Some 90 Transition Year students along with their Guidance Counsellors from Cork, Tipperary, Limerick and Kerry recently attended UCC’s second ‘Prep-For-Med-School’. The day began with a clinical skills taster programme at UCC’s School of Medicine where students saw at first hand how clinical skills are taught to the medical students.
In the School’s Advanced Southern Simulation Education and Training Centre (ASSET) students were introduced to Meti-HPS – the world’s most advanced Human Patient Simulator, used for Emergency Medicine and Clinical skills training in the School of Medicine at UCC. Students also had the opportunity to meet with Third Med students, who demonstrated blood pressure measurements, First Aid, hand-washing techniques, and chatted to the TY students about what life as a medical student is really like.
The afternoon programme included a visit to the Cork University Hospital where Senior Surgical Registrar, Aidan Manning had organised a programme of activities. Dr Margot Bolster had the audience entranced with her talk on time of death, clues from the crime scene and pattern of injuries. Professor Stephen Cusack, Professor of Emergency Surgery at CUH followedand showed video clips from medical drama favourites such as ER and asked the audience to rate (via clickers) their view as to whether the videos were similar to real life emergency situations or not. The video clips looked at issues like breaking bad news and inadvertent administration of the incorrect drug.
One of the highlights for many was the video-link to Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) where Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr Matt Hewitt was performing live surgery using the Da Vinci robot, which is currently only available at the CUMH. The students sat enthralled as Dr Hewitt operated the controls. Dr Hewitt spoke as he operated, taking questions from the students, while, back in the lecture theatre, his colleague, Dr Lorenzo, explained the procedure and took questions from the audience.
The day concluded with Surgeon Louise Kelly skillfully and delicately guiding the students through a discussion on important ethical issues in Medicine.
The Prep-for-Med-School proved to be a huge success with the event planned again for next year.
Further information about studying Medicine at the School of Medicine, UCC is available via: www.ucc.ie/medschool or by contacting medschool@ucc.ie
Pictured at the Prep-for-Med-School were L-R: Aaron Farrelly, Abbey CBS, Denis Hogan, Cashel Community School, Lorna McEniry, Cashel Community School.
