Forum On Medicine Sheds Light On Career Opportunities

By Tanjua Damon

Trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up can be a confusing and daunting time for students today. Two Newtown High School students took part in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine this summer, gaining a better understanding of the medical profession and possible future careers.

Newtown High School juniors Rachel Berliner and Monica Cluff attended the forum in hopes of seeing what it would be like to be a doctor and to understand the various aspects of medicine.

Rachel attended the Forum on Medicine in Boston June 24 to July 3, where she was introduced to a variety of concepts in public health, medical ethics, research, and general practice.

“We got a good idea of their lifestyles, not only their jobs,” Rachel said. “I learned tons of things. There were so many speakers. We got to look at medical schools.”

Monica traveled to Philadelphia to attend the Medical Forum there that was held July 22 to July 31. She was intrigued by all of the different aspects of medicine that most people do not even realize are out there.

“I learned all about the MD and DO backgrounds,” Monica said. “I learned different areas you can go into in medicine and areas you can specialize in. It inspired me.”

Looking at cadavers – dead bodies– seemed to be a highlight for both of the high school students as well as witnessing various other medical techniques.

“I learned some random things like suturing,” Rachel said, “and we learned how to make casts.”

“We cut it open and everything,” Monica added. “We got to really play around with it.”

Learning what medical school was like was another area the forum touched upon. The students learned about problem-based learning where they have to collect data, hypothesize, research, and then come to a conclusion.

“It was mostly focused on medical situations,” Rachel said. “It feels good to see how it would be in college.”

Live debates about medical ethics were also held and the students worked in small groups to create and develop community service projects.

“I didn’t really feel like it was like school. But we still worked and it was challenging,” Rachel said. “First of all the people there were all very nice. Also we got to do things we can’t normally do. We were able to shadow doctors too.”

Monica thinks she would like to go into psychology or be a pediatrician. The forum helped her to see what is out there and the work that has to be done to become a doctor.

“We learned a lot of study skills, schooling needs for college and medical school,” Monica said. “I learned about the smaller areas. When people look at being a doctor they mainly think of just a physician, when there really are so many different kinds of doctors.”

The National Youth Leadership Forum offers high school students who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership potential the opportunity to come together with 350 other students who are interested in the same topic.