The Congress of Future Medical Leaders recently took place in Lowell, Massachusetts. <\/p>\n
I attended as an observer with my daughter, who is a rising senior, recruitment slang for a high school student entering her senior year. <\/p>\n
Organized by the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, this conference attracted thousands of young delegates. <\/p>\n
A cross between convention, lecture marathon and group hug, it took place in the cavernous Tsongas Center of the University of Massachusetts. <\/p>\n
You may recall Sen. Paul Tsongas as a presidential candidate who ran against Bill Clinton years ago in the Democratic primaries. Despite a storied career of public service, he died at a young age.To this day he remains a favorite son of his hometown of Lowell. <\/p>\n
The venue was therefore somewhat inspiring from the get-go. <\/p>\n
A parade of Nobel Prize winners spoke, including Sir Richard Roberts, awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1993 for research on the genetic material known as RNA. <\/p>\n
Professor Leland Hartwell, 2001 Nobel laureate, described his research on cell biology, derived from yeast cell studies. <\/p>\n
Professor Mario Capecchi, 2007 Nobel laureate, performed research on gene manipulation in mice, which may ultimately result in cures for inherited diseases. <\/p>\n
Capecchi also described surviving throughout World War II after his Italian mother was taken to a concentration camp. He was only 4 and fending for himself. He was reunited with his mother and moved to America. <\/p>\n
Dr. Michael Brown, of Southwestern Medical School, described the nine steps necessary to achieve a Nobel Prize, which he was awarded at age 44 along with collaborator Dr Joe Goldstein in 1985. <\/p>\n
The amazing thing was Browns description of his high school years in Philadelphia, spending time building ham radios, playing baseball and rarely studying. <\/p>\n
Georgetown University Dean Stephen Ray Mitchell described ongoing efforts to treat diabetes and chronic diseases in our nations capital city. <\/p>\n
Dr. Rick Sacra described humanitarian missions to Liberia and his survival after contracting Ebola virus infection. His message emphasized the importance of serving others. <\/p>\n
Not all the speakers were doctors. <\/p>\n
Larry Hester, the recipient of a bionic eyeretinal implant system called the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis Device, described having partial vision restored after 33 years of blindness. <\/p>\n
Carmen Tarleton, one of the worlds first recipients of a full-face transplant, described her road to recovery after being disfigured and blinded in a horrifying attack involving industrial-strength lye. <\/p>\n
The stories all carried the theme of surviving and persevering, for doctors, researchers and those facing physical challenges. <\/p>\n
Inventor Jack Andraka cooked up a new diagnostic test for pancreatic cancer in his kitchen at age 15. He is now attending college at Stanford. <\/p>\n
Similarly, teenager Julian Cantu of Mexico developed noninvasive tests for detecting breast cancer using material from microwave ovens. He is still a teen. <\/p>\n
Shree Bose, currently a medical student at Duke, discovered ways to overcome chemotherapy resistance when she was just 17. <\/p>\n
Janelle Tam developed cellulose particles that fight aging, although she is herself a youthful graduate of Princeton University. <\/p>\n
The last day of the conference included a talk by Dr. Shelley Hwang, a breast cancer surgeon who is pioneering a less invasive treatment approach to that disease. <\/p>\n
The students also observed laparoscopic abdominal and chest surgery, broadcast live from an operating theater miles away. <\/p>\n
We just scratched the surface of what we saw at the Congress in this brief column. <\/p>\n
Master of Ceremonies Richard Rossi periodically appeared on stage, shouting, Energy, baby! <\/p>\n
It worked for me. The conference no doubt propelled future medical leaders toward career success. Inspiration, along with perspiration, combine to foster advances in medicine. <\/p>\n
Scott T. Anderson, M.D., Ph.D. (email [emailprotected]), is a clinical professor at University of Califoria, Davis Medical School. This column is informational and does not constitute medical advice. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Read the rest here: <\/p>\n
Congress of Future Medical Leaders inspires tomorrow's doctors - Fairfield Daily Republic<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Congress of Future Medical Leaders recently took place in Lowell, Massachusetts. I attended as an observer with my daughter, who is a rising senior, recruitment slang for a high school student entering her senior year Continue reading