Reviewed by the NHS as “the best academic medical experience on offer”, the workshop saw students taking on the role of a surgeon for the day. In order to be as realistic as possible, students undertook a host of medical procedures on samples from swine anatomy and life-size patient simulators.
This included administering anaesthetic, lung intubation, reading an ECG and neurosurgery. There was even the chance to get up-close to an intestinal tract – a specimen which is rarely dissected, even at universities.
The experience was attended by students from across the county considering a career in nursing, healthcare, medicine, dentistry or veterinary science.
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.
THS Aspiring Coordinator, Mrs Fiona Osman said: “It’s a real honour to welcome the Operating Theatre Live team back to Truro High to share their expertise – it’s now the fourth time that we’ve hosted the event. It’s a fiercely fought journey to earn a place at the UK’s top medical schools these days and the ability to talk about their experiences on a course like this give these students a massive boost in their applications.”
Truro High has partnered with Operating Theatre Live for a number of years and is the only school or college in the county to have hosted this unique medical experience.
The event was staged as part of the 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.
It has proven so popular that students from local independent and state schools also regularly attend these sessions.
