As a part of a 20-year partnership, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC) and Liberty Science Center, teamed up to give students from different high schools across New Jersey and New York an unforgettable lesson that took learning beyond the classroom, and into the operating room.
Liberty Science Center’s “Live from Surgery” program offers high schoolers a front-row seat to a living donor kidney transplant, streamed in real-time from CBMC. From observing Stuart R. Geffner, MD, Chairman and Surgeon-in-Chief of the Department of Surgery at CBMC, at work, to holding replica surgical tools, the program turns anatomy class into an immersive, career-inspiring experience.
“We have been doing this program for approximately 20 years, and livestream about 15 to 16 times during a school year. It is an absolutely spectacular program for the kids, for the science center, and our team at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center,” Dr. Geffner shared.
The Science Behind the Surgery
The surgery features a living donor kidney transplant, a procedure in which a healthy person donates one of their kidneys to someone suffering from kidney failure. Multiple cameras in two operating rooms and in the operative fields provide students with an unparalleled view of live surgery.
“What makes this experience so special is that it is completely live and interactive, the kids see exactly what I see during the course of the surgery,” explained Dr. Geffner. “Over the course of the two-hour program, they see the laparoscopic removal of the donor kidney, they see us preparing the kidney on the back table, and then they see us implanting the kidney into the recipient. The students have microphones and can ask questions directly to me during the surgery. I hear them, I have a microphone. I narrate certain steps in the procedure and answer their questions in real time.”
In addition to explaining anatomy, Dr. Geffner and his team provide the students with take home messages about the importance of tissue and organ donation and the importance of healthy lifestyle habits to help prevent diabetes and high blood pressure, two factors that could contribute to heart disease and kidney failure.
Anatomy in Action
Alejandro Melendez, Senior Director of STEM Innovation at Liberty Science Center, who has been involved with the program for 14 years, emphasized how the experience helps students understand the operating room. “Students see that the lessons they get in anatomy and physiology aren’t just in textbooks. They are seeing it in real time, seeing that connection between what they read and the diagrams they see being applied into the practice Dr. Geffner does.”
Throughout the event, students were encouraged to ask questions directly to the surgical team, consisting of nurses, physician assistants, and the anesthesiologist, creating a dynamic, two-way learning experience. While some students asked about the tools being used, the length of recovery for patients or what inspired doctors to pursue this path, others asked about retirement age and if a kidney has ever been dropped (it has not).
The program aligned perfectly with curriculum goals for many attending teachers, including Renee Russo, an anatomy and physiology teacher at Pompton Lakes High School.
“We’ve just started covering the urinary system in class,” said Renee. “Seeing a kidney transplant live lets them connect everything they’ve learned with something real. A few students were thinking about careers in nursing and surgery, and this either confirmed their passion, or helped them realize it’s not for them, which is also valuable.”
Inspiration and Representation
For Hazel Slinger, an assistant principal at Mathematics, Science Research and Technology Magnet High School, in New York City, the experience was more than just a science lesson, but a powerful message about representation and opportunity.
“A lot of our students are Black and Brown,” she said. “We want them to see that there are so many job opportunities in the field of science and medicine for them.”
Hazel, who also teaches a biology class, noted how meaningful it was to hear from real professionals and circled back to the answer Dr. Geffner provided when he was asked about his thoughts on retirement. “Listening to the surgeon talk about how he’s still excited after 30 years in the OR, and doesn’t want to retire, that stuck with my students. It showed them passion can be lifelong.”
The Role of Organ Donation
The program also highlighted the importance of organ donation, thanks to the presence of the NJ Sharing Network, a key partner in the program. Rudy DiGilio, one of their representatives, shared his story about being a living kidney donor for his brother. He spoke about the donor process, how families are supported, and all the positive effects which result from one person’s gift of life.
Alejandro shared that over the years he has seen students’ perception change on organ donation because of this program, and watched some students become real advocates. “A great example is that this past year a group of students saw the program and about a month later got in contact with the NJ Sharing Network to form a Donate Life Club at their school as a result of watching this program.”
A Lasting Impact
For two decades, CBMC and Liberty Science Center have partnered to bring real world medicine into classrooms igniting curiosity and compassion in future healthcare professionals. Whether they go on to become surgeons, nurses, or advocates, this experience proves the future of science and medicine is already taking shape.
“I think one of the things ‘Live from Surgery’ does well is that it gives a good insight into how the beginning, middle, and end of these surgeries take place and hopefully inspire enough students to actually end up in the OR themselves,” shares Alejandro.
Dr. Geffner has seen firsthand the lasting impact of the “Live from Surgery” program. He shared, “We’ve had students who watched this program years ago and are now our colleagues, working as physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and gone on to successful careers in healthcare,” he shared.
One of those former students is Erin Gutkind, now a physician assistant on the transplant team at CBMC. As a high schooler she attended the program and watched Dr. Geffner perform the same surgery that she is a part of now.
“At that point I knew I wanted to go into the medical field but wasn’t exactly sure in which direction,” Erin recalled. “Seeing the operating room and witnessing the teamwork and purpose behind it all inspired me. And here we are, quite a few years later.”
Stories like Erin’s reinforce the importance of this experience. “It is a really important program to us,” said Dr. Geffner. “We hope it continues to inspire students to pursue careers in medicine and healthcare, and to encourage thoughtful conversations about organ donation.”
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To learn more about becoming a living donor visit, rwjbh.org/transplant.
About The Renal and Pancreas Transplant Division at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.
The Renal and Pancreas Transplant Division, located in Livingston, NJ, is one of the leading kidney transplant centers in the country. The Transplant Division at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center offers compassionate and comprehensive transplant care for adult and pediatric kidney patients.
The Living Donor Institute at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center offers an increasing number of innovative living donation techniques available at only a few of the world’s leading transplant centers.
With a patient-centered approach, we aim to provide a caring environment with state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment capabilities. Our multidisciplinary transplant team guides patients through the process of deciding on kidney transplant as a treatment option, understanding transplantation, finding a donor, and maintaining a healthy organ after transplant.