Verona Teen Who Set Own Broken Bone Has Bright Future As Doctor

VERONA, NJ — For an example of why Verona High School sophomore Andrew Emanuilidis is expected to do great things in the medical field, one needs to look no further than a varsity basketball game.

During a game last season, Emanuilidis – an honors student and varsity athlete on the football and basketball teams – tumbled backwards while aggressively defending an opposing player and braced his fall with his hand. Realizing immediately that he had broken his wrist, Emanuilidis grabbed his own forearm and set the bone himself before leaving the court.

That was when his family knew that a bright future in the medical field lies ahead of the 15-year-old.

Emanuilidis, who plans to become a doctor or surgeon, will be a delegate at the three-day Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Lowell, Massachusetts later this month, an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields.

Emanuilidis was nominated by Dr. Mario Capecchi of Verona, Italy, the winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Medicine and the Science Director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists.

During the congress, Emanuilidis will join students from across the country and hear Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science winners talk about leading medical research. He’ll also be given advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what to expect in medical school and learn about cutting-edge advances in medical technology.

“This is a crucial time in America when we need more doctors and medical scientists who are even better prepared for a future that is changing exponentially,” said Richard Rossi, executive director at the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists.

“Focused, bright and determined students like Andrew Emanuilidis are our future and he deserves all the mentoring and guidance we can give him,” Rossi said.

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Photo: Lifetouch School Portraits