Naval Hospital Jacksonville's doctors mentoring high schoolers

Naval Hospital Jacksonville’s Science Service, Medicine and Mentoring program is working with students from Darnell-Cookman School of the Medical Arts to offer them behind the scenes look into the lives of doctors. Students spent one-week in their summer internship job-shadowing clinicians.

This program allows students to get hands-on experience in real clinical situations. These students used drills, screws and pins to repair artificial cracked bones.

“It’s like nothing else, the feeling that I can take what I’m learning to help people makes me feel amazing,” said student, Hannah Tesh.

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These high schoolers told Action News Jax that being able to operate on artificial bones only peaks their curiosity for medical school. Student Marvic Eco explained there is a gel surgeons use to help adhere bones together after they’re broken.

“This gel, right here, they’d place it where it needs to be and it hardens and stiffens. It will become bone over time. In about four minutes, it will harden and after that it should become the same color as the bone,” Eco said.

Naval Hospital Jacksonville’s Orthopedic surgeons, such as Joshua Garland, are teaching students about the different tools used to heal fractures.

“We deal with a lot of fractures of different kinds so we brought the kids here to get their hands wet with some of the orthopedic supplies that we use,” said Garland.

Students have been able to see medical professionals in action in the OR, pharmacy and primary care. For some students this camp is just the beginning of their medical career. To date, 48 students have participated in Naval Hospital Jacksonville’s summer internship.

Cox Media Group