Dallas ISD gives young, future medics hands-on experience with tools used by actual doctors
DALLAS - Dallas ISD is giving students an immersive experience with STEM instruction.
Their biomedical school is three years old, and Dallas ISD is expanding its campus next year.
Students get to work with simulators that actual doctors use to improve their skills.
Students at Dallas ISD's Biomedical Preparatory School work hand in hand with UT Southwestern doctors.
Dr. Chuck Ginsburg proposed the idea to the district. The school started three years ago, and students visit the UT Southwestern Simulation Center each semester.
"The group today is the oldest group," he said. "They started as preschoolers and are now in the third grade."
In class this week, students created human skin and wounds to learn how to do first aid on a playground injury.
They also got to control a laparoscopic surgery simulator.
Gina Maffucci is the principal.
"It brings it to life and helps students have this one-of-a-kind experience that you wouldn’t get anywhere else.
The school has what they call "Bio Fridays," where medical professionals come and work with the students directly.
Ella Jones is in the third grade.
"One time on Bio Friday last year, we got to see a human brain," Ella recalled. "We got to see a baby kangaroo one Friday."
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While science, technology, engineering and math are the foundation of the school, the real focus is on making each student "whole."
Right now, the school is kindergarten through third grade. They will be adding grades as the students get older.
The district is also building a larger facility for the school to include more students.
"As a campus, we are developing pathways for students who have interests in medical careers," Maffucci said.
While the school is tailored to attract students who want to go into the medical field, Dr. Ginsburg said the bigger goal is to spark interest by providing a new way of learning.
"We hope they are not only future biomedical staff, but teachers, camera people — anything that piques their interest, they are learning," he said.
Enrollment into the school for now is based on a lottery system. The larger campus building will be open next spring.