Senior Elizabeth Fischer participated in the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF) for Medicine, a summer program that gives high school students the opportunity to learn about various medical careers.

The program took place in 11 cities, but Fischer’s interest in East Coast possibilities led to her decision to go to College Park, Maryland, from July 17-26.

Fischer said,  “Overall, I learned that getting involved in medicine is something I really want to do. During this forum, many people questioned if practicing medicine is what they wanted to pursue as a career. However, my interest and passion for learning about medicine never wavered and grew stronger.”

At NYLF, Fischer had the chance to take blood pressure, learn how to suture and do CPR, and even watch an open-knee surgery take place.

Previously, Fischer was confident about pursuing a career in pediatrics, but her interest in becoming a surgeon grew as she watched the open-knee surgery.

Fischer said, “I’m still deciding what surgical specialty I would like to pursue. I’m thinking about being a pediatric surgeon, but plastic surgery also seems like an interesting field to work in.”

Hearing first-hand from medical residents, Fischer opened her eyes to diverse medical professions and practices. The program allowed her and other high school students to learn and grow outside the classroom by simulating real-world exercises.

Fischer said, “I would definitely recommend this to classmates at the Academy. I not only learned so much about medicine, but I made friends with amazing people and had the opportunity to travel and tour. Since I traveled by myself, I was able to have a great deal of independence, which was so rewarding.”