BUTTE -- Fellow students told Twin Bridges' junior Luke Banks to imagine the 89-year-old cadaver knee on the operating table as that of a deer. That didn't help.

"I just can't do it; it's not the same," he said as a teacher made sure he was doing OK.

Nonetheless, Banks was one of 14 high school students from Twin Bridges and Ennis to get expert instruction on the parts and workings of the knee by Dr. Nick DiGiovine at St. James Healthcare recently.

As the orthopedic surgeon probed the cadaver and talked about how the knee worked, there were more than a few upset stomachs.

"If you get sick or queasy, sit down," advised Pam Blando, who instructs students in sports science at Twin Bridges High School.

The day before, the class had skinned the knee to ready it for dissection.

It is the second year of the class, which offers students in rural schools the chance to learn about sports medicine, anatomy and health-related careers.

"It's hands-on; you get to come and see it," Banks said of why the class is interesting, although he's not sold on a health career yet.

"I'm exploring, but it really opens up options," he added.

For Twin Bridges sophomores Jessi Nicholls and Chelsea O'Neil, the field trip furthered their interest in pursuing a healthcare career.

"This is my favorite class," said Nicholls, who like all the other students gowned up to watch DiGiovine at work in an operating room at the hospital.

Blando said it was DiGiovine's idea to bring the students to Butte so they could experience instruction in a health care setting. It also melded nicely with the course's curriculum, which includes anatomy.

At least two of the students attending the session told DiGiovine that they wanted to study orthopedic medicine. Blando splits her time between working Butte's Montana Sports Medicine in the morning and teaching at Twin Bridges in the afternoons.

Montana Sports Medicine is a collaboration between St. James and DiGiovine, who is also a physician with Butte Orthopedics. Montana Sports Medicine's team provides health care to athletes in Southwestern Montana, including Twin Bridges.