Azusa Student Discovers Possible Heart Condition During High School Medical Academy Class

be the first “patient” when her medical academy class received hands-on training on how an electrocardiogram can detect potential problems in a heart’s electrical activity.
What she learned surprised her teachers and classmates, but confirmed a nagging suspicion she had harbored but not yet shared with others: something was possibly amiss with her heart.
When her teacher alerted her to the irregularities in the results, Rudder was examined by a cardiologist and began wearing a heart monitor. The 11th-grader finds out next week if she has an underlying medical condition.
“I always felt like there was something wrong (with my heart), so when I found out we were doing EKGs I thought ‘OK let’s get this over with,’” she said.
The well-spoken and energetic teen who hopes to join the Air Force after graduation has maintained a positive and uplifting attitude throughout it all. She’s especially happy that although at first she was ordered to stop playing sports, she has since been able to resume her softball season. Volleyball, though is on hold – she has limited vertical movement due to the heart monitor.
“I just want to stay positive,” she said. “Now I play every softball game like it’s my last.”
Rudder, who grew up wanting to go into the medical field, was among the first to join the medical academy, launched this year at Gladstone High. The four-year program allows students to learn about a variety of medical careers and medical procedures, while integrating relevant curriculum into the rest of their courses, including biology, anatomy and English. After four years, students can earn medical certificates applicable to real-world professions.
“They learn every aspect of the medical field, from vital signs, surgical procedures, medical skills and employability skills such as interviewing techniques and resume writing,” said Jennie Aguirre, medical academy teacher. “We try to stress to them that medical professions go well beyond doctors and nurses. There is such a vast array of professions.”
The medical pathway holds close partnerships with Mt. San Antonio College and the University of Health Science, allowing Gladstone students to earn college credits, attend expositions and observe college students in cancer research and anatomy labs. Students even had the opportunity to watch human cadaver dissections.
Gladstone students are required to wear scrubs in class with a patch that reads “Gladstone Medical Academy.” Many of the staff members support the new program by wearing burgundy Gladstone scrubs, from office staff to custodians.
“For students to be prepared for college and career, we need to provide them with the hands-on, rigorous curriculum that equips them with the skills they need to excel,” Azusa Unified Superintendent Dr. Linda Kaminski said. “I am so glad that students were able to catch this potential issue so that Savannah could begin this process to find out if there is something more serious happening with her health. We are all hopeful that she and her family receive positive news next week.”
Now that she’s going through this process, Rudder is also able to apply her new-found medical knowledge when speaking with her doctors or reading her own test results.
“It is inspiring to see what our students are doing in the classroom and how motivated they are to achieve their goals,” Board of Education President Yolanda Rodriguez-Peña said. “This experience was something students could never have received from a textbook – it shows the impact medical technology has on all of our lives and proves to students that they can make a difference in this world.”