Cardiologists Dr. Coggins and Dr. Babcock came to Menlo Bridge today, and theyled the students in health class in dissecting cow hearts and lungs. For the last week and a half, the students have been learning how the heart and respiratory system works and how to best keep the important organs healthy. However, there is nothing like getting to interact with real ones!
"It's squishy!" squealed one group as they touched the lungs for the
first time. The doctors and the TAs explained why it does indeed have asquishy texture, while guiding the students through the circulatory process.
Even some of the students who were hesitant at first were confident dissectors
by the end - one group of girls became master "clot-removers" in one
heart clot-filled heart.
One of the student professed, "I want to be a scientist!" during the
dissection. He is not alone in his excitement. Dr. Babcock read, "Women Can Be
Cardiologists" to the students and inspired medical interest in the group. One
of the girls told me that her favorite part of her day was cutting through the
trachea, while another set of students seemed to be really enjoying the
process of dissection. Budding surgeons, perhaps?
Dr. Coggins finished out the lesson by inserting a catheter into the heart and
showing the students a pacemaker. Students we excited to see first-hand some
the technology that is helping to keep our bodies healthy.
By the end of the day, students had really explored the respiratory system, as
they touched, squeezed, and poked their way through the heart!