North Daviess High School junior Nick Heshelman spent 10 days this summer attending the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine in Houston, Texas.

Heshelman, nominated by North Daviess High School teacher Linda Streepy, was one of 400 students from across the U.S. and its territories that attended the event.

“I was already interested in the medical field beforehand,” Heshelman said. “But I didn’t know much about it.”

The conference, working closely with prestigious, technologically-advanced hospitals and medical schools, covered a broad spectrum of topics such as educational requirements, career possibilities and ethical and legal issues in the medical field.

After hearing an in depth introduction to medicine lecture, the students spent the following days observing at various universities and hospitals, talking to medical professionals and meeting with current medical school students.

Heshelman participated in a medical school experience at Texas A&M. The experience was composed of rotations to different areas in the school. In the Gross Anatomy lab, Heshelman observed the work on cadavers, held a human brain and heart, and compared the difference between the brain of a stroke victim and a healthy brain.

“We saw a total knee replacement surgery,” Heshelman said still fascinated by the event. “And we had a medical ethics debate.”

Participants also heard from different specialists including those in plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery and pediatrics. Heshelman and others also spent time touring hospitals and meeting real patients.

“I learned a lot about the medical field in general and how many options there are in the field as far as specialties,” Heshelman said, clearly still stimulated by what he’d learned.

Heshelman, who is thinking about attending Purdue University for biomedical engineering and possibly attending medical school, said the insight from the conference will help him make a more informed decision about his future career path.

“Because of the challenges that the medical field is facing,” Heshelman said. “They’re going to need more doctors that can lead the way.”

Streepy has only nominated a few students for such conferences in the 14 years she’s been teaching believing the candidates should be outstanding to even be considered.

“I think the experiences you learn away from Odon, Plainville or wherever develop a person more fully,” Streepy said. “All students need to see there are other options beyond those that are familiar to them within the setting here.”

Participants of conferences, like Heshelman, come away not only with more insight into a specific field or area of leadership, but also with a grasp on networking.

“There are the connections you make with both students and adults that could potentially put you into college-enhancing positions,” Streepy said. “The important part is the connections you make.”