High school students learn to suture wounds, see ligament repair in Saint Vincent program

Alyvia Peagler wants to pursue a career in health care, just like her grandmother did.

But instead of nursing, Peagler is leaning toward becoming a physician assistant after she graduates from Greater Latrobe High School.

“I really like helping people,” she said. “I find that stuff really interesting about the body and what goes on.”

Peagler, a junior, is among 100 high schoolers in 11th and 12th grades in Westmoreland County and parts of Allegheny County who are set to get a unique hands-on experience under a collaboration between Independence Health System and Saint Vincent College in Unity.

The Future Masters of Medicine course begins this week. Organizers described it as a tuition-free educational opportunity for high school students to learn from a variety of medical professionals about their careers. There are six sessions that will be held at the college campus, some of which will take place in an anatomy lab.

They’ll get off to a strong start this week with an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Gregory Bisignani, who said he will demonstrate how to repair a torn knee ligament.

“I’ll be able to show to them how we surgically do it,” he said.

Bisignani is an instructor at the college and a member of its board of directors, and he was the driving force behind the program’s creation. He plans to make the sessions a mix of lecture and hands-on activities to show budding medical professionals the benefits of a career in health care.

“There’s not too many professions you can do where you can make people better and get paid for it,” he said.

He’s hoping to get a head start on getting local people into the field, as the World Health Organization predicts a shortage of 10 million health workers by 2030, mostly in low- to middle-income countries. Introducing young students to career options, and the type of work they entail, can help them choose a path before getting into higher education classes. Creating a pipeline of local talent to fill those jobs was an impetus for the program, he said.

“I’m really concerned about, selfishly, who’s going to take care of me,” he said. “As a population, we’re getting older and there’s going to be more demand for health care.”

Medical professionals participating include surgeons, nurses and physical and occupational therapists. Students will be able to try their hand at suturing and interact with a surgical robot.

Greater Latrobe High School science teacher Jennifer LeVan said the course will give participants an opportunity to interact with professionals and see if that career path is right for them. Plus, the hands-on activities will show them what they’re potentially getting into.

“I think this is a good opportunity for students to demonstrate for their college applications, too,” she said. “They’re interested in medicine, and they’ve done something.”

Participants’ parents will be able to get information during the sessions as well, said Jeff Mallory, college executive vice president and chief operating officer. They’ll go to some of the same experiences and demonstrations, but they’ll also be able to interact with other parents and college officials and listen to panel discussions.

“We think there’s a lot of collective wisdom,” Mallory said.

The course could be a life-changing opportunity for a student, he said.

The college has several medical degree offerings. Students who participate are eligible for scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,500, depending on the number of sessions they attend and their potential enrollment at the college.

The program is supported by a $10,000 grant from Johnson & Johnson, which will help with student materials and a scrub shirt.