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WHEELING - Isabelle Thomas, a sophomore at Wheeling Park High School, has been nominated to be a delegate at the Congress of Future Medical Leaders next summer.
Thomas, daughter of Ashley and Luke Thomas, will attend the Congress in June at the University of Massachusetts' Lowell Campus near Boston.
The Congress is an honors-only program aimed at inspiring students to become doctors and medical researchers.
Thomas' nomination 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. She was nominated to "represent West Virginia based on her academic achievement, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine," according to information provided by National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists.
Thomas, 15, said she became interested in medicine about three years ago.
"I want to become a cardiothoracic surgeon," she said, noting she has read about it and watched films about it. She is also interested in neurosurgery.
“We’re very excited. She’s a good student,” Ashley Thomas said. “She takes advanced placement chemistry and biology. She’s sure she wants to go into medicine.”
Ashley Thomas works at Oak Glen High School in Hancock County teaching World History. Luke Thomas is a deputy with the Ohio County Sheriff's Department.
"We're definitely proud of her. She's a very hardworking student. We can't be more excited for her," Luke Thomas said.
When she is not studying, Thomas enjoys sports, especially softball. She is a shortstop for the Wheeling Park High School softball team. She also has three younger sisters.
Thomas has some advice for younger students who may be intimidated by taking harder classes in pursuit of a certain profession.
"I would tell them to be focused ... and drive to it and go for it. If you don't try you'll never know," she said.
During the three-day event, Thomas will attend talks by Nobel laureates and National Medal of Science recipients who will discuss their research. She will also hear advice from the deans of top schools on what to expect in medical school. She will hear stories from patients and fellow teens who are "medical science prodigies," and learn about cutting-edge medicine and medical technologies.
"This is a crucial time in America when we need more doctors and medical scientists who are even better prepared for a future that is changing exponentially. Focused, bright and determined students like Isabelle Thomas are our future and she deserves all the mentoring and guidance we can give her," according to the academy.
The academy's goal is to identify potential future doctors early on in an effort to impact the shortage of physicians across the country.