Sally Crookshanks, of Exeter, recently participated in the National Youth Leadership forum on Medicine (NYLF/MED), which took place June 27 through July 6 at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Crookshanks joined 350 other high school students from around the country who demonstrated academic excellence, leadership potential and an interest in a career in medicine.
Throughout the 10-day forum, NYLF/MED introduced Crookshanks to a variety of concepts in public health, medical ethics, research and general practice, and included site visits to medical facilities and clinics. Students engaged in a simulation using problem-based learning, an educational method in which students were presented with a fictional patient's case history and asked to diagnose and develop a treatment plan for the patient.
"The National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine creates a virtual classroom out of hospitals, clinical facilities and healthcare professionals," said Donna Snyder, executive director of NYLF. "By shadowing key personnel, students like Sally Crookshanks have a great opportunity to gain a behind the scenes perspective on a career in medicine. This is a critical time for these students to be exploring their future career paths, just prior to immersing themselves in coursework once they are in college."
In addition to visits to cutting-edge medical school sand clinical facilities, Crookshanks had the opportunity to hear from and interact with leaders within the medical field. Students have up-close and personal contact with physicians, surgeons, researchers, scientists and medical educators as they go behind the scenes to view these professionals at work.
Crookshanks will be a senior at Exeter Union High School this Fall. She plans to continue her education to be a Registered Nurse. NYLF is a nonprofit educational organization that brings professions to life, empowering students with the confidence to make well-informed career choices. For additional information, visit www.nylf.org.
