Participants in the 2016 Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine pose for a group photo after touring the LifeForce operations center at Erlanger.
The Chattanooga and Hamilton County Medical Society and Medical Foundation of Chattanooga hosted the 11th annual Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine in June. The program encourages rising high school seniors and recent graduates to consider careers in medicine. During the course of the week, students participate in daily roundtable discussions with physicians and shadow a different physician each day.
The program is designed to:
* Provide students the opportunity to learn more about life as a physician and inspire them to consider a career in medicine;
*Educate students about options available to assist with the cost of medical education;
* Provide students and local physicians with a community-based mentoring/teaching experience;
* Assist with efforts to increase the pipeline of health care providers in Southeastern Tennessee.
Program participants included 26 students selected from more than 100 applications received by the Medical Society.
The participants represent 16 private and public high schools in the area.
“This program is a great way to educate students on the opportunities of the field of medicine,” said Mark Brzezienski, MD, past president of the Medical Society and founder of the program. “We aim to inspire these talented young people to pursue a career in the field.”
Sessions were held at area hospitals.
2016 Participants are:
Baylor School: Shaan Desai, Emma Kerley, Jamie Kessler
Boyd Buchanan School: Hannah Isanhart, Haleigh Isanhart
Chattanooga Christian School: Maria Dassow, Anne Miller
Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences: Maya Johnson, Shailey Shah
East Hamilton High School: Caleb Kouvarakis
Girls Preparatory School: Amelia Land, Lauren Milner, Mary Owen
Grace Academy: Morgan House
Hixson High School: Kate Bossong
Home School: Clare Stafford
Howard School: Laquisha Smart
Notre Dame High School: Bella Bombassi, Mary Connell, Andrew Lisy
Ooltewah High School: Andrew Taylor
Signal Mountain High School: Douglass Dapp, Briston Reese
Silverdale Baptist Academy: Jacob Dohmeier
Soddy Daisy High School: Laurel Woodward
Tyner Academy: Dawn Davis