Journey To Medicine Gives Rare Opportunity To Select Group Of Students

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A group of selected high school students got to watch a live surgery for the first time Wednesday morning.

Andrew Williams, 15, got to see something Wednesday morning that his fellow Allderdice classmates likely won't ever get the opportunity to - a live coronary artery bypass performed at Allegheny General Hospital.

"It's just very interesting. I don't know what it is, I just like it a lot," he said.

The West End 10th grader is part of Gateway Medical Society's Journey to Medicine Program.

It's for a select group of 90 high-achieving African-American men from schools in our region who are interested in either science and or medicine.

"I love how the younger folks kind of get taken under the wings of the older students and how proud they are of them when they announce that they got straight A's or made the honor roll for several semesters in a row and the way that they influence each other that way," Dr. Brooks said.

Allegheny General Hospital's Pat Wolf has coordinated some 700 surgeries for students to watch.

She says every time, she is certain one of these students watching from above could one day be hands-on below.

"I hope that we inspire the next generation. That's why we're doing it," Wolf said.

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