Science, Technology, and Reconstructive Surgery Summer Program (STaRS)

The Science, Technology, and Reconstructive Surgery Summer Program (STaRS) is an eight-week summer research internship run by the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford Medicine in California for high school and community college students. Interns work side by side with clinician-scientist mentors and research teams on hands-on biomedical research projects in a Stanford lab and learn techniques such as histology, imaging and genotyping. They also attend interactive lectures and skill-building workshops and present their findings at a final showcase. The program runs Monday through Friday, with Wednesdays set aside for learning outside the lab. There is no cost to take part. Interns are typically unpaid, and the program does not provide housing, travel or meals, though in some cases it covers daily rail or bus fares. About 20 interns are invited each summer. The 2026 program ran June 15 to August 7.

High school and community college students from anywhere in the US and its territories can apply if they will be 16 years old by the first day of the internship, with no exceptions. International applicants are not accepted, and prior lab experience is not required. The application must be complete and include a letter of recommendation. Interns must commit to the full eight weeks and arrange their own housing and transportation.