WESLACO — One Weslaco High School student may not have been in a classroom this summer but he was definitely out preparing for his career of choice.

WHS senior, Bryant Nieto, spent a portion of his summer at the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine making rounds with doctors in medical centers such at the University of Texas-Medical Branch at Galveston and the Texas Children’s Hospital.

“I love it,” said Bryant Nieto. “It was a great opportunity to learn about the path to a medical career.”

The National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF) was founded in 1992 and is a tuition-based educational organization established to help prepare young people for their professional careers. Its mission is to bring various professions to life, empowering young people with confidence and help them make well-informed career choices.

Bryant Nieto joined approximately 300 high school students from across the country in a nine-day intensive medical conference designed to provide participants wit an inside look at the medical field. This year, the Houston-Galveston area hosted the medical forum.

To take part in NYLF, students must first be invited to participate in the selection process. As the only Weslaco student invited by the College Board to attend, he joined up with top students from all over the country.

“The forum looks for high achieving scholars,” said Laura Stevenson, NYLF Media Relations Director. “Bryant demonstrated high achieving leadership qualities in and out of the classroom.”

During the forum, Bryant Nieto took part in group activities known as Medical Education Discussion (MED) sessions where the participants determined the best way to treat patients with various conditions. He also attended several general sessions where internationally recognized speakers addressed topics like forensic pathology and patient care. However, it was the hospital visits Bryant Nieto looked forward to the most.

“I am even more interested in the medical field now. I visited the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at the Children’s Hospital and observed a two-month old baby who underwent open heart surgery,” he said.

Bryant Nieto said the intensity of the forum has helped him focus on a career path.

“I am looking forward to some day specializing in pediatrics. I just love being around kids, and look to helping them lead happy, healthy lives,” he said.