Alvin ISD Students Play Doctor At HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland

PEARLAND, TX — A group of Alvin ISD middle school students with an avid interest in STEM and healthcare careers had the chance recently to tour HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland, and visit with staff members.

As part of the field trip to HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland, these gifted students, who were all part of Alvin ISD’s STEM Academy, offered through their school Rodeo Palms Junior High, had the opportunity to experience real world applications for their studies.

They also got to ask a lot of questions, and even took part in an initial presentation by David Wagner, CEO of HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland.

“What’s the number one way to protect yourself from flu,” asked Wagner, as he quizzed the class of sixth and seventh graders seated in the hospital’s conference room.

Several sets of enthusiastic hands shot up, and the first student Wagner calls on provides the correct answer: hand washing.

While the question may have stumped the average adult, these kids know a thing or two about flu, a contagious viral infection which peaks every year between December and February.

They’ve been studying flu transmission and prevention at Alvin ISD’s STEM Academy, offered through their school Rodeo Palms Junior High.

After Wagner's presentation, the students split into smaller groups for a closer look at how multiple hospital departments touch patient care.

The first group began in the Imaging department, where they saw an MRI machine and learned how chest x-rays are used to diagnose flu complications, such as pneumonia.

The students also went to the emergency department, where a nurse director talked about the initial triage, and how to spot the difference between a flu and a cold.

Students also toured the second floor surgical unit where they’re given surgical masks as souvenirs and a chance to peek into an isolation unit, which uses negative pressure air flow to prevent the spread of infection.

The hospital’s lab was the final stop on the tour, where a hospital-based pathologist showed the group a blown-up image of a virus under a microscope and demonstrates how to diagnose flu with testing.

While many of the students express interest in future careers as doctors, Sylvia Godinich, chief nursing officer at HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland and one of the day’s tour guides, reminds them there are many ways to participate in the healthcare field.

For students considering a future in healthcare, the staff stresses, being well-rounded and having a thirst for knowledge are key.

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