Alexis Martinez, a sophomore at Montezuma-Cortez High School, has been nominated as a delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, which will be held June 26-28 on the University of Massachusetts Lowell campus, right outside Boston.
According to a news release from the National Academy of Future Physicians, the Congress is an honors-only program dedicated to high school students who plan to go to medical school or into a medical research specific field.
“The purpose of this event is to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country interested in these careers, to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal,” the news release said.
Martinez told The Journal over the phone that she is looking forward to the Congress and is very grateful for the opportunity to be nominated. She also shared that while she hasn’t chosen a specific career path in medicine, she is interested in entering the emergency medical field.
She was nominated by Dr. Mario Capecchi, a winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and the science director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists.
According to the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, Capecchi is a molecular geneticist who was co-awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine after his discovery of “knockout mice,” which are created with a specific gene turned off.
“I was nominated for my interest in the medical field and my academics,” Martinez said.
As a delegate, Martinez will be representing the state of Colorado “based on her academic achievement, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine.”
The Congress, which will span three days, will include other students from all over the country who are planning on entering the medical field in some capacity.
While at the event, Martinez and other attending students will hear from other Nobel Prize winners, National Medal of Science recipients, hear about leading medical research, be given advice from Ivy League and other medical school deans regarding medical school, hear from patients “living medical miracles,” hear from fellow students who are “medical science prodigies” and learn about the future of medicine and medical technology.
“We get to see a surgery live performed and we get to learn from and talk to a lot of other Nobel Prize winners and learn a lot about futuristic medicine like artificial printing of organs and innovative medicine,” Martinez said.
The press released shared that it is their goal to inspire young people to become doctors and continue taking the medical field and its advancements into the future.
“This is a crucial time in America when we need more doctors and medical scientists who are even better prepared for a future that is changing exponentially. Focused, bright and determined students like Alexis Martinez are our future and she deserves all the mentoring and guidance we can give her,” they said.
The Academy provides free programs and other services for students who are interested in pursuing medicine. They offer mentoring programs, an online platform where students can communicate with doctors and scientists, college and finance help, internships, career guidance and more.
The Academy works to find students with medical talent “at the earliest possible age” to help mentor and guide them as they pursue a career in medicine, helping them gain the skills and experience needed to excel in the field.
More information can be found by visiting www.FutureDocs.com.
