CASERMA EDERLE, Italy -- "What's wrong in this one? Can anyone not see the break?"
Capt. Jason Auchincloss, a physician assistant with United States Army Africa, prompted students from the Vicenza High School anatomy class to identify the fractures in digital X-rays during a visit to the U.S. Army Health Center-Vicenza Jan. 24.
Eleven students from VHS toured the radiology and orthopedic wings of the clinic to gather experience and work alongside medical professionals as a complement to their human anatomy class.
Auchincloss, who previously visited the class to teach how to suture a wound, organized the visit to give students more real-world experience. He began the tour by asking them if they had ever seen an X-ray before, and only two students raised their hands.
The teens recently completed a section on the human skeleton and made the trip to experience firsthand what they had been studying.
"Experiential learning opportunities help to improve knowledge retention in a couple of ways," said Auchincloss. "It's accomplished by providing hands-on, practical experiences and developing that experience by exposing the students to a real-world application of what they learned."
Kelly York, VHS human anatomy teacher, said this was the first trip her students have made to the clinic as a class.
"The students really like it, and even their parents can see the benefit at home when (their children) talk about the hands-on experience they had," said York. "They get very excited, especially those already interested in that career field."
During a stop in the radiology department, students saw and learned about X-ray imagery equipment. They then walked across the hall to another room where an X-ray technician waited with computer monitors displaying a series of images taken of previous patients (personal information obscured on each to protect patient identity).
Each X-ray contained a break or fracture, and students used their knowledge of the human skeleton to identify the bones and what was wrong with each. They asked questions and discussed the images among themselves as they tried to find what was wrong in each image before calling out their answers.
The highlight of the tour, and final stop, was the orthopedic wing where they were introduced to cast- making.
"They actually get to do authentic work based on what they learned in class. They get to apply a cast after studying the skeleton in a classroom," said York.
Staff Sgt. Steven Fike, orthopedic non-commissioned officer in charge, first demonstrated how to set a cast on one of the students before they took turns applying a forearm cast on each other.
"It gives them insight into this field," said Fike. "Most people really don't know what we do. They don't know that orthopedic is even a career choice, especially in the Army."
For the Soldiers who hosted the visit, it was also an opportunity to step outside their daily routine and take on a new role.
"The Soldiers get to showcase the fact that there is more to the Army than 'just being a Soldier,'" said Auchincloss. "They have the opportunity to demonstrate their valuable job skills, interact with students, and hopefully stimulate interest in the field of medicine.
"Teaching is an integral aspect of any field of medicine, and imparting knowledge and experience on members of future generations ensures a constant supply of medical professions for the future -- ones that may one day take care of us."
For the visiting students, applying what they learned in class was important, but they also experienced something new, said Fike.
"Most of these students are familiar with the Army lifestyle, but this exposes them to something they may not be familiar with," he said.
And a bonus for the NCO -- "I love to teach," he said.
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