The School Hall at Badminton transformed into a live operating theatre yesterday as 45 Year 10 ‘surgeons’ performed a complex brain extraction, an eye extraction and a heart transplant.
Year 10 pupils, complete with stethoscopes, surgical equipment and scalpels, spent the day getting hands on with science as they experimented with difficult surgical techniques. Learning the science behind anaesthesia first, the girls put their ‘patient’ under before completing a brain and eye extraction. The afternoon required the girls to carry out a heart transplant as students tested their fine motor skills reattaching the aorta with a needle and thread followed swiftly by slicing 1cm thick sections through the heart to create a series of cross sections in which to identify the major structures. The latter half of the afternoon introduced a new, interesting smell to the room as a digestive tract was explored complete with full bladder and ruptured bowel.
This first-hand experience has extended our students’ understanding of a variety of organ systems as well as giving them a real insight into a career in medicine. This hands-on approach to learning is what an education at Badminton is all about and this experience will not be forgotten by our Year 10s.
Mrs Tear, Headmistress
