Park City High School sophomore Dani Lecher is planning to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at the Berkeley University and Stanford University this summer where she hopes to learn about career options in medicine.

According to Lecher, she’s always been interested in the medical field and hopes to better define her interests by attending the 10-day forum in July. The program will focus on a broad range of topics including educational requirements, career options and current issues in the medical field.

“I’m interested in surgery, but I’m hoping that by attending the program I can learn about what other fields I might be interested in, especially because it’s such a broad career path,” Lecher said, adding that she’s been volunteering at the Park City Clinic for almost three years.

According to Park City Medical Center Volunteer Coordinator Jo Duff, Lecher has a passion for taking care of patients and shows maturity beyond her years.

“She is one of those exceptionally bright students of Park City. She has a passion for patients and you either have it or you don’t and that’s important,” Duff said. “That will lead to a long, fruitful career for her in medicine or whatever career path she chooses.”

Duff wrote a recommendation letter for Lecher, which helped her earn acceptance by the Leadership Forum. While volunteering at the clinic, Lecher has gained understanding in the emergency room, labor and delivery, and by helping with patient discharge, Duff said, adding that Lecher interacts with patients every time she volunteers.

One of Lecher’s goals during high school is to enroll in medically focused classes such as medical terminology and anatomy, which she plans to enroll in next year. She also hopes to become a Certified Nurse’s Assistant during her senior year to gain practical experience.

Before she can attend the Leadership Forum this summer, Lecher has to raise $1,500 to cover trip expenses. So far, she’s received money from the USASA Chuck Allen Scholarship Award and was also one of the finalists of the YouthLinc Young Humanitarian scholarship award.

For more information regarding the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, visit www.nylf.org/med.