Pre-College Research Internship for Scholarship and Mentoring (PRISM)

The Pre-College Research Internship for Scholarship and Mentoring (PRISM) is a summer research internship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Surgery for high school juniors interested in medicine and healthcare. Interns spend eight weeks completing a mentored research project, usually as part of a team that can include undergraduates and medical students. UAB surgeons, faculty and senior research staff serve as mentors. The program also includes seminars, workshops and clinical shadowing when allowed, and every intern presents their research before the program ends. Only five students are chosen each year. The internship is full time and in person in Birmingham, Alabama, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. The 2026 program ran June 8 to July 31, 2026. Interns who complete the program earn a $1,000 stipend, but they must cover their own meals, housing, transportation and parking.

Applicants must be high school juniors when they submit, be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and come from a disadvantaged background as defined by the NIH or be first-generation college students. There is no minimum GPA, though a GPA of 3.5 or higher is more competitive. Apply online through the program website, including a recommendation. Applications for 2026 were accepted from November 17, 2025 to January 19, 2026, and finalists were interviewed in March.