Medical Internships and Training

About Medical Internships

Children's Hospital Los Angeles provides a wealth of training and volunteer opportunities for individuals committed to helping children.

However, due to the complexity and severity of the illness and injuries sustained by the children we treat, in many instances, our environment does not lend itself well to "shadowing" opportunities or "observation" opportunities for those who have not already received a significant degree of formal training in medicine.

Internships for High School Students

Due to the highly competitive nature of opportunities for medical students, we are unable to offer shadowing and observation roles for high school students.

• For those in search of a non-medical volunteer experience, please review the Volunteer Opportunities area of our website to see if volunteering is a fit for you.

Internships for Undergraduate Students

We offer two, highly competitive programs for college underclassmen to offer medical experience. Space in both of the above programs is extremely limited and selection of students is coordinated through advisors at the listed schools. These programs are not open for application directly through our hospital.

• The California Institute of Technology selects students who spend up to a 3-week time period at our hospital.
• The University of Southern California offers a small group of pre-medical students an opportunity to shadow at CHLA through the USC-CHLA Preceptorship Program.

4th Year Medical Students – U.S. and Canadian Schools

Clinical electives are available to students of U.S. and Canadian Medical Schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). Applicants interested in a clerkship must apply via the AAMC VSLO platform. CHLA can be found under the USC Keck School of Medicine Home Institution, Pediatrics option. For additional questions or more information, please email MedEdOffice@chla.usc.edu.

4th Year Medical Students – Foreign Schools

We offer clinical electives for a very select group of medical schools outside of the United States and Canada. Please visit the Keck School of Medicine's page on Visiting Student Clerkships for more information on accepted schools and the application process. 

Diversity in Medicine Visiting Rotation Program

The Department of Graduate Medical Education at CHLA is pleased to announce its 2023 Diversity in Medicine Visiting Rotation Program. CHLA is committed to recruiting trainees that are committed to building health equity and that reflect the diversity of the children, families, and communities we serve. This program provides support for fourth- year medical students to participate in the CHLA Visiting Student Program, as well as opportunities to engage with the CHLA pediatric residents, faculty, and community. A stipend of up to $2000 will be awarded to up to six recipients to help defray the costs of travel and housing. In addition to their clinical experiences, visiting students will be invited to attend daily residency educational conferences and weekly Grand Rounds. We will connect each student with a mentorship family through CHLA’s Diversity and Inclusion Mentorship Program (DIMP). Mentorship families consist of a faculty mentor, a resident/fellow mentor, and a medical student. Students will also be invited to attend any DIMP Professional Development Sessions that occur during their rotations and to engage with members of our residency Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Finally, each student will have an individual meeting with the Pediatric Residency Program Director.

Application requirements

1. This program is targeted at students from diverse backgrounds, including those underrepresented in medicine (URiM).
2. Applicants must be full-time fourth year students in good standing at an LCME/AOA accredited US medical or osteopathic school, have completed their core pediatric clerkship, and plan to apply to a pediatric residency program.
3. Please complete our application and submit to Stephanie Guzman (sguzman@chla.usc.edu) along with the following:
   • CV
   • Letter of recommendation
   • A short (1 page) statement expressing why you are interested in this opportunity, your overall career goals, and how you believe your background and experiences would contribute to diversity at CHLA
4. Applicants must also apply to and be accepted by the Keck School of Medicine/CHLA Visiting Student Program via the AAMC VSLO application system.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION

The deadline for application is May 25th, 2023.

Please direct any questions to Stephanie Guzman, Residency Coordinator, sguzman@chla.usc.edu or 323-361-4937.

Pediatric Residency Program

Our hospital's residency program in pediatrics is renowned for offering our medical students exposure to a wide array of healthcare experts, diagnoses, and care protocols. Our board exam passage rate for our residents is among the highest in the nation. More about our Pediatric Residency Program.

RN Residency Program

We are the founding hospital of the RN Residency which has become the national model for new graduates transitioning into nursing practice throughout the United States. The comprehensive 22-week RN Residency in Pediatrics is offered each March and September. Selected nurse residents enjoy comprehensive classroom and clinical experience, competitive salary and benefits, relocation assistance, rapid promotion program and five pediatric specialty choices. To learn more, please visit our RN Residency Program area of our site.

Fellowship Programs

Currently, experts at our hospital are providing mentorship for 98 fellows in various pediatric specialty and subspecialty areas. To find out if we offer a Fellowship Program for you, visit the Fellowship Programs area of our site.

Psychology Internship

The University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at Children's Hospital Los Angeles offers an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited Psychology Predoctoral Internship.