Manchester pupils take part in Operating Theatre Live

Pupils from Saint Paul's Catholic High School in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester recently took part in Operating Theatre Live, a captivating event designed for aspiring medics of all ages. The Operating Theatre Live event took place at Irlam and Cadishead College and was aimed at those looking into careers in medicine, dentistry, nursing and paramedics.

The day's sessions were led by highly skilled staff from Operating Theatre Live many of whom were specialists in a variety of areas. Sessions consisted of segments on Infection Control, Anaesthetics, Communicating Human Anatomy, Cranial and Vertebral Cavity, Thoracic Cavity, and the Abdominal-Pelvic Cavity.

The workshops were made up of both theoretical (taught) and didactic (interactive) segments, which gave the students the opportunity to understand not just the anatomy itself, but the medical applications as well, with particular emphasis on the importance of understanding anatomy in medicine.

The workshop ended with a session on the importance of UKCAT/UCAT/BMAT medical school admissions exams. Students were introduced to a series of sample questions, providing, for most of them, first time exposure to exam content of that calibre.

Mr Harvey Kennedy, Science teacher at Saint Paul's, said: "The event was fantastic; it was the best interactive applied dissection experience I've ever attended. The pupils were able to get involved with a number of exciting hands-on activities which provided excellent insight into the work of those with careers in medicine."

"The event appealed to our pupils' interest in medicine and they were able to speak with a variety of specialists about their career paths and nature of their day-to-day responsibilities," commented Mr Alex Hren, Head Teacher at Saint Paul's. "The sessions were fast-paced, instilling a sense of excitement and wonder; the visit definitely captured the attention and enthusiasm of our pupils. We are sure that it will inspire and engage our pupils even more in their science studies."

More information about Saint Paul's Catholic High School can be found at www.st-paulshigh.net