Marvellous Day With Medical Mavericks

Last week Shiplake College celebrated British Science Week in style by holding a Super Science Day for all Year 9 pupils. A company called Medical Mavericks visited the school and presented a whole day of activities and talks to introduce the boys to some of the technology and amazing gadgets that are used in different areas of medicine.

Pupils had a chance to use retinal photography on mobile phones, ultrasound machines that can examine the passage of blood through the capillaries in the nail bed and light sources that reveal the network of veins under the skin. Students also tried out special goggles that emulate what people see and feel when they suffer from conditions such as cataracts and diabetic retinopathy.

The boys also got the chance to give themselves a full health MOT. They took their own blood pressure, ECGs, oxygen saturations, spirometry and reflexes. They even used ultrasound probes to examine the bones in their wrists to see if they were still growing and a tiny handheld ultrasound probe with which they could listen to individual pulses and their heart beat.

Some brave students had a try at taking blood from a prosthetic limb and budding surgeons had a go with the equipment that real trainee surgeons use to improve their technique at keyhole surgery. During the course of the day the Medical Mavericks also presented lots of information about the enormous number of different jobs within the NHS and how the science they learn in the classroom is applied in a huge number of fields.

The Medical Mavericks also ran a ‘Challenge the Champions’ workshop in the Sports Hall where the boys could test their skills against the champions and each other. The Usain Bolt Accelerator was particularly popular with both boys and many members of staff. Some individuals even thought they could do a 10m sprint faster than Bolt himself! The Mavericks used the equipment to explain how it can be used to train astronauts, professional sportsmen and how it can assess the effectiveness of physiotherapy. 

Science Technician, Dr Jackie Hutt, who organised the event commented: “The pupils really got into the spirit of things and asked lots of questions. It was great to see them get stuck in and be so engaged, making the link between what they learn in the classroom and the application of science in the medical world. It was a fantastic day.”

Oliver Dee of Year 9 said: “The day was a provocative, interactive and erudite experience. Throughout the day, we did many different exercises, both intellectual and physical, and there were many different activities that caught our interest. The whole day was exceptional and gave the year group a look into the vast medical world. Some of the activities consisted of learning to take blood from a prosthetic arm; fitness exercises showing the activities in physiotherapy and training for keyhole surgery.”

Ed Humphris, Year 9, said: "The Super Science Day was a day-long workshop designed to introduce Year 9 students to the many jobs that can be pursued in medical science. This workshop, kindly hosted by the Medical Mavericks, consisted of many activities, ranging from a Batak wall to test reaction time, a pinhole surgery machine to give a glimpse into the world of modern surgical procedures, and even an ultrasound machine used to determine whether or not you are still going to grow. This workshop has been a great joy for me and many other students, and I'm sure it will inspire many to follow careers in healthcare."

Thank you so much to Medical Mavericks for visiting our pupils for a fantastic day of hands-on science, and to Dr Hutt for organising such a brilliant event.