Last Friday, I went to the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh to attend a surgical skills course for medicals students. It was great fun and very useful – especially considering my useless excuse for a medical school have refused to bother teaching us about things such as suturing (quite strange given that its on the competency list on the foundation application – but never mind)
Credit must go to HospitalPhoenix for recommending it, unfortunately he wasn’t there as one of the tutors. I would have quite enjoyed racing him against the clock stacking sugar cubes and fastening cable ties laparoscopically (bloody difficult!) I was also disappointed to see that the Angry Medic didn’t turn up despite his name being on the list of participants (I hope everything is ok in angry’s world!)
So anyway, the course itself, it’s called something like: ‘Future Surgeons: Key Skills’ and is intended as a basic surgical skills course for medical students. There were about 20 or so of us there, mainly from Scotland but also a few from other areas of the UK including one from London who had come a very long way!
What made it so good was probably the tutors, they we’re all fairly old but rather proud of their combined 200 years of experience. They were all very friendly and very good teachers. The lead guy, a retired orthopod was hilarious; he was a comedy genius and a good teacher too.
It was very interactive and an excellent environment to learn things in with a number of experienced tutors roaming around to answer questions and help out. I really enjoyed the whole thing and despite having to make some urgent phone calls at lunchtime to sort out moving into our flat the next day, the whole thing was very relaxing.
Am I a future surgeon? Who knows, I'd quite like to be but whether I'll cut it in that cut-throat, competitive world only time will tell. *Goes off to actually learn some anatomy*
Missbliss wrote here about our very long and stressful moving day on Saturday, we're still unpacking and are slowly settling in albeit with a couple of teething problems.
Foundation Application Update coming soon to either here or the real little medic.
8 comments:
I'm delighted to know that Scotland can still provide useful education to you all from south of the border!
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Mr Tandon's a star, isn't he?
"Angry's World?" Ooh, that'll be my book title (in my imaginary world where people actually pay to read the garbage that I write, of course. Hey, I can dream, okay?)
Yeah, something came up, and I had to cancel. But they're putting me on the next one anyway, so I'm glad to hear it was good. (And of course I am intensely jealous - but now who's gonna talk to me when I go next time? LITTLE! Sign up for the next one too! You could use the practice if your med school's as crap as you make it out to be :P)
i thought suturing was a skill taught down there? i'm pretty sure they told us it was on the 3rd year skills list...oh well, either way, we learn it here up in St. Andrews 8-)
what puzzles me most is how angry and phoenix found this post so quickly! Anyway:
HospitalPhoenix - Yes I really enjoyed it, and yes he is quite the star. Loved his style.
Angry - I'll buy your book (but I want royalties on the title! How unfortunate that you had to cancel, I was looking forward to meeting you. If I had the money I'd love to go again although I think the tutors might think I was a bit strange. (One of them already thinks he's seen me before) You'll love it! And there are plenty of people to talk to.
amib - They've intorduced it very recently at this hospital, can't speak for other hospitals but the problem is they refuse to teach it to the 5th years. They're giving sessions to the current 3rd years but us, who have finals this year, we get forgotten about, as usual. Anyway, not to worry, only 8 more months of being stuck here (fingers crossed)
"rather proud of their combined 200 years of experience"
Hee Hee Hee :-D
I 'm so jealous, I want to go too. (Can foreign students participate?)
I am a surgeon of the future DYING for some practical skills and I can't find anything in Greece. Jeez....... grmfl @#!!*&!#$
hey LM, what is it you like about surgery, and just how competitive is it to get into?
they dont tell us first years anything...
Sounds like it went well! Who knows, I may sign up for the next one... The tutors won't know what they're in for... They'll resign in protest!
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