Sydney Keller ’14 | Page Editor

For juniors and seniors interested in the health sciences, the Investigations in Medicine class offers students the opportunity to follow doctors and observe different areas of St. John Hospital during the summer.

Anne Dwyer, St. John’s graduate medical education specialist, said she has been organizing the shadowing program in connection with the Investigations in Medicine class for four years. The summer shadowing program accepts up to 24 students and students shadow for a total of 19 hours in groups of six.

“(Students shadow) three days from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Ob/Gyn (obstetrics/gynecology) and NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for surgery and cardiology, and ER (emergency room) and radiology from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.,” said Dwyer.

Investigations in Medicine teacher Christine Harris said students sign up for the summer shadowing program through Science Department Chair James Adams, who helps coordinate the event with St. John’s.

Brenna Loren ‘13 said she enjoyed learning more about a doctor’s workday during her summer shadowing experience.
“You followed a different position around every day and kind of went on their rounds or any procedures that they had to do,” said Loren. “You got a really first-hand experience and it was really cool. (The best part of shadowing was) getting to know how a doctor’s life will be. It kind of teaches you what you’re in for.”

During shadowing, Emily Matthews ‘13 said she observed premature babies in NICU, a few cases in the ER and two surgeries including a kidney removal and hysterectomy.

“I got to see a hysterectomy surgery which is the removal of a uterus and that was pretty cool,” said Matthews. “It was more observatory, but the doctor that was performing the hysterectomy explained what he was doing. After the doctor took the uterus out, he had it on a table and we got to see it. He showed us why he had to remove it and where the tumors were and he was taking sections of it apart to show us.”

Ellie Lorenzana ‘13 said her favorite part of shadowing was in pediatric ER.
“I just liked the environment, the people were friendly and it wasn’t really fast-paced like normally the ER is and I could see myself working there,” said Lorenzana. “I saw a seizure and someone that fell and hit their head. I think that it’s really interesting that you see so many different things in the area and not just one specific subject.”

St. John’s relationship with South continues during the school year. Speakers from the hospital present to the Investigations in Medicine class, Harris said.

“Every other week we have a presentation by a physician and we prepare for that presentation. We try to learn more about the history of that physician, not the person, but the job: what their roles are, how they got there, medical terminology/anatomy related to that area,” said Harris. “When the physician comes to speak to us, we are better at understanding what they’re telling us and we’re able to ask more in-depth questions. The whole purpose is to help them (students) decide if this is something that interests them or not.”

Loren enrolled in the class because she wanted to go into medicine but wasn’t sure which field. She said the class gave her the freedom to explore different areas.

“I thought I was going to be a surgeon but I noticed it wasn’t for me,” said Loren. “I want to go into pediatrics.”

This class is not open to everyone. According to the 2012-2013 Program of Studies, the Investigations in Medicine class has pre-requisite courses including Honors Biology and Honors Chemistry. It is also recommended students take AP Biology or Physiology before taking this course.