Wednesday, September 4, 2002
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Wednesday, September 4, 2002 |
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Fayette teen attends medical forum
Laura Colon of Fayetteville attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine (NYLF/MED) in Chicago in July. Having demonstrated academic achievement and an interest in a career related to science and health, Colon joined more than 400 outstanding high school juniors and seniors from across the United States at the Forum. Students learned first-hand about medical ethics, the global effects of infectious disease, genetic research, public health and many other subjects relevant to the field of medicine. The program is designed to help students with an interest and aptitude explore fields that interest them and determine which direction they want their careers to take. Colon was fascinated by the opportunity to watch medicine being practiced. "I am definitely interested in the field of medicine," said Colon. "We went to a VA hospital and watched a neurosurgeon for a couple of hours and we also went to the University of Chicago Medical School and saw cadavers and handled brains and such." Dr. Shashin Doshi, a radiologist in Chicago welcomed the students in a keynote address. He told the students, "I strongly encourage you to explore the opportunities available to you through this program in order to gauge whether or not medicine is for you. As a student, I really wanted to go into business or law, but it was my experience at the inaugural National Youth Leadership Forum on medicine in Boston that opened my eyes to the medical field." Likewise, the experience helped Colon decide which direction to concentrate on. "We went to a dentistry school and observed. It was the highlight of the trip," said Colon. "I really want to be a pediatric dentist and work with the children." Colon is a junior at Fayette County High School. Her parents are Kathryn and Hector Colon of Fayetteville. The NYLF is a nonprofit, education organization. For more information on NYLF programs, visit www.nylf.org.
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