St. Luke’s came to Delaware Valley Regional High School and hosted a cadaver lab on Nov. 4.
The lab offered real world experience which took Del Val students’ education to the next level, preparing them for a future in medicine and healthcare.
This rare educational event provided Del Val students with a direct look into human anatomy. Select students were able to work side by side with Dr. Alexander Johnson to dissect the arm with instruction.
For students, this lab offered real world experience as to what it would be like to perform surgery in the operating room.
“The biomedical sciences at Del Val have been around since 2016 as a way to keep Del Val students here that were interested in biomedical science,” Del Val’s Supervisor of Science Stacy Grady said.
The program was designed not only to provide advanced instruction for students who were aiming for a medical degree, but also to open students up to the variety of careers within the biomedical field.
“When you think of biomedical science, you think of somebody who wants to be a doctor or a nurse, but there’s so much more to it than that,” Grady said. “Someone who wants to be an ultrasound technician, phlebotomist, pharmacist or anything related to biomedical sciences. This is what the program is designed to do. To give you a better exposure while you are in high school before you go out into the world.”
This unique experience was the result of an existing partnership between Del Val and St. Luke’s.
“St. Luke’s does our athletic training here at Del Val and they know we have a biomedical science program,” Grady said. “Because St. Luke’s works with us in terms of the athletic training, that is why we are able to have this cadaver lab experience for our biomedical students.”
The cadaver lab was led by Dr. Johnson, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon from St. Luke’s, who brought his gear and team to the high school.
“This experience is super important because it gives students an opportunity to work side by side with a doctor,” Grady said. “An actual orthopedic surgeon comes with all of his gear and all of his people and gives the opportunity for students to work hands on with him to dissect the human body part.”
This experience took high school biomedical education to the next level and better prepared students for a future in medicine and health care.
“During the dissection, I was nervous at first but quickly excited after the surgeons showed us what to do,” senior Mia Boesch said. “The overall experience was very fun and educational and I would recommend it to anyone interested in going into the medical field.”
