Mikayla LaFrenier, a junior at North Thurston High School, secured a spot in an exclusive club. This year, a limited number of high school students from across the country have been nominated to attend the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, a conference hosted by the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists. The three-day June congress is held with the hope of “inspiring qualified young people to become doctors and medical scientists.”
Mikayla first developed an interest in science during her freshman year of high school, when she enrolled in her school’s standard introductory science class, integrated science. She took a liking to the subject, and starting her sophomore year she began to double up on science classes. “Sophomore year, I took animal science as well as biology. This year, chemistry [as well as] human anatomy and physiology,” she says. By the time she finishes her senior year, she will have taken seven science classes, when most students at her school take only three.
“It’s really interesting to me how everything [in the body] works together,” she says, of her interest in medicine. “I would like to develop a better understanding [of that] as a result of the congress. And, ultimately, I really want to help people,” she says.
Mikayla sees the congress as an opportunity to combine her interest in science with her desire to help people. According to the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Professionals’ website, delegates have “the opportunity to network with medical professionals (to get) a competitive edge and greater focus as they begin their journey into a career in medicine.”
Mikayla has yet to decide what branch of medicine she wants to pursue, though she has considered veterinary science, physical therapy, and various fields of biology. These interests are inspired in part by her extra-curricular activities. “I’m an athlete,” she says. “I play volleyball at my high school and [on a] club team.” Athletes often work closely with physical therapists, which allows them to see how beneficial physical therapy can be to prevent and recover more quickly from injuries.
Mikayla also has a love for animals, especially horses. “I was on my school’s equestrian team,” she says, and working with horses gave her an understanding of the importance of veterinarians. Attending the congress will give her an opportunity to explore these interests and many more with experts from many different branches of medicine and medical research.
“I will get to meet a lot of people [at the congress] and ask them a lot of questions,” Mikayla says. “I’ll get to see a lot of cool things, like live surgeries.” The three-day congress will be full of question and answer sessions, presentations by physicians and medical researchers, group activities for Delegates, and opportunities to speak with presenters one-on-one or in small groups. Opportunities for such a close look into the medical profess are hard to come by, especially for high school students.
For Mikayla, the congress is an opportunity to meet with career experts and learn what it will take for her to pursue her interest in medical science. “I think that it will be an amazing experience,” she says.
Mikayla and her family are currently running a GoFundMe campaign to help with the expenses for the trip. Any donations are greatly appreciated.
