Honor Student Alexa Risdon Nominated for The Congress of Future Medical Leaders

When most high school students were easing into summer break, Alexa Risdon was busy rubbing shoulders with some of the brightest minds in medicine. The Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh senior was chosen to serve as a Delegate to the prestigious Congress of Future Medical Leaders, held June 25–27 on the University of Massachusetts Lowell campus just outside Boston.

The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students interested in pursuing a career in medicine or entering the medical research field. The purpose of this event is to honor, inspire, motivate, and direct the top students in the country interested in these careers, to inspire them to stay true to their dreams and, after the event, to provide to provide a path, plan, and resources to help them reach their goals.

Alexa's nomination was signed by Dr. Mario Capecchi, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and the Science Director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, to represent Pennsylvania, based on her academic achievements, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine.

During the three-day Congress, Alexa joined students from across the country and heard Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science winners discuss leading medical research; received advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what to expect in medical school; witnessed stories told by patients who are living medical miracles; became inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learned about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.

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 Alexa are our future and she deserves all the mentoring and guidance we can give her.

The Academy offers free services and programs to students interested in pursuing a career in medicine or a medical science field. Services and programs offered by the Academy include online social networks through which future doctors and medical scientists can communicate; opportunities for students to be guided and mentored by physicians and medical students; and communications for parents and students on college acceptance and finances, skills acquisition, internships, career guidance, and much more.

The National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists was founded on the belief that we must identify prospective medical talent at the earliest possible age and help these students gain the experience and skills needed to enter this vital career. Based in Washington, D.C., and with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, the Academy was chartered as a nonpartisan, tax-paying institution to help address this crisis by working to identify, encourage, and mentor students who wish to devote their lives to the service of humanity as physicians or medical scientists.

Northern Connection magazine wishes Alexa the best of luck in her future endeavors.