On Monday, students dissected pig hearts in their science class. This opportunity was made possible by Hamlin parent, Dr. Krista Ramonas and her friend Dr. Brett Sheridan. Dr. Ramonas is an ophthalmologist and Dr. Sheridan is a cardiothoracic surgeon who performs heart transplants. They both work at California Pacific Medical Center.

Dr. Sheridan began by asking our girls some questions like:

Why do we have a heart? How many cells are in the body? How many chambers are in the heart?

He then drew a brief sketch on the board describing the anatomy of the heart.

Our students had the opportunity to work in pairs to dissect their pig heart; observing frozen blood, the different valves, and the areas of the organ that are very thin, almost translucent. The experience provided a hands on opportunity to really see how a heart functions.