I’m a high school student and I’m extremely interested in pursuing medical/scientific research in college. I think it would be really beneficial to start as a high school student so I have some experience when I’m in college. How can I actually get a position in a lab?
The best way is to exploit connections that you may have. Do you or your parents have a friend, neighbor, or colleague that is conducting research? If so, reach out to them, first. People are more inclined to say ‘yes’ if they know you or have a relationship with your parents.
If you don’t have such a connection, then you could explore the (much tougher) route of “cold calling” researchers in your area. Find a local hospital or university, do a google search on researchers on staff, and (here’s the challenging part) educate yourself about their areas of specialization. Read technical papers and website postings. Think of ways that you personally could contribute. Finally, craft a well-written email that says who you are, why you are interested, and asks if there is an unpaid internship for someone like you. You may need to do this for multiple researchers, as most may not even respond to your email. It’s daunting, but lots of kids get lucky and find research opportunities this way.
A third approach would be to apply to a medical research program:
http://blog.prepscholar.com/medical-programs-for-high-school-students
The above link is from a quick google search. I am knowledgable about such programs for engineering, but not for medicine. Be aware that some research programs are not selective, some are very expensive, and some don’t provide housing.
You didn’t mention the effect of research in the college application process; kudos to you! Finding research opportunities in your area on your own is most impressive to adcoms; it shows initiative. The prestige of summer research programs is inversely proportional to cost; adcoms see being admitted to a non-selective, high-cost program as simply an indication of your parents’ SES.