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High school students from Ohio and Michigan watched an open heart surgery procedure as part of an interactive videoconference.

Biology class has come a long way since filmstrips. Instead of a bloodless series of black and white still images, 21st Century students from five high schools watched the bloody real-life procedure performed on a 59-year-old man at a Columbus, OH hospital.

The Eagle Herald reported on the virtual heart repair observations of those high school students at a West Bloomfield, MI, high school. Not all the students could handle the experience:

The show was more than Reeta Hermiz could take. She was sweating and feeling lightheaded when she quickly left the classroom while her classmates watched the operation on a big screen.

"This was my first time seeing anything like this, and when the doctor put his hands inside the patient, I thought that was disgusting," she said. "I could deal with all the blood, but when he reached in to pull the vein from the patient's leg, I started feeling weak."
During the procedure to fix the patient's heart, students were able to ask questions of the surgeon. We give credit to the surgical team for being able to handle the interactive nature of the experience while patching up their patient.

Visitors to the COSI website can learn more about the program. It has proven so popular that potential school registrants for future sessions are directed to a waiting list; there are some spaces open for individuals who want to go to COSI and watch a procedure from there.

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David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.