Duke Surgery's Academic Success through Surgical Education and Training (ASSET) program and the Duke Student National Medical Association (SNMA) chapter initiated a collaboration to provide high school students under the Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP), an opportunity for a hands-on surgical skills activity.
The inaugural activity was held on Wednesday July 18, at the Duke Fresh Tissue Laboratory. Ten high school students from the local Durham area practiced applying the surgical mask, shoe covers, scrubbing, surgical gowning, and gloving. Using swine paws, they made skin incisions, sutured them, and observed the anatomy of different bone and tissue structures.
Special thanks to the co-presidents of the Duke SNMA chapter, Oretunlewa Soyinka and Shay Behrens, to the ASSET station leaders Frank Leopardi and Dr. Linda Cendales, to the Fresh Tissue Lab team Jim Bolognesi, Steve Wilson, Jessica Chmielewski, and Shaun Lewis and to Jennifer Swain and Harpreet Walia for their technical support.
We look forward to the next activity!
