Students learn lessons that aren't for squeamish

They touched human brains, probed human hearts and squeezed human lungs.

Nobody fainted. Nobody yelled, "Gross!"

Unfazed by dangling spinal cords and unmoved by polyp-covered colons, the students stayed focused and professional, all in the name of science.

Nearly 240 high school students from across the Midwest have been at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago for a conference that included a visit to the school's Gross Anatomy Lab. Their session ends Friday.

"I thought I would be squeamish, but this was fantastic," said Sierra Slade. "It's really fascinating."

The sophomore from Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein said her experience at the lab was eye-opening.

LeadAmerica, a Florida-based youth leadership organization, provides summer conferences like these for emerging student leaders from high schools across the country. This is the third time the group has picked Rosalind Franklin University as a host.

Luciana Lang, program director for LeadAmerica, said the seminars can be pivotal moments for the students. "For many, it's a life-changing experience," she said. "They learn so much about who they are as people and what they are capable of achieving."

Students listened to lectures from university professors, engaged in discussions about nutrition and worked in mock clinical settings. But getting the chance to touch real organs had an impact.

Sara Bragg, a senior at Deerfield High School, was awe-struck when she saw a human hand. "When I saw it, I looked down at my own hand, and, oh my gosh," Bragg said. "To see the muscles and tendons, I was just like, wow."

Interacting with human organs has shock value, but that's not the point. Marc Abel, an associate professor of anatomy, said it can be an emotional experience that leads the student to take a more compassionate view of human beings.

"Touching a plastic model is good, but holding a human heart can be a completely profound experience," Able said.

That seemed to play out for Bragg after she encountered a colon covered with cancerous polyps.

"Seeing those polyps and thinking about the cancer made me want to help people even more," she said. She is considering a career in nursing.

The conference costs about $2,500 per student, not including travel, but LeadAmerica offers scholarships for lower-income students. They also earn one college credit for participating.

Abel wasn't too surprised the students handled the experience without getting queasy. He said tales about medical students passing out are mostly legends. If they are bent on a career in medicine, they handle it well.

But, he said, "If you put a business major in this room, watch out."