An otherwise ordinary school day turned quite extraordinary when Honors Biology students had a rare opportunity to observe live lung surgery at George Washington University Hospital in DC on Fri., Mar. 15.
The group traveled downtown early in the morning to meet the surgeon, who shared basic information about the patient and the day's surgery, intended to remove a lung nodule and determine if it was cancerous. He also discussed lung cancer risk factors, a special focus of this educational program for school groups. Then, via closed-circuit video and audio, students were able to watch the procedure from a separate room and ask the surgeon questions throughout the process.
"The surgeon gave very detailed explanation of every step of the surgery, which was helpful in understanding what was happening," says Jenna Einhorn '20.
After the operation was done (and the nodule was found to be non-cancerous), the surgeon returned to debrief students. He then introduced the rest of his surgical team, each of whom discussed their role in the surgery and path to their present job.
Through the field trip, lessons about the human body—and respiratory system in particular—took on new, real-life meaning. "I think this opportunity provided the girls with an excellent, real-time view of what structures on the inside of the chest look like, which we could never get in class—even through dissection," says biology teacher Rachel Lowenthal.
Maya Valmon '20 was captivated by the surgery. It "was one of the coolest things I've ever seen," she says. "The most impactful part for me was seeing the scope go into the chest cavity and being able to see all the different organs. I was surprised that everything was so clear and at the detail we were able to see through the scope."
In addition to providing students with a chance to see inside a real, living, breathing human body, the surgery program also gave girls the opportunity to consider more deeply the long-term consequences of various health choices, like smoking and e-cigarettes, and to learn more about various medical career paths.
Maya says that the day made her truly understand the life-saving importance of surgery and inspired her to continue learning more about the human body.
Classmate Olivia Boykin '20 says she has always wanted to be a surgeon but had never seen a real operation before. "I knew that Grey's Anatomy was not an accurate portrayal of one," she jokes. Observing and hearing the step-by-step explanation of the surgery was an incredible experience for her.
"I also really enjoyed hearing from the panel of current medical students and residents, because I could imagine myself in their position in the future," Olivia says.
