CRANFORD, NJ — Cranford High School Biomedical Career Academy students visited the Liberty Science Center’s Live From Surgery program on Friday, Feb. 13. CHS students had the opportunity to see the high-stakes world of modern medicine as they sat in front-row theatre seats watching the live screen operating room.
The Live From Surgery Program featured a cardiac team performing a real-time broadcast of an open-heart bypass surgery from the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute at Morristown Medical Center.
“The CHS Biomedical Career students had the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Supervisor of Science and Applied Technology K-12 Lisa Hayeck. “We are proud to offer this program to our students; it is such a real and valuable experience.”
While the surgical team navigated the complexities of the human heart, CHS students were able to engage from the Liberty Science Center theater into the operating room, as they asked questions directly to the surgeons and nurses’ mid-procedure.
Students were then able to interact through an immersive lab simulation, transitioning into the roles of lab technicians and medical professionals to tackle a simulated public health crisis as their “patients” had flu-like symptoms. Students were given a serious case to discern between the common seasonal flu and a hypothetical new, dangerous virus. Students tackled this case and utilized gel electrophoresis, a cornerstone technique in biomedical science.
“The CHS Biomedical Career Academy will continue to prepare the next generation of healthcare leaders,” said Superintendent of Schools Mark Cantagallo. “We look forward to seeing where this career exploration takes our students and the meaningful paths they choose to pursue.”
To learn more about the program, visit The LSC Live From Surgery website.