Philadelphia High Schoolers Get Insider’s Look at Robotic Surgery Suite

By Pat Loeb

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Students from Archbishop Ryan High School got a rare opportunity today to play with million-dollar surgical equipment, in an unusual field trip to Temple University Hospital.

Dr. Sloane Guy, Temple Hospital’s chief of robotic surgery, uses cutting-edge technology to save lives, but on this day he was showing high schoolers how to use it to put candy rings on cone-shaped targets.

“Are the controllers in the right position for you?” he coaches one student operating the robotic hands.  And then, “Wow, she’s got the touch!  Let me see you do it with your left hand.”

The field trip was arranged by AB Ryan science teacher Jerry Donahue, a barter of sorts for letting Temple use video of his recent robotic heart surgery as a teaching tool.

“I’m a firm believer that you learn more out of the classroom than you do in the classroom,” Donahue tells KYW Newsradio.

Guy agreed to the trade, figuring the investment was worth engaging students who might become tomorrow’s robotic surgeons.

“I loved it,” said Nora.  “I would definitely do this when I’m older, just from this, just from seeing this.  It’s really cool.”