BATTLE GROUND —Health Science students at Battle Ground High School used to sit on foam pads on the floor to practice CPR or first aid. Today, they have access to exam tables, a hospital bed, interactive CPR dummies, and a state-of-the-art virtual dissection table.
With its large rectangular screen and sleek white exterior, the Anatomage table looks like something plucked out of a science-fiction movie. Students use the computer to conduct virtual dissections on images of real-life bodies that were donated for science. They also can view a beating heart, explore the impact of various diseases or injuries, and drill down to closely study each system of the human body.
The school board approved the purchase of two Anatomage tables in July 2020 to support students at Battle Ground and Prairie high schools in advanced health science careers, animal science and forensic science. Battle Ground offers nearly 500 career and technical education courses each year to middle and high school students.
Even when students don’t go on to a medical career, the education they get may help them save a life by knowing how to respond in an emergency and take control of the situation.
