On Monday 8th November, pupils at Malvern College were given a chance to explore different jobs within the healthcare industry and get hands-on experience on using some of the medical equipment and devices through a series of workshops running for around 2.5 hours both in the morning for Sixth Form and in the afternoon for Lower School pupils.
Pupils were given out a sheet with a list of interesting activities to tick off in the workshop, including using ultrasound probes, using the infra-red vein scanner, trying on the ageing suit, and so on. Pupils can also record their medical observations such as height, blood pressure, pulse and oxygen body temperature, and even their electrocardiogram. Moreover, there were also various brief talks given by the Medical Mavericks team on the possible careers in the NHS and other health-care related jobs.
The workshop includes activities that gave a real insight into different medical professions. Many activities posed great relation to real medical procedures, such as creating a figure of 8 with small pinchers using only a small monitor that relays an image of a camera inside the body, as well as another activity, which involved taking blood samples from an arm model.
Out of the many different tasks and challenges set by the Medical Mavericks, the one that stood out the most was suturing some fake skin. This exercise tested the precision, patience, and micro-abilities of the person doing the task. When partaking in the task, pupils gained an understanding of the work of surgeons and how impressive and demanding their lines of work are.
Overall, the workshop was a great success. Pupils were fully engaged with the talks and activities, as well as starting to form a clear understanding of the medical-related career path. It provided an experience for those wanting to go into a medical profession, yet also gave valuable knowledge as to whether this career path was a possibility for the others. At last, we thank the Medical Mavericks team for running the workshop and giving all of us a great experience.
For more information about the Medical Mavericks, please visit their website