If you know Maddie you know she has always wanted to be a doctor. It’s been her dream forever. Recently she was invited to apply to attend a summer program for high school students. After a long application process, where Maddie had to submit essays (see below to read one of her essays) and get recommendations from teachers, she was accepted into the program! She did receive a small scholarship, however, the cost of the camp which includes all accommodations is just over $3500. We are humbly asking for help from our family and friends to allow Maddie to pursue her dream.

What is the camp? The NYLF Medicine is a unique camp where high school students can “Experience their Future in Medicine.

Future doctors and health care practitioners will enjoy an extraordinary opportunity to discover their passions through hands-on medical experience at NYLF Medicine. Over nine amazing days on the campus location of your choice, you will experience the collegiate lifestyle firsthand, learn from doctors, participate in an interactive curriculum led by advisors, visit an accredited medical school, test your medical knowledge during clinical skills rotations, and explore professional opportunities in the ever-expanding fields of medicine and health care among fellow high school students.”

The week-long program will offer students a chance to experience a “fun and interactive curriculum that will allow students to test their personal and academic strengths in true-to-life simulations and hands-on clinical training while gaining the confidence needed to give themselves a leg up in the future.”

Read more about the Envisions Program here

Maddies essay: At a very young age, I was involved with medicine which inspired me to pursue a career in the medical field. At around 8 years old, I was diagnosed with Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, or CVS. Having CVS meant I had episodes of severe nausea, vomiting and many more unpleasant symptoms. With CVS, you don't know what challenges you're going to face in each episode- meaning I could be admitted in the hospital for 2 days with little symptoms or over 2 weeks with severe symptoms. Being in and out of hospitals meant that I've seen many different types of doctors ranging from gastroenterologists to neurologists. Although I was diagnosed at only 8 years old, my family and I learned so much about my health and CVS. My doctors are the ones who supported me by providing all the information and treatment I needed for several years. Not only are doctors supportive, but they are diligent and dedicated to finding a cure or treatment for every one of their patients. Doctors from all the teams struggled to find the reasoning for my stomach issues. Seeing those doctors so committed to their job is what inspired me to be engaged in learning how to treat patients the way they do. Not only do the traits of a doctor inspire me, but throughout the years I've learned the medical reasoning behind how your brain affects yourself and your sickness, which also really inspires me to learn more about neurology. Learning how to treat patients, including those with a neurological disorder, really sparks my interest. While in the hospital I watched doctors treat their patients, including me, and I feel I learned some of the very basics of medicine. Such as, how to put an IV in, how to take a patient's vitals, and what techniques help calm a patient down when feeling overwhelmed during a stressful time. Even though being sick is what led me to have this information, I was still motivated by the fact that I was learning something new that interested me, despite being the one in the hospital. Although I know little about how to be a doctor, already having some knowledge really encourages me to learn more. If I had not been in the hospital so much, I would have never figured out how much medicine holds my attention. So, having Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome really helped inspire me to have a future in the medical field.

Finally, a word from Maddie:

I would really love to raise enough money to get to attend this program. This program gives me the opportunity to learn what I want to do for my future in the medical field. Even a little bit can help me, thank you! Maddie