Students Explore Future Careers with Surgical Robot Experience

More than 100 students from Oak Park and River Forest High School gained practical experience with the Da Vinci Robotic Surgical System recently. This advanced technology, worth over $1 million and refined through more than 30 versions, was brought from Loyola University to the high school. The aim was to give students an opportunity to explore fields related to minimally invasive surgeries.

Students formed small groups to interact with the robot, learning about its functions and operations. Allison Hennings, the school’s nursing program coordinator and medical club facilitator, emphasized the value of this hands-on experience in expanding students’ career perspectives. She noted, “Giving them hands-on experience shows they can do different careers they may have never thought about.”

The students performed precise tasks such as unwrapping Starburst candies and tying knots with the robotic system. Oliver Harks, a senior interested in microbiology, participated to gain insights into surgical robotics. He shared, “The opportunity to see an actual surgical robot at school, like in the flesh, was amazing. I was just curious and wanted to see what would happen.”

Harks, who aspires to study level 4 pathogens at Case Western Reserve University or Loyola University Chicago, found the experience reaffirming. He reflected on the intersection of technology and science, saying, “It just reminded me how far we’ve come with all sorts of things relating to the merging of technology and science, and how those are just so deeply intertwined.”

The event was facilitated by OPRF’s collaboration with the Health Career Collaborative and the National Association of Health Services Executives. This year, the school’s Medical Club has partnered with the collaborative’s Chicago chapter and Loyola University medical students to guide students through various health topics and career paths.

Coralai Groulx, a junior in OPRF’s nursing program, explored different facets of the profession through her involvement with the surgical robot. Interested in surgery, she found the experience inspiring. “I just think it’s super cool because obviously surgery is an option, but for me at least, just doing this, I was able to actually kind of experience what a surgery would be like and what it would be like working with these instruments,” Groulx said.

Her desire to pursue nursing was influenced by the supportive role nurses played during her mother’s battle with breast cancer. Groulx remarked, “That was really intriguing to me, so I definitely wanted to go into nursing because as much as a doctor is extremely helpful to patients, I want to have that patient interaction and that relationship.”