MACON, GA – Mercer University School of Medicine officials announced Gabrielle Tuggle as the recipient of a full scholarship to the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine (NYLF/MED). Tuggle, a senior at Northeast Health Science Magnet High School in Macon, will join more than 350 high school students from around the country at NYLF/MED held on the Emory University campus in July. The award covers her tuition to the forum, transportation, room and board.
“The National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine offers students like Gabrielle Tuggle a superb opportunity to see the medical field at work,” according to Cynthia Williams, director of the NYLF/MED. “This contribution will help ensure that Tuggle gets the introduction to medicine that she seeks.”
This marks the second time Mercer University School of Medicine has sponsored a student to NYLF/MED. Awardees of this scholarship are chosen from among high school students who participate in the Preparing Recruits in Medical Experiences (PRIME) Program and exhibit exemplary leadership and volunteerism. The PRIME Program provides enrichment experiences for students interested in careers in medicine and engages students in a variety of topics related to medicine and health in an academic health setting.
“We are very impressed with Gabrielle’s academic achievement as well as her record of service to the community. Hopefully, this experience will pique her interest in joining the medical profession,” said Sundra Woodford, director of the PRIME Program and chair of the NYLF/MED scholarship committee.
Tuggle is an honor student who has volunteered with the Macon Volunteer Clinic and the American Red Cross. She says she plans to learn more about the field of medicine while at the Forum.
About the National Youth Leadership Forum:
The National Youth Leadership Forum is a 501©(3) nonprofit educational organization dedicated to bringing various professions to life, empowering outstanding young people with confidence to make well-informed career choices. In addition to medicine, NYLF presents forums on law, technology, and defense, intelligence and diplomacy. NYLF recently marked its tenth anniversary, celebrating a decade of fostering career exploration.
About Mercer University and the School of Medicine:
Mercer University’s School of Medicine was established in 1982 to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. The School only accepts Georgia residents into its medical degree program. Students entering Mercer University School of Medicine will be graduated from a school that utilizes a problem-based medical education program that provides early patient care experiences. Such an academic environment fosters the early development of clinical problem-solving and instills in each student an awareness of the place of the basic medical sciences in medical practice. The School has two teaching hospitals: Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon and Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah.
Founded in 1833, Mercer University has campuses in Macon and Atlanta as well as three regional academic centers. With 10 schools and colleges, the University offers programs in liberal arts, business, engineering, education, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, law and theology. For 15 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has named Mercer University as one of the leading universities in the South.
