For those who first dreamed of a medical school in eastern North Carolina's coastal plain, last Wednesday's edition of The Daily Reflector and today's events at the Greenville Convention Center would prompt a knowing nod of approval.

In the paper last week was a photograph of a Pitt County high school senior receiving an honor cord for being among the first 21 graduates of the Pitt County school district's Health Sciences Academy. The academy gives a head start to high schoolers interested in health care careers. Students participate in clinical internships at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, shadow medical professionals and participate in summer internships.

Next to that story was one announcing the Carolina Valve Symposium that was to get under way this morning at the Greenville Convention Center. Inaugurated last year under the leadership of Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood, professor of surgery and chief of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, the symposium brings to eastern North Carolina many of the world's leading surgeons for two days of lecture and discussion. More than 150 surgeons from around the world are expected to attend.

Even those who 30 years ago imagined a medical school here would have had a pretty hard time imagining this gathering.

Leading the faculty at the symposium is Alain Carpentier, a French surgeon and pioneer of robotic heart surgery.

"Alain Carpentier is the father of modern mitral valve repair," said Dr. Tirone E. David, president of the American Association of Thoracic Surgery, when awarding Dr. Carpentier the group's Scientific Achievement Award earlier this year. "His scientific contributions changed the way we all manage our patients with heart valve diseases."

This year's symposium, in fact, will pay tribute to Dr. Carpentier for his contributions. And Dr. David is here, too, also among the faculty for the event .

Not too many years ago it might have been farfetched to imagine the world's top heart surgeons meeting in a room along Greenville Boulevard across from Hooter's, down the street from Wal-Mart. And the notion of Pitt County high school students preparing for health care careers amid the medical expertise in residence daily here would have been equally distant.

Not so today. For an area plagued with diseases associated with the heart, last week's ceremony and this week's symposium are more encouraging reminders of how foresight, good planning and hard work can change a community — and ultimately a region — for the better.