Many adults have no idea what the words, colonoscopy or endoscopy mean, let alone what's done during such procedures. But many of us could learn a thing or two from a group of second and third graders with the Challenge Center in Sioux Falls.
Second grader Josie Muss is helping Dr. Steve Condron remove an earring from a person's digestive system. While this is just a simulation with a computer model, these elementary students are learning some very in-depth medical information.
"How you get stuff out if you swallow something," student Mataya Arens said.
Pretend prep for a colonoscopy is also on the agenda for these second and third graders.
"Then we have a couple stations where we focus on cholecystitis, which is infection of the gallbladder, appendicitis which is infection of the appendix and then we have some fun pictures for them to look at," Condron said.
While you may not think students need to learn about colonoscopies at such a young age, they are addressing some very important topics.
"I want them to learn about nutrition and digestion and really putting good foods into the body helps lead to a healthy lifestyle," Condron said.
While Josie enjoyed helping Dr. Condron remove the earring, she's not sure whether the medical field is in her future.
A few of them have said to me they don't want to be a doctor anymore because it's gross," Condron said.
But others are digesting the idea with a little more enthusiasm.
"I used to think I wanted to work at a pet shop, but now I want to be a doctor," Arens said.
The students are studying about the digestive system all week in the classroom.
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