LOS ANGELES — In a de Toledo High School classroom, students that are part of the Medical Science Academy on campus got a closer look at tonsil cells under a microscope.

But just a couple weeks ago, 11th-grade student Ilana Litwak and her four Medical Science Academy classmates saw firsthand what tonsil removal, eardrum repair and other surgeries looked like in an operating room in Guatemala.

“That was my first time ever being in an O.R., and just seeing the way that it works and the way that — not only they physically operate but they operate as a unit — the nurses, the surgeons, the anesthesiologists. It was an unforgettable experience,” Litwak said.

The students took part in the academy’s medical mission, where they shadowed the Mending Kids volunteer surgeons and medical team, and provided families comfort and support as they waited for their children to recover.

"It’s never easy to see someone in an uncomfortable state and under anesthesia," said Litwak. "I think that was something that was more difficult than I expected, and meeting the families and having to explain to them you know their kid isn’t this perfect, happy-go-lucky kid, and that there’s something that needs to be fixed."

To take part in the medical mission, Medical Science Academy director Michael Rayhan said students must apply and be approved for the three-year course study program that requires additional AP honors courses, medical internships and more — on top of their high school education. It’s a lot of work, but he explained how it’s giving them a head start in exploring this field.

"Going on a medical mission like this really makes them see that there’s a lot of people who can’t afford to get the help that they need," Rayhan said. "And hopefully they pay it forward in the future when they encounter people in that situation. They remember that when they were in high school, they had this experience and they do the same when they are a health care provider."

The trip might be over, but Litwak and the other students noted that they felt clear this was the field for them. One by one, the students shared their future career plans that included positions as a cardiothoracic surgeon, physical therapist, orthopedic surgeon and OB/GYN physician assistant. Litwak and another student highlighted that they wanted to do something in the oncology field or fertility.