Stitching Up Confidence, Precision, and Purpose at PVNet By Sarah Wizemann
Michelle and Keegan intently performing an Axillo-femoral-popliteal bypass with prosthetic graft. In the background, Ambrois Pare, a pioneer of surgery from the 1500's, is seen to observe the students work with approval.
“That’s perfect. You’re in. You’re shunted!” An enthusiastic man in blue scrubs with rosy cheeks and a head full of silver curls offers encouragement to half a dozen teenagers in surgical attire gathered around an operating table. Each one is hunched over an individual workstation outfitted with a simulated aorta or carotid artery. Their gloved hands strain to master the proper grip on their instruments, undaunted by the enormity of a challenge typically reserved for third year surgical residents. One girl with a gleam in her eye and a smile behind her surgical mask holds up the endarterectomy plaque she has just removed, holding it aloft like an extracted tooth.
Coco and Michelle's sister performing a carotid endarterectomy and patch angioplasty with an anatomic map in the background.
It’s a sunny day in SoCal, and these kids could be at the beach with their friends. They could be scrolling TikTok, mastering the latest dance craze. They could be anywhere, enjoying the last few days of their summer vacation. Instead, they have chosen to spend twelve days in an intensive wet-lab seminar, replicating real operating room techniques under the supervision of retired surgeon, Dr. Fritz Baumgartner. This type of educational opportunity is rare, and these aspiring surgeons know just how lucky they are to get the kind of hands-on experience that PVNet’s Surgery 101 Boot Camp offers.
Michelle performing a tube-graft repair of a ruptured aortic pseudoaneurysm with Dr. Baumgartner as assistant
Michelle Nikmehr, a freshman at UCLA on the pre-med track, has been drawn to medicine for years. She attended UCLA’s pre-med summer camp, where she toured the medical school, met doctors and researchers, and experimented with simulations on da Vinci machines. But when she discovered PVNet’s program, she realized it offered something entirely new: a chance to focus on advanced surgical techniques.
Michelle's work showing the completed proximal anastomosis of the ruptured aneurysm repair. The distal graft anastomosis is next.
One of the most unique aspects of Dr. Baumgartner’s approach is the reversal of the traditional order of medical training. “Instead of the students going through a decade or more of theory, this course propels them into the heat of battle with the tools and education to actually do the technical surgery itself,” he said. “What excites me the most is introducing students to the elegance, beauty, and technical discipline of surgery.”
Keegan having completed a tracheostomy for airway control. He has already done the intubation simulation and will do an emergency cricothyroidostomy next.
Baumgartner said he delights in the magic of hands-on learning, describing the experience as, “extremely gratifying, even on day one, to see that the kids actually could do complex maneuvers quite well.” He likened it to a child’s ability to master a new language or play the piano. “It’s just the way God made the young mind,” he said, “and this is exactly the stage of development in which useful skills can be most readily acquired.”
Michelle and Coco have already completed a hiatal hernia repair and fundoplication, and are now performing an Ivor Lewis esophagogastrectomy for a proximal stomach tumor.
PVNet founder, Ted Vergari, believes that Dr. Baumgartner brings out the best in his students. “I’ve seen it time and again: a student arrives uncertain, hesitates to even pick up a surgical instrument, and within hours, he has them working with precision and focus.”
Michelle and Coco's esophago-gastric anastomosis nearing completion. Notice the meticulous suturing technique. The stomach suture line is also seen. Well done!
This was the case for Keegan Grohman, a longtime PVNet student and intern. “When I first picked up the instruments, there was a learning curve to getting to use the tools efficiently. Once I got the hang of it the tools were easy, even fun to use,” he recalls. Grohman said he enjoyed the experience, even though he doesn’t plan to pursue a career in medicine. “You never know if it’s something you do or don’t want to do until you try it,” he said. “Even if you don’t like it, you still gain valuable skills and a one-of-a-kind experience.”
Michelle and Coco completing the back wall of the Billroth II gastric cancer resection and stomach - small bowel anastomosis
Vegvari sees every class at PVNet as a catalyst for future learning. “Students gain not just technical skills, but the confidence to take on high-stakes challenges. That mindset reshapes their approach to education and careers. Even if they don’t become surgeons, they carry forward the discipline and belief that they can thrive in any demanding environment.”
Coco performing an end-iliostomy after a colon resection. Notice the excellent suturing technique, including her ability to "palm" the needle driver allowing for maximum flexibility and range of motion.
Michelle says the experience has shifted her perspective. “Surgery is extremely difficult, but this course helped me realize that I really do have what it takes to become a competent surgeon.” A breakthrough moment came when she finally tied one of the more complex knots. “It was such a good feeling. It showed me that, as long as I kept trying, I could eventually figure it out.”
Keegan assisting Michelle with a colostomy for a perforated diverticulitis resection (Hartmann procedure).
Her mom agrees, calling the program “a great immersion exercise” for anyone curious about medicine. As a teacher, she noticed not just the skills Michelle was acquiring, but also how clearly she could explain them at home. That confidence, she says, had everything to do with Dr. Baumgartner’s guidance. “He was passionate, approachable, and deeply invested in the students,” she recalls. “He would stay late to make sure they understood. He really lived and breathed the work, and Michelle could feel that.”
Liam and Krish performing a takedown of the colostomy down to the rectal stump.
Michelle is already looking ahead: she hopes to return to PVNet – not just as a student, but one day as an intern or teaching assistant. “Getting to help recreate the experience for another set of students would be such an honor for me.”
According to Vegvari, about 1 in 20 students come back to volunteer in some capacity. And PVNet welcomes them with open arms. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has struggled to stay afloat throughout the Covid pandemic, financing is always a struggle. The facility is packed with state-of-the-art equipment that exceeds the budgets of most STEM programs.
A triumphant Coco beaming with joy shows off her carotid endarterectomy specimen, which looks more like a giant extracted tooth!
But Vegvari is passionate about giving back to the community, and he is not alone. Don Wahlquist, former engineer and volunteer for over 10 years at PVNet, is responsible for the 3-D printed soft materials and organs. He is currently working on 3-D heart models with simulated cardiac valves to be used in the surgical models for the students, and is proud to use his extensive skill set to contribute to this valuable educational organization.
“Through practice and experience, the tools used in this environment can only help build skills that would otherwise be gained by using live models or cadavers. With 3-D printed models, they can be explored to destruction without any loss of life and the experience gained will be valuable.” The students couldn’t agree more.
Registration is open now for the next session of Surgery 101 Boot Camp. But space is limited, so interested students should contact PVNet ASAP.
For more information
https://www.pvnet.com/surgeryclasses
Surgery class schedule:
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Sarah Wizemann is a writer, dancer and entrepreneur based in Palos Verdes. Sarah toured Russia as a teenage ballerina, obtained her BFA in Modern Dance, studied kabuki in Japan, started a non-profit arts organization in New York City, and owned a high-end lingerie boutique in Portland for 14 years. Her work has appeared in several of the Method Writers Speak anthologies by Jack Grapes. She is currently working on a novel.