Bockhold and Brown attend National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine

During the summer, two outstanding juniors from St. Bernard Preparatory School in Cullman  attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.    Mackenzie Bockhold and Mikayla Brown joined  high school students from around the globe this summer for a 10-day forum in which they were introduced to a variety of concepts in public health, medical ethics, research and general practice.

The National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine created a virtual classroom with hospitals, clinical facilities and healthcare professionals.  By shadowing key personnel, these  students  had a great opportunity to gain a behind-the-scenes perspective on a medical career.

Brown said she had an amazing experience and was pleased to interact with  people  from a wide variety of medical fields, such as dentists, pediatricians and emergency medical professionals.

“I particularly enjoyed our field trip to the Georgia Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.  We  given a tour of the anatomy lab complete with cadavers.  I was even happier when I learned one doesn’t have to be a pre-med major to attend medical school,” Brown said.

Bockhold agreed with Brown by saying she enjoyed all the anatomy lab stations which had been set up with cadaver bones, brains, etc.  

“This forum opened my eyes to different things in the medical field.  We had the opportunity to speak with many different kinds of health care professionals.  It is amazing just how broad the medical field really is.    The  real human bones  and organs gave it a whole new look for me,” Bockhold said.

Brown plans to be a reconstructive surgeon, and hopes to pair that with public rhetoric and communications.

As for Bockhold, she plans to visit Georgia Tech and look into Biomedical Engineering.  “I think I will enjoy the mathematical side of medicine.  I want to help others get better, and stay healthy.”

Both girls were grateful for the invitation and  opportunity to attend this program.

Bockhold is the daughter of  Donald and Sandy Bockhold of Cullman.  Brown is the daughter of Dr. Michael and Susan Brown of Arab.

NLF is an educational organization that brings various professions to life, empowering outstanding young people with the confidence to make well-informed career choices.