Fort Cherry’s Anatomage Table: An LSA Investment in our Youth

 

It’s not everyday that you get to watch students “dissect” cadavers in their high school library.

But that’s exactly what I did today when I met with students in Fort Cherry High School’s anatomy and physiology class.  Don’t worry, it was all done virtually on a state-of-the-art Antomage Table loaded with the digital scans of real human and animal cadavers.

Senior Kayla George, junior Parker Maga and their teacher Dr. Kaitlyn Willyerd showed administrators, school board members, a local legislator, and me just how easy it was to operate. Their first subject was Vickie, who died of stomach cancer.

Kayla and Parker touched the screen to cut through skin and fat, inspect the heart, and travel through the digestive system. It was all very impressive and realistic.

Parker Maga, Kayla George and Dr. Kaitlyn Willyerd
 demonstrate the Anatomage Table.

Learning about the Anatomage Table

I was invited to the school because the $92,000 table was purchased through Washington County’s Local Share Account, which is funded by local casino money.  They applied for the money because the district is laser focused on career readiness. It’s all about making sure Fort Cherry students have a leg up when it comes to college and careers.

Dr. Willyerd said this program, which isn’t typically found in a high school classroom, allows the students to work on real cases. This college-level application engages students and helps with retention. It's so much better than reading about it in a book.

Kayla, who plans to become a physician’s assistant, said that using the Antomage Table has taught her a lot, specifically helping her understand how the heart works. Parker, who wants to be an EMT, said it  helped him connect the dots of anatomy.

“Without the support of the LSA we couldn’t afford this,” Superintendent Tom Samosky said after the demonstration.  “When you prioritize local schools, it has impact. It takes adults like this to sacrifice, to take the time out of their day to support our educators. Thank you for supporting our kids.”

Click here to learn more about the Antomage Table.

Larry Maggi

maggil@co.washington.pa.us