Arcadia Seniors invited to attend Congress of Future Medical Leaders

Seniors Cameron Taylor and Aniya Edwards have been invited to attend The Congress of Future Medical Leaders a nationally recognized honors program for high school students aspiring to become physicians.

Both Cameron and Aniya were selected to go to Boston in June to represent Arcadia, Nandua and the Commonwealth of VA in an honors program for future medical leaders. This is a very special nomination that they received from attending the HOSA program across the bay a few weeks ago.

The Congress of Future Medical Leaders is a verified honors-only program for high school students who are dedicated to the service of humanity through medicine, either as physicians or in scientific research. The purpose of the Congress is to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in our country and help them stay true to their dreams.

Congress delegates are guided by some of the greatest minds in medicine — men and women who are leading the medical miracles of the 21st century. Congress mentor speakers include winners of the Nobel Prize, award-winning young inventors and scientists, leaders in medicine, medical futurists, and prominent medical school deans.

Cameron aspires to become a medical specialist, with psychology being at the top of his list, but he definitely is not closed minded about other medical fields.

America is facing a national crisis. At current graduation and training rates, there will soon be a shortage of as many as 150,000 primary care doctors and specialists, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges. This will result in inequality and hardship for large numbers of U.S. citizens.

While the major cause of this shortage will be too few medical schools, it is essential to continue inspiring qualified young people to become doctors and medical scientists. For this to happen, numerous negative messages about joining the profession must be countered.

Additionally, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education will continue to play a critical role in enabling the U.S. to remain the economic and technological leader of the 21st-century global marketplace.