by Hena Hussain ‘20

Watching open-heart surgery is not something that an average person gets to experience throughout their lifetime. However, for Sherwood students in the Academy of Health Professions (AoHP), getting to attend such an educational event is simply a rite of passage.

The AoHP program at Sherwood allows students interested in medicine to take three years of classes that teach topics such as anatomy, disease processes, and even clinical skills. During the third year of the program, students participate in clinical rotations at the Friend’s House nursing home in Sandy Spring. After completion of this training, students obtain their Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) licenses, which allows them to get jobs as healthcare professionals after they graduate high school, giving those seeking careers in medicine major advantage in such a competitive career field.

Also throughout the third year of the program, students are given the opportunity to attend a heart surgery as part of the cardiovascular unit. The surgery is performed at Inova Fairfax Hospital, which offers opportunities to observe surgical procedures in an effort to educate the public about heart health and how to reduce the risk of disease. This is also meant to educate students about careers in the medical field, which includes doctors, nurses, technicians, and therapists.

Once students arrived at the hospital, they were given a history of the patient and a description of the surgery being done that day to gain a deeper understanding of the cardiovascular system they were about to witness. Then, they were able to observe the entire procedure, and speak and ask the surgeon questions after it was over.

“It was cool to see it in person,” said senior Sonia Nganga. “You could actually see the heart beating in real life.”

First-hand experience is an extremely valuable asset to have when pursuing a career in healthcare. By watching a real surgery the students not only see first-hand how it is truly done, but they also get early involvement that may help them in their future career. By participating in the AoHP program offered at Sherwood and taking advantage of opportunities like this field trip, students are able to get a head start in establishing themselves and their passion as a future medical professional.