By Megan Caldwell,
Tulsa Public Schools
This expo began by students entering
a lecture all and sitting at the same tables that medical students
learn at. Awaiting them was a packet on information from
the medical school, pens and highlighters with the OSU medical
school logo on them, and an agenda of the day’s events. They
were welcomed to OSU and the expo by the director of the medical
school and the director of student affairs.
Students then toured the library and the model room. In
the library students witnessed medical students studying and the
various methods of research retrieval that the students have available
to them. In the model room students were able to look at
all of the various body part models medical students have available
to them to check out as study aides. They also were able
to look a Prisoner Pete. Prisoner Pete was an inmate that
donated his body to science, gold tooth and all. The medical
school cut his body into one inch horizontal sections from head
to toe, preserved them, and placed them in slide form. |
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They then were able to visit the clinical skills
lab. This is
a lab in which medical students practice exam skills. TPS students
were able to learn how to use an ophthalmoscope and an otoscope, these
are used to look in the eyes and ears respectively. They then were
taught how to check for reflexes. After they were taught all of
these techniques they were able to practice on each other and the medical
students. The medical students also showed them their optic otoscope. One
of the medical students performed an ear exam on another medical student
with the equipment which projected the inside of the ear canal onto a
big screen and he explained what all of the ear structures were and how
they worked
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Then everyone went
back to the lecture hall to sit down for a lunch of pizza. While
students were eating 6 current OSU medical students told their
stories. They talked about why they wanted to become a doctor,
what their undergraduate degrees were in, and how they chose OSU
as a medical school.
After lunch it was time for a tour
of the anatomy lab. This is were all OSU medical students
take gross anatomy. The first thing students noticed when
they walked into the class was the wall of coolers where they house
the cadavers; they were permitted to open this up and look in there. They
were amazed by this! In the anatomy lab, they were educated
by a medical student about the anatomy of the heart and lungs. They
were able to touch, feel, and hold a healthy and disease heart,
as well as, a healthy and a smoker’s lung. After that
activity, students were given a quick lesson on reading X-rays
and MRIs by a radiologist. On the way out of the anatomy
lab students were able to look in the “brain cabinet”. This
is a cabinet where they keep all of the brain specimens that the
medical students use to learn by. |
To end the day they went back to the lecture hall
and the expo planners had a panel ready to teach students about various
other medical careers. There
was a RN, a physical therapist, and an OB/GYN physician. The professionals
talked to students about how they got where they are today, how they
have used their career in various job positions, and how students can
get involved in their profession. After each panelist they opened
the floor up for questions and the kids asked some great ones! After
that students filled out surveys and on the back they were asked to write
down everything they learned. Two-three students from each school
were chosen as the “best listeners” and where awarded with
an OSU medicine t-shirt.
The students had a great time and may of them that
were thinking about medical careers now are absolutely sold on it! The one thing that
was reinforced all day was that this is not an easy field. You
have to work very hard and it is very competitive but, if you are determined
and persevere you can absolutely achieve it, no matter where you come
from or what you look like.
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