New York High School

If you are a high school student in New York interested in healthcare careers, this section provides state-specific guidance for grades 9 through 12. New York offers exceptional opportunities for pre-health students: abundant clinical volunteering sites at some of the nation’s top hospitals, research programs at world-class universities, strong AP® and IB offerings, active HOSA® chapters and well-established Health Science CTE programs, and access to more medical schools within the state than any other state in the country. The pages below map these opportunities in comprehensive detail so you can build a strong and well-rounded pre-health foundation during your high school years.

Your New York High School Pathway

Freshman year (Grade 9): Focus on strong study habits and choose the most rigorous science and math courses available. Take Living Environment (Regents Biology) and complete the Regents exam. Join health-related clubs and explore volunteering. Earn CPR certification through your local Red Cross chapter or fire department. Sophomore year (Grade 10): Take Chemistry (Regents or honors) and complete the Regents exam. Begin looking at hospital volunteer programs (most NYC hospitals accept volunteers starting at age 16). Explore HOSA® membership if your school has a chapter. Junior year (Grade 11): Take AP® Biology and AP® Chemistry if available. Build substantial clinical experience (hospital volunteering, EMT certification). Prepare for the SAT® or ACT®. Research colleges with strong pre-health programs. Consider summer research programs at New York universities. Senior year (Grade 12): Take AP® Physics and remaining advanced science courses. Complete college applications. If applying to BS/MD programs (several are located in New York State), begin those applications in the fall. See our BS/MD Programs page.

New York High School Sub-Pages

Academics and Planning covers Regents exam requirements, AP® and IB course availability, dual enrollment through SUNY and CUNY, specialized high school options (NYC specialized science high schools, CTE health science programs), and college planning for New York students.

Clinical Experience and Volunteering covers hospital volunteer programs at major New York hospital systems, EMT certification (New York-specific requirements), CNA training, physician shadowing, and community health volunteering across the state.

Research and Extracurriculars covers summer research programs at New York universities (NYU, Columbia, Mount Sinai, Rockefeller, SUNY campuses), HOSA® chapters, science competitions (Regeneron Science Talent Search, NYCSEF, ISEF qualifiers), and health science clubs.

Why New York Is Exceptional for Pre-Health Students

New York’s advantages for pre-health high school students are difficult to overstate. The state has 17 medical schools (MD and DO), more than any other state, meaning that New York produces a disproportionate share of the nation’s physicians and provides clinical training sites across every region. For high school students, this density of medical education creates a downstream effect: hospitals affiliated with medical schools tend to have more structured volunteer programs, more physician shadowing opportunities, and more research labs that accept young students.

New York City, in particular, offers a concentration of clinical and academic resources that is unique in the country. Within a single subway ride, a New York City high school student can access hospitals affiliated with Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Mount Sinai, Einstein, and SUNY Downstate, each with its own volunteer programs and outreach initiatives. The NYC Department of Education’s specialized science high schools (Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Technical) and magnet programs provide rigorous STEM education that produces a disproportionate number of students who pursue healthcare careers.

Students outside of New York City also have strong options. SUNY campuses across the state (Stony Brook, Binghamton, Buffalo, Albany, Upstate Medical University in Syracuse) have affiliated hospitals and research facilities that offer volunteering, shadowing, and research opportunities for local high school students. For general high school guidance that applies regardless of your state, see our For High School Students hub.

Regional Differences Across New York

New York is a geographically and demographically diverse state, and the healthcare opportunities available to high school students vary by region. New York City offers the highest concentration of hospitals, research institutions, and cultural resources, but students may face intense competition for volunteer positions and research placements. Long Island students benefit from proximity to Stony Brook University, Northwell Health hospitals, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and suburban hospital systems with structured volunteer programs. Hudson Valley students have access to Westchester Medical Center, Vassar Brothers Medical Center, and the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System, along with programs at SUNY New Paltz, Marist College, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Capital Region students can access Albany Medical Center, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and SUNY Albany programs. Western New York students benefit from the University at Buffalo medical campus, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Rochester-area institutions (University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester General Hospital). Central New York and Southern Tier students have access to SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse), Binghamton University, and regional hospitals.

Regardless of where you live in New York, clinical volunteering, research, and academic enrichment opportunities exist within a reasonable distance. Rural students may need to be more proactive in seeking out opportunities and may need to travel farther, but the resources exist. The sub-pages below provide specific program information organized by activity type, with notes about geographic accessibility where relevant.

New York students should also take advantage of the state’s extensive public transportation infrastructure (particularly in NYC and the metro area) to access opportunities across borough and county lines. A hospital in the Bronx is accessible to a student in Queens. A research lab in Manhattan is reachable from Brooklyn. Do not limit your search to your immediate neighborhood; the entire metropolitan area, and indeed the entire state, is your resource base. Students in upstate and rural communities should explore SUNY campus programs, regional hospital volunteer opportunities, and community organizations in their area. Many upstate SUNY campuses have pre-health pipeline programs specifically designed to serve students from surrounding communities, and regional hospitals often have less competitive volunteer programs than their New York City counterparts.

References

New York State Education Department. “Diploma Requirements.” NYSED, 2025. http://www.nysed.gov/. Accessed March 2026.