Hailey Cognetti, a senior at Ann Sobrato High School, is a delegate to this coming weekend’s Congress of Future Medical Leaders, an honors program for students who aspire to become physicians or conduct medical research.
The purpose of the event—which will occur in a virtual format—is to “honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country interested in (medical) careers, to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal,” reads a press release.
The congress will take place Nov. 21-22. Cognetti will join students from across the country to learn from Nobel laureates and National Medal of Science winners who will speak on leading medical research.
Delegates will also receive advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what to expect in medical school; witness stories told by patients who are living “medical miracles;” gain inspiration from fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learn about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology, says the press release.
Cognetti’s nomination to the Congress of Future Medical leaders 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.
After graduating from Sobrato at the end of the 2020-21 year, Cognetti plans to attend a four-year college in New York before applying to medical school. She plans to major in psychology/neuroscience, and complete medical internships in the process.
In the medical field, Cognetti wants to pursue neuropsychology and conduct research on neural activity, seeking ways to improve cognitive impairments, she told the Times in an email.
“I have been interested in the medical field since I was about 6, but my fascination continued to grow as my family members kept having nerve and brain disorders as I grew up,” Cognetti said. “It interests me how someone with a cognitive impairment thinks and the solutions they have come up with to fix such problems, but cannot do it themselves, and I plan to do it for them.”
The Congress of Future Medical Leaders is produced by the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists. The academy offers free services and programs to students who want to become physicians or medical scientists. These services include online social networks through which students can communicate; opportunities for students to be guided and mentored by doctors and medical students; and communications for parents and students regarding college acceptance and finances, skills acquisition, internships, career guidance and more.
The academy was “founded on the belief that we must identify prospective medical talent at the earliest possible age and help these students acquire the necessary experience and skills to take them to the doorstep of this vital career,” reads the press release.
The academy is based in Washington, D.C., with offices in Boston, Mass., and was chartered as a nonpartisan institution.
For more information about the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists and the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, visit futuredocs.com.
