by Tim Troglen
Reporter
Hudson -- Squishy and stinky.
That's how 10-year-old Alicia Furlan described the human body parts, including a skull and various bones, she saw taken out of a plastic trash bag Nov. 5.
Alicia was not witnessing the clean-up of a grisly crime scene or the filming of a "CSI Hudson" episode. The Seton Catholic School fifth-grader, a member of the Hudson Junior Medical Club, was learning. And the cadaver pieces were part of a classroom discussion on human anatomy by Justine Busby, a first-year medical student from the Northeast Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy.
"And we got to touch the lungs and heart," Alicia said. "They were squishy and stunk from the chemicals."
Alicia said while some of her classmates "thought it was gross" she found the experience "fun."
"I like touching body parts," she said.
Alicia said she wants to be a doctor when she grows up and thinks the club, started in August by director Bernadette Kolar, is an opportunity for her to explore that career path.
Kolar, who said she started getting "a little light headed" when the body parts were brought out, said the program was created for sixth- through eighth-graders.
"I'm just a mom in the Hudson area whose son is interested in anything medical, but we could not find anything," she said. "And this is something I've been pondering starting for a long time."
Kolar said the 15 students meet at the Summa Wellness Center and learn about a different bodily system each month.
"These are all just really gifted kids who know that when they grow up they want to be doctors and surgeons," she said.
Kolar said there have been several "wonderful guest speakers so far" who have talked to the students about subjects including the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems.
Busby explained the workings of the heart, lungs and circulatory system to the students.
"I could see myself in the eyes of these kids," Busby said. "They seemed liked a really nice group and I was really impressed."
She said some students let out an "ewww" when the parts were taken from a trash bag, "but the majority liked it."
"I was hoping it was going to be OK," Busby said of bringing the body parts. "It was kind of neat. I didn't know how much stuff they could handle."
Busby said the body parts were from the cadaver she is assigned to work on in school.
She said while the parts were transported in the plastic bag in her car, she had a written note from the college professor, in case she happened to be stopped by an officer and the parts were found.
"He said, 'It is so I don't see you on CNN,'" she mused.
The club meets the first and third Wednesdays of each month from September through May.
She said the club has room for six more students. The cost to join is $65 per student.
For more information call Kolar at 330-388-2224, e-mail her at ralok@windstream.net or visit www.juniormedicalclub.com.
E-mail: ttroglen@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3146