you want to be part of this program and why you selected your top three ranked mentors and specialties.

6. Two letters of recommendation evaluating the applicant's scientific potential, maturity, and responsibility sent directly to hssummerinternship@cchmc.org.

Interested students with questions about the program or application process should contact us at hssummerinternship@cchmc.org .

2023 Summer Internship

Young reserachers.

Thank you for your interest in the 2023 High School Senior Summer Internship program. The 2023 application is open and can be found at this link.

Phase one of the application will close on January 31, 2023. Applicants selected to move forward will be asked to provide additional information in Phase two of the application process which will close on March 10, 2023.

Contact Us

Interested students with questions about the program or application process should contact us at hssummerinternship@cchmc.org

Summer interns in 2022.
2022 Summer interns
2019 Summer Interns

2019 Summer interns

2013 student interns.
2018 Summer interns
2017 Summer interns.
2017 Summer interns
2016 Summer Interns.

2016 Summer Interns

2015 Summer Interns.
2015 Summer Interns
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2014 Summer interns