Share:
25 March 2019
Administering anaesthetic, lung intubation, reading an ECG and even neurosurgery were all on offer to Cornwall’s aspiring clinicians and anatomists this weekend, as Truro High School for Girls became one of the first venues in the UK to host the award-winning Operating Theatre Live National Tour.
More than 100 students from across the county joined the school for the intensive one-day surgical workshop which saw its hall transform into a functioning ‘operating theatre’.
Not for the faint-hearted, the workshop aimed to be as realistic as possible with students undertaking a host of medical procedures on samples from swine anatomy and life-size patient simulators. There was even the chance to get up-close to an intestinal tract – a specimen which is rarely dissected, even at universities.
There was also the chance for students to test their nerve in an emergency situation during a session dedicated to the work of paramedics. Working against the clock, students were challenged to amputate a patient’s limb before sending them off to the ‘ICU’.
The event is the only UK touring surgical experience offering academically rigorous content that is matched to English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish exam specifications. Operating Theatre Live has also recently won the backing of Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden, from the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, with its ‘Anatomy Lab Live’ dinner and dissection for adults.
As well as offering students a taste of a career under the knife, the workshop offered tailored sessions on applications to study medicine at university including the gruelling UKCAT and BMAT admissions exams.
Mr Jon Dean, the school’s Head of STEM said: “The event was a huge success and absolutely invaluable for those wishing to embark on any kind of medical career. The reality is that it’s a journey that will see them have to overcome a huge number of obstacles to succeed. Only one in ten students make it to study medicine at degree so it’s incredibly important that they take part in unique experiences like this to help them stand out from the crowd.”
The event was staged as part of Truro High School’s comprehensive programme for aspiring medics. The bespoke programme offers the school’s students, wishing to further their studies in medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and healthcare, a tailored calendar of lectures, workshops, mentoring and one-to-one support to support their application into their chosen branch of medicine.
