BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - It’s not every day that you get to leave the classroom to practice gallbladder surgery. 

But for 40 students from Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School who want to go into the medical field, they’re learning just how challenging their dreams of surgery can be.

“I noticed how quickly my arm started to feel a little sore because I was so outstretched, and it felt kind of different than I thought it would be,” said 11th-grader, Nadia Castillo.

Nadia and senior Jasmine Diaz both have their future sights set on the operating room.

“I want to be a neurosurgeon,” said Jasmine.

“I want to be a cardio-thoracic surgeon,” said Nadia.

So today’s one-of-a-kind trip to the Cedars-Sinai Women's Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills is teaching them, along with their classmates, about healthcare career paths.

Not only did they get to take part in a simulated surgery in a fully equipped operating room, they’re learning about using virtual surgical instruments, CPR, and even intubation.

“It’s really nice to be a part of all of these simulations and see what it would be like to do actual procedures,” said Nadia.

Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet provides its students with exposure to the medical and biotechnical fields.

Exposure to various healthcare departments is critical to the development of career interests for young adults who plan to enter the world of medical practice. Jasmine has been exposed to a career in medicine since a program in middle school and now that she’s getting ready to graduate high school, her education has set her up on a path to becoming a neurosurgeon.

“I’m going to be going to UC Davis, and I’ll be majoring, or my expected major is neurobiology, physiology, and behavior so three-in-one,” said Jasmine.

And for Nadia, who is just one year away from graduating, experiences like today help instill what she’s always known.

”Since I was a very young age I always knew that I wanted to be in the medical field I wanted to help people,” said Nadia.