LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A group of Lexington high school students are getting a head start on a career in the medical field. It’s a part of the Frederick Douglass High School Project Lead the Way biomedical program.
“It’s stressful. It is. It's a lot of work as a high school student,” said Tyler Walter. “I have to cut out free time to go do my studies, but in the long run it's going to pay off.”
More than 60 juniors in the program presented research posters on cancer types in Kentucky as part of the 20th annual conference of the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science.
“It opens your horizons to multiple different types of sicknesses and different types of experiences,” student Amaria Hall said.
“This is kind of the build up moment, what we've been building to all year,” added Walter. “It was honestly really cool. I love speaking. I love collaborative uh things. It was very hands on and now we're here having a fun day.”
“Our mission has always been to promote the scientific and medical workforce of the future,” said co-director of the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science Philip Kern. “How best to do this than to start with high school?”
With these professionals, these future professionals are learning some current lessons.
“We're going to go off to college and be a lot more advanced over our peers,” Walter said.
“You get to work in the labs. You get to collaborate with others” Hall added. “I think it's a good program to prepare you for your life after high school.”
