Bishop students recently had the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime STEM experience courtesy of UCI Health's Department of Urology. Thirteen juniors and seniors spent a day on the Irvine campus and got a glimpse into the world of medicine, specifically urology and surgery.
After an engaging lecture about medicine, technology, and innovation by Dr. Ralph Clayman, a professor at UCI's medical school, the students headed to the lab for hands-on learning with a rotation through five stations. At the endoscopy station (photo at right), the students performed simulated endoscopies, inserting scopes into bell peppers and, with a retrieval basket tool, extracting "kidney stones" (pepper seeds). At two of the stations, resident doctors and lab staff taught the students how to tie common knots that surgeons use to seal off blood vessels, as well as three common suture techniques. Each student had their own hospital-grade equipment to practice tying and suturing. The fourth station gave the students a chance to try laparoscopic surgery, using instruments to guide suture thread through small loops, while checking their progress on a laparoscope. Though students found the laproscopic surgery challenging-- depth perception was tough to measure on the scope and the surgical "arms" didn't allow for a lot of latitude-- they relished the opportunity to practice real surgical skills. The last station was the icing on the cake for the group, as each student was given time to try a simulated robotic surgery using one of the UCI's world-renown da Vinci robots. Seated at a monitor with a high-def 3D vision system with hands grasping the controls, the students guided robotic arms through a simulated surgery on an operating table 10 feet away.
This amazing field trip is just one of many real-world experiences that Bishop provides students for hands-on, real world learning outside of the classroom. We encourage our students to explore their passions, not only to gain knowledge in various fields of interest, but also to open doors to college and career possibilities.