Gather ‘round, class: Today, we’re dissecting a human arm! See inside Phillipsburg High School’s unique anatomy lesson.

Think back to high school biology class. What did you dissect? Worms? Frogs? How about a freakin' human arm?

That kind of lesson is usually reserved for med school. But students at Phillipsburg High School on Friday got an up-close, hands-on look at the inner workings of the arm and shoulder in a dissection led by a St. Luke's orthopedic surgeon, who told students of his own first experience with a cadaver.

“I remember that day very well. The education that I got from it was irreplaceable,” Nicholas Avallone told the group assembled in the small studio. Avallone is also the physician for Phillipsburg’s sports teams.

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Phillipsburg High School students got an up-close, hands-on look at anatomy by participating in the dissection of a human arm and shoulder, led by St. Luke's orthopedic surgeon Nicholas Avallone, on May 3, 2019. The lesson used a cadaver arm to demonstrate the inner workings of joints and muscles, how common injuries occur and how they are repaired. (Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com)

With the aid of some students in scrubs, Avallone revealed the layers of the cadaver’s shoulder, pointing out muscles, tendons, bones and joints. Some of the discussion involved common injuries to the upper extremities – a dislocated shoulder, say, or a torn bicep – and how doctors repair them.

The arm and shoulder, provided through the Bethlehem-based Venel Institute, used to belong to a 300-pound diabetic man, which Avallone noted may have contributed to some of the problems that were uncovered, such as arthritis in the shoulder.

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St. Luke's orthopedic surgeon Nicholas Avallone leads the dissection of a human arm and shoulder for Phillipsburg High School students. (Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com)

The use of a human cadaver is rare in high schools, but it seems to be getting more popular locally.

Parkland High School, across the Lehigh Valley just outside Allentown, was said to be the first to do so when students last year dissected a human knee with a surgeon from Coordinated Health. Parkland students also got to dissect a human shoulder last week with a St. Luke's surgeon.

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Niyah McNair, a junior, describes the tendons she feels inside a human shoulder. (Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Students in Phillipsburg’s advanced anatomy course have already dissected pig hearts, cow eyes and sheep brains this year. Some were handed the scalpel in Friday’s lesson.

“I didn’t know how in-depth it was going to be, but it was really cool,” said junior Niyah McNair.

“It was fun,” senior Janan Abashaban agreed. “It’s what I want to do when I’m older, so it’s cool.”

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Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com

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Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com

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Cameras record the dissection, providing up close views for the audience on a television screen to the side of the operating table. (Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com)

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Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com

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Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com

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The dissection is reflected in the glasses of a student observer. (Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com)

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Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com

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Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com

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Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com

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Niyah McNair, a junior, tries her hand at some surgical procedures. (Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com)

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(SEE THE FULL GALLERY OF PHOTOS FROM THE PROGRAM)

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Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

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