Reconstructive Surgery is the perfect follow-up program to Introduction to Surgery or as a stand alone course. Dr. Tap Van Geel will cover topics that students who have taken Intro to Surgery have not seen, though this course is also appropriate for students who have not taken a surgical program yet.
Plastic and reconstructive surgeons give people a second chance at a normal life every day from infants born with a cleft palate and lip to survivors of car accidents among others. Reconstructive surgeons are also at the interface of other surgical specialties too such as addressing disfigurements left by cancer treatment or reducing scars left by surgical procedures. Appearance augmentation procedures like liposuction, face lifts, and body contouring also fall under the purview of cosmetic surgeons.
The one-week course is perfect for teens interested in pre-med and will focus on reconstructive surgery, which is defined as plastic surgery that is medically indicated and needed to improve dysfunctional body parts. Students will spend hours in the lab practicing their surgical knot tying skills, completing dissections on synthetic tissue, and studying human anatomy at a level beyond high school science.
They will also study situational needs for reconstructive surgery like post-cancer corrective procedures, microsurgery to connect detached limbs, and the best methods of closing an open wound. Other subject matter includes burn centers — an increasingly popular study, which regenerates a patient's skin that's been exposed to second or third degree burns.
It's worth noting that reconstructive surgeons must work with fellow specialists to provide the best care for their patients. The surgeons could develop skin flaps after an invasive surgery, correct complications during procedures like C-sections, or travel with humanitarian programs like Doctors Without Borders to correct patient deformities. Attendees to the program will learn about various careers that will allow them to contribute to the medical community.
Field Trips
In 2019, students visited the critically-acclaimed Body Worlds and the Cycle ofLife exhibit at Boston's Museum of Science. The theme of Body Worlds exhibits changes every few years, and a field trip to the Museum of Science was in store for the 2020 program.
Session date for the 2021 has not been set. Be sure to check out our website to find out the latest information!
