Something a bit different

That really does sound interesting Aveline and quite a different volunteering role
I'd like to hear how it goes, good luck .

i'd want to get paid, at least fares and subsistence.
does sound interesting though.
good th share. give people ideas.

I get subsistence and they send a taxi for me. I'm retired from NHS and don't want to be paid.

I have an acquaintance who's been doing this for quite a while and she really enjoys it.

It sounds very interesting and worthwhile. Unfortunately my nearest hospital is almost 30 miles away so I doubt they would send a taxi for me!

Have you seen 'Stella', Aveline? It's very good if not. It's a comedy drama starring Ruth Jones. She trains to be a nurse, and there is a character called Mrs Wong, a hapless Chinese lady who is the simulated patient.

My husband is on a sort of a trial thing with our Future Health. It's testing something new for cholesterol. He's had a full health check with it so he's chuffed to have had that free of charge. They do it at a private clinic and send taxis for him.

There is another Scottish gran doing this. She said it is really interesting.

I don't have to take any drugs or have any medical procedures. It's the communication module. Very good that they do this as communication with patients is vital.
I'll check out Stella Doodledog- just hope I'm not a Mrs Wong!

Once when I was pregnant, back in the dark ages in Cambridge, they corralled all women at about 36 weeks who’d already had one child for a practical exam. We spent all day lying on beds with students coming to poke and prod us and ask questions which we had to answer. They then came back with an examiner who asked them questions and we stayed silent. Quite an easy day away from the two-year-old. Seemed a sensible enough idea. Still done from time to time for all I know.

winterwhite

Once when I was pregnant, back in the dark ages in Cambridge, they corralled all women at about 36 weeks who’d already had one child for a practical exam. We spent all day lying on beds with students coming to poke and prod us and ask questions which we had to answer. They then came back with an examiner who asked them questions and we stayed silent. Quite an easy day away from the two-year-old. Seemed a sensible enough idea. Still done from time to time for all I know.

When I was in labour with my first child, they asked if they could show in some students. I agreed, expecting a couple of medical students, I got a class load of secondary school students!

I recall "Doctor in the House" by Richard Gordon. But they apparently had real patients in those days!

Oh yes, medical role play actors. It’s a way for med students to learn and hone their clinical and/or communication skills, amongst other things. Med students really appreciate the people who help them do this. Hope you enjoy it, Aveline!

Sounds so interesting , I’d love to do that , but I’m too far away from a teaching hospital

Well I did my first few days of this. It was incredibly well organised. It had to be as there were about 300 students who each had to do 9 'stations'. I was absolutely wiped out after the long days of concentrating hard to stick to my various characters. The first day I had ulcerative colitis in the morning and dyspepsia in the afternoon. The second time I had Asthma all day! Learning and sticking to the scenarios wasn't as hard as I'd thought really but repeating them 20+ times helped.
We were well looked after. Posh lunches and teas. The other simulated patients were a great crowd. Lots of stories about their experiences. Most had been doing it for years. I'm doing the 4th year's exams in a couple of weeks then might get involved in training on their fake ward.
All a complete change and very interesting.

It sounds like fun. Do you have to stick to a script, or can you ad lib to make it more like real life?

The scenarios we're given are pretty full and detailed. We can't ad lib unless we ad libbed exactly the same for each student. I must say my acting becomes less lively as the day wears on!

My only experience of medical students was during a scan with my second baby.
I was asked if I would mind if a group came in to watch.
My husband and 18 month old daughter were also in the room.

The scan was carried out and the doctor in charge asked the students to describe what they could see.
Lots of shuffling, umming and aahing...

Eventually after a long pause, a clear little voice said,
"It's a baby in mummy's tummy."

"Well I'm glad someone knows what we're looking at," replied the rather exasperated doctor 😂

I re.member this from the very early 'Doctor' films

Was there a large stork in the room at the time?

Maybe it was a class on how to patronise patients - 'mummy's tummy' indeed

Maybe it was a class on how to patronise patients - 'mummy's tummy' indeed

Doodledog it was my 18 month old daughter who made the comment about mummy's tummy, not the doctor or the students, so I think we can let her off 😉

The students said nothing and the doctor was quite impressed with my daughter's comment, if rather exasperated by his students' lack of participation 😁

I re.member this from the very early 'Doctor' films
😂

Aveline I would love to do this… how do you apply?

V3ra

^Maybe it was a class on how to patronise patients - 'mummy's tummy' indeed^

Doodledog it was my 18 month old daughter who made the comment about mummy's tummy, not the doctor or the students, so I think we can let her off 😉

The students said nothing and the doctor was quite impressed with my daughter's comment, if rather exasperated by his students' lack of participation 😁

Ah, well in that case it was very perceptive of her!