PB student attends medical program
M’ky Hemphill, a ninth-grade honor student at Pine Bluff Junior High Academy, was a delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders held June 26-28 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell campus near Boston.
The congress is an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields.
“Focused, bright and determined students like M’ky Hemphill are our future and he deserves all the mentoring and guidance we can give him,” a spokesman said in a news release.
Hemphill moved to Pine Bluff in the seventh grade. Previously, he was a Cum Laude scholar at Milwaukee College Preparatory School in Wisconsin.
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He carries a 4.0 grade-point average and is a member of the Pine Bluff High School Marching Band. He is the son of Bennie Hemphill and Judy Madison Hemphill.
Although he has always excelled in academics, he also learned about automobiles as a junior mechanic with his father, according to his mother.
“Since M’ky returned from the congress, he has narrowed down what he wants to do to cardiovascular surgeon, neurosurgeon, or creating life-like prosthesis. The one thing he can say for sure is that through the grace of God he wants to help somebody,” his mother said.
The purpose of the congress is to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country interested in these careers, to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal, according to a news release.
Hemphill’s 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, which promotes the congress.
Hemphill was chosen to represent Arkansas, based on his academic achievement, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine.
During the congress, Hemphill joined students from across the country and heard Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science recipients discuss leading medical research. Students were also given advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what to expect in medical school, witnessed stories told by patients who were considered living medical miracles, were inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies and learned about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.
For details on the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, visit www.FutureDocs.com.