As graduation nears, many seniors are sharing and reflecting on their impactful senior projects. One Camas High School (CHS) senior in particular, Madeline “Maddie” Schodowski, interned at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB) researching how one week of training impacts physician associate (PA) laparoscopic surgery skills.
“I had an entirely different internship working in a lab with mice that I was really excited for, but when I arrived, I found out that the building the research was being done in had flooded. So my mentor, a professor at UAB, offered me a different internship to work with her students and design our own study,” Schodowski said. “And so we studied the effects of one week of consecutive laparoscopic training on graduate PA students.”
Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive scope-based form of surgery that reduces many risks associated with large incisions. It is an important surgical skill for PAs to learn, which is why Schodowski and her mentor decided to research if a short time of training could significantly improve the PAs’ skills.
“We found that one week of training [25 minutes per day] was really effective, and around 96% of the participants improved in their laparoscopy skills. Everybody self-reported that their confidence with it was higher as well,” Schodowski said.
Her research at UAB inspired her to continue with research as a career. In the fall, she will attend the University of Washington to study neuroscience.
“I’m planning on going all the way to PhD,” Schodowski said. “I’m not entirely sure where I’m going to end up — if I would work for a hospital or teach and then do my own research through a university.”
Though her passion for science and learning has been lifelong, Schodowski wanted to solve mysteries as a paleontologist when she was a kid. She has applied her love for learning to many areas of her life, including her decision to continue with research.
“I want to make a difference in the world, and there’s so many interesting aspects of science, particularly in the medical field,” Schodowski said.
Her passion for research led her to join the CHS Math, Science, and Technology (MST) magnet program in freshman year, which greatly contributed to her high school experience.
“I’m in the MST magnet program, and I really, really love it,” Schodowski said. “It’s taught me a lot of really useful skills, and I’ve been able to do a lot of interesting things, including my internship.”
Overall, Schodowski’s senior project is a prime example of a student following her passions throughout high school and using them to help others. Her mentor is going to continue the research they began and eventually will publish their findings.
