Partnership with UH Ahuja Medical Center Brings Hands-On Learning to Beachwood Students
Beachwood High School students explored the exciting world of healthcare during the Beachwood Medical Academy camp, hosted June 18-21 in partnership with University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center.
Throughout the camp, students gained exposure to experts at University Hospitals in the fields of cardiology, pulmonary medicine, nursing and more by participating in activities including lung and heart dissections, seminars, and live demonstrations. They also explored advanced topics such as surgical robotics and healthcare administration.
“We want students to be excited about careers in healthcare, and this camp provides unique insight into all the ways students can one day make a difference,” said David Rosenberg, MD, MPH, pulmonologist and medical director of the University Hospitals Ahuja Lung Center.
The Beachwood High School alum (Class of ‘66) helped establish the Beachwood High School Medical Academy in 2014. The program prepares teens for competitive pre-med programs through advanced coursework and hospital immersion experiences.
“We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Rosenberg for his leadership in providing our students with authentic learning experiences that offer a glimpse into what it’s like to work in the medical profession,” said Linda LoGalbo, PhD, director of curriculum and instruction at Beachwood Schools.
Getting hands-on with surgical equipment and technology was a highlight for Sydney Johnson, 13. “I liked dissecting the [sheep] lungs because I want to be a surgeon,” she said.
Nimisha Kasliwal, 15, agreed that the opportunity for career exploration was a major draw of the camp. “I’ve always had an interest in medicine, so I thought it would be really fun to learn more about the different subspecialties.”
Nimisha, who hopes to pursue a career in biomedical engineering, enjoyed exploring the Da Vinci surgical robot system. The robot is operated from a console where surgeons use a viewer to control the robotic arms with precision. “There are a lot of different buttons, but it’s very user-friendly,” Nimisha said. “It was really cool. This experience has made me more excited to work with this kind of technology in the future and open up new horizons in medicine.”
Moses Yarngo, 14, found the ultrasound technology fascinating, experiencing it both as a volunteer patient and from the clinician's perspective. Seeing ultrasound images of his classmates “was a new experience for me.”
In addition to the seminars at Ahuja, students participated in a poverty simulation at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to learn about social determinants of health, such as food insecurity. Avery Feuerman, 14, and her classmates put their compassion into action by assembling 600 meal kits for those in need. “It was definitely a good feeling because we packaged so many meals,” she said.
Reflecting on the camp, Matthew Rosner, 14, said he highly recommends it to classmates interested in healthcare. He said, “The camp got me one step forward to becoming a doctor.”