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1. What is the Congress of Future Medical Leaders?
The Congress of Future Medical Leaders is an exclusive, three-day speaker event for honors-level high school students. High-performing students interested in becoming physicians, surgeons, and life scientists are nominated to attend this prestigious event on an invitation-only basis. Selection is based on GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and dedication to becoming a doctor. This incredible opportunity for future medical students is hosted by the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC). The Academy was established in 2013 and has hosted 14 Congresses of Future Medical Leaders with over 40,000 total attendees across the years. Join this impressive community of peers and decorated alumni to advance your career in medicine!
2. What Happens at the Congress of Future Medical Leaders?
The Congress of Future Medical Leaders features speaker events, workshops, mentoring sessions, small-group collaborative work, and live surgery demonstrations. Each year, over 5,000 students from across the United States are selected to learn from leading medical pioneers, groundbreaking researchers, and young CEOs and innovators in the field of medical technology. Attendees, known as delegates, will also hear heartwarming stories from patients that will further encourage their passion for advancing the future of medicine.
Speakers:
Past famous speakers at the Congress of Future Medical Leaders included:
- Deans of Schools of Medicine at Yale, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Dartmouth.
- 17 Nobel Prize winners in areas such as Physiology, Medicine, and Chemistry.
Delegates will gain insights into the work these medical leaders do, as well as how they achieved success and how they recovered from failures. The Congress of Future Medical Leaders offers a unique and coveted opportunity for future medical students to receive advice early in their journey to becoming doctors. Don’t miss this chance to get ahead!
Mentorship:
At the 2025 Congress, delegates will receive direct mentorship from notable figures from Yale School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown Medical School, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University. Over three days, students will also benefit from mentorship and hear from accomplished professionals, including TIME Magazine’s Top Young Innovator award recipient, a CEO and founder of medical assistive technology, a CEO and co-founder of a heart surgery company, and a co-founder of a biotechnology company.
Collaborative Group Work:
There are numerous opportunities to collaborate in small groups and work with talented peers from top institutions and varied backgrounds across the country.
Live Surgery:
On the third day, delegates at the Congress of Future Medical Leaders gather to watch a live surgery and submit questions for the surgeon to answer in real time. Past live surgeries have included reverse shoulder replacement, rotator cuff repair, full hip replacement, knee replacement, partial knee arthroplasty, computer-assisted surgical navigation partial knee replacement, and a laparoscopic hysterectomy.
3. Why Attend the Congress of Future Medical Leaders? Is It Prestigious?
The National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists was established in 2013 to combat the anticipated shortage of primary care doctors and specialists in the United States. The Congress of Future Medical Leaders aims to uplift, encourage, and train young students to pursue careers in the medical sciences. If you are a high school student with even the slightest interest in studying life sciences, we recommend attending this event. The Congress of Future Medical Leaders will help you explore career options by exposing you to the variety of opportunities available in the field and providing invaluable advice delivered firsthand by elite experts. The event is prestigious but also welcoming and supportive.
Build Connections:
Delegates work collaboratively and support each other as they gather to learn about the medical sciences together. At the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, students get an unparalleled opportunity to network and make friends with the next generation of head surgeons, department chiefs, and medical technology CEOs.
Award Certificate and Free Mentorship Program:
Friendly, constructive competition is encouraged with the chance to receive an Award Certificate. Attendees who exhibit exemplary completion of the activities, as well as leadership and dedication to the medical field, will receive a Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence. Following the Congress, all students will receive free access to the Academy’s mentoring program, which provides resources to create a plan to help them reach their goals.
Multiple College Scholarships:
In partnership with the UWEC, the Congress of Future Medical Leaders offers new, exciting, and generous scholarships to students. Delegates attending the event are eligible for the following scholarships.
- Guaranteed $3,000 Annual Scholarship to UWEC: Every Delegate and Alumni of the Congress of Future Medical Leaders will receive an automatic annual scholarship of $3,000 upon enrollment at UWEC.
- Eligibility for the Blugold BioMedical Innovators Scholarship: Delegates and Alumni will automatically be considered for this prestigious scholarship, valued at an $8,000 per year, renewable to up to three additional years.
College Credit:
If alumni of the Congress of Future Medical Leaders choose to attend UWEC, they can earn one college credit from the Congress applicable to pre-med education.
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4. When is the Congress of Future Medical Leaders?
The Congress will be held in the Boston area from June 25 to 27, 2025. The venue is 40 minutes outside Boston, MA, at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The deadline to enroll is April 4, 2025. Students can enroll here.
Entry Fees:
$1285 tuition fee.
$2075 for tuition, three nights of hotel accommodation, breakfasts, and transportation.
Tuition includes in-person instruction, activities, speakers, education personnel, and the Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence.
The Academy offers financial aid and scholarships based on factors such as the number of AP courses the student takes and their involvement in student government, clubs, and community organizations.
5. Who Attends the Congress of Future Medical Leaders?
Who is Eligible?
High school students studying medicine and the life sciences, including biomedical sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics, particularly those interested in becoming physicians.
How are Students Selected?
Students receive an invitation letter to apply for the Congress of Future Medical Leaders.
Selection is based on academic excellence and leadership potential. To be eligible to attend, students must meet at least ONE of the following requirements: a 3.5 GPA (either current or cumulative), an SAT score of 1300, or an ACT score of 22. Academically outstanding honors-level students are selected by parents, teachers, and other educational institutions. If you meet the requirements but have not received an invitation, you may ask your parent or teacher to nominate you.
“Qualified students may also be identified through other means such as academic events, recommendations, youth organizations, honor societies, medical institutions, medical societies, program Alumni, in-class surveys, and as a result of their participation with College Board’s Student Search Service.” More information for students and parents is available on the Congress website.
6. How to Prepare for the Congress of Future Medical Leaders
Before you request a nomination, watch the admissions webinar and hear from alumni who have become CEOs, Forbes 30 Under 30 professionals, nurse practitioners, and med students (at Tufts University and other competitive medical schools). Students should review the schedule and email questions and requests to admissions@futuredocs.com.
Take an Online Science Class:
Aralia Education offers expert-led science courses after school, on weekends, and during school vacation breaks. Aralia’s natural science course offerings include biology, chemistry, environmental science, and physics. Interested in other courses? Aralia’s award-winning coaches, with decades of experience from top prep schools in the United States, also teach AMC 12, Annual DNA Day Essay Contest, Art Portfolio, and general College Application Essay advising. If you want to conduct research while in high school, Aralia Education can guide you through the research process and provide access to cutting-edge technology and resources.
Further Reading:
How to Prepare for a Medical Career as a High School Student
