CCS Student Participates in National Youth Leadership Forum: Medicine
Pittsboro, NC -- Chatham Central High School student Matt Shaw joined over 400 outstanding high school students from across the nation in a unique career development opportunity, the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF): Medicine, an Envision program. Forum sessions were held in 10 cities across the United States as a way to introduce young scholars to the many challenges and career options in the field of medicine.
Throughout the nine-day program, students were introduced to emerging issues in public health, medical ethics, research and general practice. Site visits to top medical schools and clinical facilities exposed the next generation of medical professionals to the real world of medicine. A highlight of the forum enabled students to test their knowledge as they triaged injured patients in a mass casualty simulation.
Many of the students who attended the forum were nominated by teachers and guidance counselors based on their demonstrated academic excellence, leadership potential and interest in medicine. All 400 attendees wrote essays about the experience. Shaw’s was one of two selected for delivery during the final banquet. States Shaw about his experience, “The Envision Experience has truly led me to the pursuit of my dreams. Between the surgeries, hospital visits, as well as the numerous medical sessions, I have no doubt in my mind I want to dedicate myself to becoming a medical professional. Even though I was only there for one week, the experiences and the relationships I built have impacted me for a lifetime.”