The application for the 2026 Medical Student Fellowship Program will open on Monday, December 8, 2025. Stay tuned for details.
This summer program provides students with the opportunity to engage in the distinctive scientific environment of Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK). Medical students, typically between their first and second years of study, participate in research projects under the guidance and mentorship of MSK faculty members. Throughout their research experience, students attend lectures and seminars conducted by leading cancer researchers and innovators in oncology care. This structure allows students to gain firsthand experience in the rigorous process of scientific inquiry within the framework of a premier academic cancer center, with a particular focus on precision medicine.
Established in 1977, the program has facilitated the involvement of over 1,500 medical students in advancing the research mission of a world-renowned academic medical institution. Its primary objectives are to deepen students’ understanding of cancer biology and treatment and to inspire future careers in cancer research.
The program includes the following components:
- Opportunities to collaborate with mentors and engage in laboratories actively involved in translational research
- Clinical shadowing experiences that provide insight into clinical oncology practice
- Didactic sessions covering oncology, research methodologies, and professional development
- Skill-building activities designed to enhance students’ ability to integrate scientific knowledge and effectively communicate their research findings to audiences
- Applicants must be a first- or second-year medical student
- Applicants must be enrolled full time in an accredited US Medical School
- Applicants must be in good academic standing. Students who are repeating a course or will need to repeat a course during the summer are not eligible to participate
- Applicants must provide evidence of their eligibility to work in the US upon acceptance to participate in the program
- Applicants must be able to commit to 8 weeks of uninterrupted participation
- Applicants must be able to participate in the program for the published dates
- Applicants are not permitted to contact faculty sponsors during the application process
- Academic and Research Background
- Interest in the Specific Project chosen
- Strong Interest in Oncology
- Strong Interest in the Program / Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Participants are hired as temporary summer employees and receive a $7,000 stipend for uninterrupted participation over the eight weeks of the program. Stipends are paid in bi-weekly installments according to the MSK payroll schedule, minus applicable federal, state, and city payroll taxes.
MSK does not provide housing to program participants. A list of housing resources will be provided to accepted students. All housing and transportation expenses are the participant’s responsibility.
Summer research projects reflect a broad-based perspective on the entire research cycle from discovery to development to delivery of care. Project areas include laboratory bench research, clinical research, biostatistics, and epidemiology among others. Below are a few projects students worked on during our 2025 fellowship program. 2026 projects will be posted directly in our application.
- Translational research into mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapies
- Clinical and Translational Research in Thoracic Surgical Oncology – Novel Therapies in Mediastinal Tumors and Outcomes in Lung Cancer
- Impact of infections on the outcomes of stem cell transplantation
- Clinical outcomes for patients with metastatic brain tumors
- Perioperative factors associated with prolonged time to ambulation in ambulatory head and neck surgery
- Functional MRI of Important Brain Cortices Adjacent to Brain Tumors
- Underlying Genetics of Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Castration resistance phenotypes in recurrent or refractory prostate cancer
- Fecal Microbiota Characterization and Clinical Outcomes with Low-Intensity Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment
- Brain Tumor Insights: Neuroradiology, AI, and Advanced Imaging
