Spectrum News 1: Medical Magnet High School Students Get Simulated Surgery Experience

Spectrum News 1 recently featured the Cedars-Sinai Women's Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills and a day of simulated surgical experience for 40 students from Los Angeles' Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School.

After high school junior Nadia Castillo held a surgical tool for her classmate who was leading a procedure on a computerized mannequin, Castillo said her first surgical experience was one she wouldn't forget. 

“I noticed how quickly my arm started to feel a little sore because I was so outstretched, and it felt kind of different than I thought it would be,” she  said. 

Both Nadia and her classmate, senior Jasmine Diaz, both are determined to have many more surgical experiences. 

“I want to be a neurosurgeon,” Diaz told Spectrum News 1.

“I want to be a cardio-thoracic surgeon,” said Castillo.

During their visit to Cedars-Sinai, the students also got to learn about the various surgical instruments, how to perform CPR and even how to insert a breathing tube into a patient. 

“It’s really nice to be a part of all of these simulations and see what it would be like to do actual procedures,” Castillo said.

Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet provides its students with exposure to the medical and biotechnical fields, critical to the development of career interests for young adults who plan to enter the world of medical practice. Diaz has held onto her dream of a career in medicine since she attended a medical education program in middle school. Now that she’s getting ready to graduate high school, Diaz believes she is well on the path to becoming a neurosurgeon.

“I’m going to be going to UC Davis, and I’ll be majoring, or my expected major is neurobiology, physiology, and behavior, so three-in-one,” Jasmine told the reporter.

Click here to watch the complete Spectrum News 1 story.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Simulated Scenarios, Real Benefits