I've been getting a lot of mail from the National Youth Leadership Forums since sophomore year and I've always known them as junk mail.

Just last week, I got a letter that stated that someone I knew (there was a name there) nominated me for this program called National Youth Leadership Forums on Medicine.  I'm supposed to be getting the application stuff in the mail in the next few days.

Does this program have merit in the medical field or is it just like any other summer camp where it's good to go, but it's mostly for having fun?

I've always wanted to participate in nationwide events and I was nominated for Boy's State once, but couldn't go because I wasn't American-born.  So, I was wondering if this was worth my time and money.

I also received those things every year, but like you, considered it junk mail.  Sorry this answer isn't more substantsive.  I personally don't trust any of the things that charge you a lot of money to participate.  Maybe you would learn something and get a lot out of it.

Does this program have merit in the medical field or is it just like any other summer camp where it's good to go, but it's mostly for having fun?

Merit in the medical field, not really. It is a one-week introduction to the field of medicine, but you won't become a better Doctor because you attended one of their programs. It could help decide if you want to spend the next 8-10 of years of your life pursuing the medical goal.

So, I was wondering if this was worth my time and money.

Worth your time -- possibly.
Worth your money -- that's your call, but such programs are EXPENSIVE.

To add one last question ... how much does such a program matter for the admissions review for Hopkins?

That is a question about academic enrichment experiences and whether they can help with admissions. The answer is a resounding YES. Students who pursue academic passions outside of the classroom display a quality that is quite representative of what makes a true Hopkins student. Therefore, during the application review process, the admissions counselors are making note of what academic enrichment experiences are available to a student and which they have pursued.

The related question is whether there is different values given to different experiences and once again the answer is YES. For obvious reasons, we would look more strongly at a student during actual medical research throughout their summer compared to a student doing a one-week program like NYLF. Each academic enrichment experience is judged differently compared to time involved, the amount of initiative shown by the student, the uniqueness of the experience, the amount one gets out of the experience, etc.

We prefer to see any type of enrichment experience from CTY, NYLF, NYLC, to college summer programs to actual research ... some experiences will be valued more than others based on the strength of the experience.

Hope that helps.

I'd suggest checking out their web site:
http://www.nylf.org/

It is bound to have information about costs.

This information should be included in your extracurricular section. If you can not access that section anymore than you can submit it in any of the additional information sections available to you.

Yesterday that I was earned an internship at a hospital in Beijing that focuses on treating the expatriate population.  The internship rarely accepts high school students, but covers translating, marketing, and shadowing various doctors. Would this have as much of a positive impact upon an application to Johns Hopkins as attending summer program such as NYLF on Medicine?

The experience you describe would actually be weighted much higher than attending a summer program such as NYLF. An internship at a hospital like the one you desribed, especially one that few high school students have access to, is a more personal and in-depth program than a one or two week summer program. You will be gaining more unique experiences in the internship and will have much more direct experience.

All in all, any academic enrichment experience is a positive with one's application, but there is definitely varying degrees of the impressiveness of experiences.

By the way, will Johns Hopkins be sending over any admissions staff to Beijing in the near future/next school year?

Not sure what the plans of our International Admissions staff are for the fall, but any events will be listed here:

http://apply.jhu.edu/visit/explorehopkins.html
(the site should be updated in August)