LAKE COUNTY — Ben Mullin has high hopes of helping his fellow man. And he”s asking for help from his fellow man to make the $3,000 leap to one of the stepping-stones that will help him achieve his dream.
Mullin, a junior at Upper Lake High School, wants to be a doctor. The National Youth Leadership forum invited him to San Francisco in July for a 10-day medical program where he will “learn from the brightest minds in medicine about what it”s like to be a doctor,” in his words. The only obstacle is how to raise $3,000 he needs to cover program costs, including tuition, room and board, materials and transportation.
Mullin said it was his father who inspired him to pursue a career as a doctor.
“I”m looking for a profession for helping people. My dad was in the (United States) Air Force for 20 years as a microbiologist. He used to come home and tell me about the people he helped, and I thought that was really interesting. So I”m looking for a profession where I can help people, and I think being a physician is a great way to accomplish that,” Mullin said.
The National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine is held in eight cities across the United States, including San Francisco, where Mullin has been invited to attend. The program aims to teach students about the educational requirements of becoming a physician, clinical practice, and ethical and legal issues facing the industry.
The program uses an interactive curriculum that incorporates clinical and research visits, according to the program Web site, www.nylf.org/med. More than nine Bay Area hospitals, laboratories and universities have participated in the program.
Patch Adams is among the program”s previous speakers. Students discuss global epidemics, cures for life-threatening diseases, life as a resident, medical specialties and primary care with current physicians and patients.
Each program culminates in a simulation that challenges students to consider a specific issue in public health and to recommend solutions to raise public awareness.
Mullin said he enjoys a challenge, not the least of which is the 3- to 4-mile run he does nearly every day ? “distances that aren”t friendly to the cartilage in my knees.” He plays basketball and runs cross country at ULHS.
He also earned 11 medals in the recent academic decathlon, scoring the best in Lake County. His team will go on to the state level competition.
“They called him the jingliest of all, because as he walked around it jingled and jingled and jingled,” Katherine Mullin said of the 11 medals her son won.
To help Mullin, call him at 274-1282.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.
