One Scholars Academy student is going to have a memorable and very educational summer! David Flores, a freshman biology major, was accepted to the Yale Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP) and will spend six weeks experiencing the medical field first hand.

Yale School of Medicine is one of the twelve sites of the SMDEP, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and approximately 80 students attend Yale each summer. The program provides an intensive exposure to science, clinical medicine, and career counseling for motivated college students and graduates who want to attend medical school.

"We will be taking two science preparatory courses, a writing course, shadowing physicians and working on small group projects. Participants will get to see first hand what the medical field is like," he said. "The goal of the program is to make participants better applicants for medical school by providing mentoring, preparatory courses and guidance on being a better student."

Flores, who hopes to become an oncologist one day, feels prepared for the rigorous program, thanks in part to his involvement with Scholars Academy.

"Scholars Academy has given me all the tools I need to succeed and supports me in so many ways," he said. "Scholars Academy keeps me motivated to pursue my goals, and encouraged me to apply to the program. I am very thankful for their support and credit this accomplishment to them. I am just an average guy with a big goal, and Scholars Academy is helping me reach it."

With goals like "conducting cancer research, treating patients, becoming an inventor in the medical field and bridging the gap between patients and the laboratory" - Flores is far from average. He's exceptional!

Congratulations to him and the UHD Scholars Academy!