Students from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine partnered with Avondale High School for a hands-on sheep brain dissection, introducing high school students to careers in medicine.
Hosted by the Neurology Student Interest Group, the event brought Avondale students to campus for a hands-on anatomy lab where students worked alongside OUWB medical students to explore brain structures through a guided dissection.
First launched in 2020, the partnership has grown into an ongoing collaboration between OUWB and Avondale High School, providing mentorship opportunities for students. The event was supported in part by a $172 Compass grant, which covered the cost of the sheep brains used in the dissection.
The event kicked off with a presentation by Joseph Fullmer, M.D, at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, followed by a small-group dissection in which students examined brain anatomy by making cross-sectional cuts and identifying key structures.
Fullmer emphasized the importance of introducing young students to hands-on experiences, as it can have a lasting impact and inspire their future careers.
“Introducing them to a hands-on type of experience, learning about the brain, is really important, because everybody has a brain,” said Fullmer. “Doing things with their own hands … it's a more effective way to learn."
OUWB students take a lot from the experience, too.
“We were hoping through this event that the medical students would strengthen their skills in both mentoring and teaching,” said Julia Barto, M2, and president of the Neurology Student Interest Group.
Lexis Grandel, M2, and science coordinator for the Neurology Student Interest Group, said that the event challenged OUWB students to translate what they learned in class into instructions for others.
“Being able to effectively teach it and communicate our understanding of that material to others is a different type of challenge. Through this experience, we're aiming to translate our knowledge into instruction and pass along our knowledge and information to the younger students.”
For Avondale students, the event offered an opportunity to interact directly with medical students and explore anatomy in ways that go beyond typical classroom learning.
Kristen Cunningham, an anatomy teacher at Avondale High School, said the event was a great way to introduce her students to brain content in an engaging way.
Alexandra Carver, also an anatomy teacher at Avondale High School, said the experience gave students who might not otherwise have the chance to interact with such material the opportunity to do so outside the classroom. She added that bringing students to OUWB gives them exposure to college life and a medical school environment, hopefully inspiring them to think about their future.
“It’s great to get high school students on college campuses and to have them interact with college students, especially those who are closer in age to them,” said Carver. “It allows them to ask questions and hear about some things they’re dreaming about.”
Sophie Condren, M2, said that the activity allowed medical students to share their passion for medicine with younger students, while giving back to the community and supporting possible future physicians.
“It's really great to get involved in our community and also just share our passion for medicine and learning with people who might be entering the career in the future.”
Matthew Su, M1, highlighted the importance of having a mentor for medical students.
“I’ve always had mentors and people teaching me, so I’m always wanting to give back and mentor other people.”
Students from Avondale expressed the impact of the event. Charles Stickney, a junior, said the structure of the brain and its complexity stood out to him most during the dissection, making the encounter that much more memorable.
Cleora Goodwin, also a junior at Avondale, shared how working with medical students made the event more informative and digestible.
“It was great. He (Matthew Su) was very helpful, and he taught us a lot. I feel like I learned a lot.”
By connecting a local high school with OUWB’s anatomy lab, the event reflected the medical school’s commitment to community engagement, outreach, and education. For OUWB and Avondale students, the event created an opportunity to learn and inspire the future of medicine.
Fullmer hopes students leave the dissection with a greater appreciation for the brain and its complexity.
“Don't take for granted what we do know about the brain. Be amazed at how complex the brain is,” he said.
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