Pre-Med Volunteer Opportunity In London

[ralk]

Greetings Premed101’ers!

 

Each year, the Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Interest Group here at Schulich holds an Ultrasound Symposium for medical students to learn about the use of ultrasound in a clinical setting. Information for medical students will come soon enough, however - this post isn't for medical students!

 

No, this post is for pre-med students. Each year, we’ve been fortunate to have pre-med students help us out at the Ultrasound Symposium as patient models. This is exactly what it sounds like – volunteers who act as patients, allowing medical students to learn the basics of point-of-care ultrasound by scanning on a real person. We’re asking for any students who will be in the London area on Saturday, August 22^nd and/or Sunday, August 23^rd to consider helping us out. Please find a details and an FAQ below!

 

Details

What: Volunteer patient model for ultrasound scanning at the Western Student Ultrasound Symposium

When: Saturday, August 22^nd & Sunday, August 23^rd 2015 from approximately 8:30 am until 4:00 pm (with lunch and several breaks included)

Where: CSTAR, at University Hospital in London, Ontario, Canada

How: Sign-up here!

 

FAQ

So, what does being a patient model involve?

Mostly, it involves lying down and following a few simple instructions given by the physicians teaching the sessions, such as rolling on one side or holding a breath. That's about it! We handle all the set-up, clean-up, and organization of the Symposium, so all the traditional volunteer work is taken care of - we just need your help to teach medical students about ultrasound.

 

What’s in this for me?

The inner satisfaction of helping others learn valuable skills! Ok, ok, besides that.

 

You’ll be spending time with physicians, residents, and medical students in a professional setting, learning about an area of medicine – point-of-care ultrasound – that is growing in scope and importance. Being a patient model is one of the best ways to learn the ins and outs of ultrasound. More importantly, we will be sure to give all patient models some direct instruction in ultrasound scanning, as well as some scanning time with the machine.

 

We’ll also feed you and give you a fancy certificate for participating!

 

On a bit of a side-note, I personally enjoy exploring potential career paths and going over medical school applications with undergraduate students. I’m very happy to discuss these with aspects with patient models, including going over application strengths/weakness, where it would be best to apply, and what could be done to improve applications (actually, I’m very happy to do this with anyone, but it’s much easier/effective in person!)

 

Can I use this on my CV or in my application for medical/professional schools?

Of course! It’s only a two-day event, but we do hope it will be a valuable experience to mention on your EC list and/or in your interviews. I am also more than willing to serve as a verifier for applications to medical school or other professional schools that require one.

 

Do I have to expose any body parts that I don’t want to?

Absolutely not! This is a PG event – and we intend to keep it that way. Most of the scans are done on the abdomen, so the stomach is exposed and we do ask that all patient models be comfortable with at least that. We do hold a Cardiac workshop as part of the symposium that involves some scanning around the chest, which we try to get more male models to do, though many female models have participated in the past without difficulty. We always give patient models final say – we try to make every scan as comfortable as possible, as we would for real patients, but all models have the right to refuse to participate in a scan without consequence.

 

Is there any patient models you need in particular?

Yes! We need female models. One of the workshops involves scanning the uterus and bladder, so male models are, well, lacking some important pieces. Scanning the uterus involves scanning the lower abdomen, very similar to what you see in this picture – again, this is a PG event!

 

Is this really a worthwhile experience?

I certainly thought so when I volunteered as a patient model during the first Ultrasound Symposium here at Western, before I was a medical student – and I still do today! I found it to be a unique opportunity to see a very practical part of medicine, one which is still being developed and refined. You get an inside look at education at the medical student level – it’s probably the closest I came to seeing what it’s like to be a medical student before becoming one myself. Plus, you get to see CSTAR, which is a phenomenal training centre!

 

I have more questions. Who do I talk to?

Please feel free to ask a question in the thread below! You can also send me a PM.

 

In addition, our sign-up sheet (see next FAQ) also has a field for questions, or you can send questions via e-mail to colmstead2017@meds.uwo.ca

 

Ok, I’m interested! Where do I sign-up?

Sign-ups can be made by filling out this form. Please make sure your e-mail is correct – someone from Point-of-care Ultrasound Interest Group will be in touch with you within a week after signing up to provide further details and verify participation.

 

We hope to see you there!

[makingfetchhappen]

Hmmmm. Do I get to take home a picture of my uterus? I see a lot of these posted on Facebook lately. Maybe this could be my chance to be cool.

[ralk]

Hmmmm. Do I get to take home a picture of my uterus? I see a lot of these posted on Facebook lately. Maybe this could be my chance to be cool.

 

Hmmm... probably? Never had that request before   As an aside, it is really cool to see what your own insides look like. I found out I have a bit of an odd-shaped gallbladder, which means absolutely nothing, but is cool to see!

 

Sounds like fun, and I didn't get to try it out last year. I'll be signing up.

 

Yay!

[makingfetchhappen]

That is pretty cool. I was mostly thinking about how it would be neat to see how clinical skills are taught, but now that I think about it, it will also be fun to see my insides!

 

I will probably be signing up, thanks!

[ralk]

That is pretty cool. I was mostly thinking about how it would be neat to see how clinical skills are taught, but now that I think about it, it will also be fun to see my insides!

 

I will probably be signing up, thanks!

 

I misread then, my apologies! It is pretty interesting to see the teaching of clinical skills - and we do try to get volunteers themselves as much instruction in Ultrasound as we can.

 

Also, yay again for more people signing up!

[ygella]

Talking about uteruses (uterii?) being scanned, one of our radiologists at mac told us a story about one of the students, a few years back, finding out she is pregnant when she volunteered to get an ultrasound in front of the other students!

 

I'm still doubtful that this really happened, but it's not too far fetched lol

[makingfetchhappen]

Talking about uteruses (uterii?) being scanned, one of our radiologists at mac told us a story about one of the students, a few years back, finding out she is pregnant when she volunteered to get an ultrasound in front of the other students!

 

I'm still doubtful that this really happened, but it's not too far fetched lol

Lol! Not unlikely!

 

I used to know a radiologist who had a funny story about learning to do pelvic exams.

 

Apparently a nurse would teach them and she was also the model. As a radiology resident, it wasn't his thing, and he was a little nervous. He unintentionally put his thumb on her clitoris (which is apparently a no no, but I'd never thought of it). Guess you are supposed to insert the speculum with your palm parallel to the floor. I could totally see myself making this mistake too, and it is pretty funny to think of him getting yelled at

[ralk]

Talking about uteruses (uterii?) being scanned, one of our radiologists at mac told us a story about one of the students, a few years back, finding out she is pregnant when she volunteered to get an ultrasound in front of the other students!

 

I'm still doubtful that this really happened, but it's not too far fetched lol

 

Haha, haven't had that happen here yet, at least not that I know of!

 

I will mention that if we do find something unexpected while scanning, we have a host of physicians at the Symposium to provide reassurance or guidance as necessary. There should never be a situation where someone goes "huh, that's weird" and moves on without an explanation!

 

For those who have signed up and are wondering about additional event details, they will be coming this weekend at the latest. (And for those considering signing-up, please don't hesitate to get in touch for more information!)

[Greg25kk]

I was a patient model last year and I can confirm it was a spectacular experience.

 

The CSTAR facility is rather nice and, assuming the layout is the same as last year, there are TVs above each bed that you can watch the scan on with relative ease. There is a good amount of independent scan time so you'll often find yourself being more proficient with the procedures than the attendees. At one point we were even taught how to do an ultrasound guided central line although, we could not cannulate the wire as we wanted it to be in the best condition for the attendees.

 

Overall I found it rather enjoyable and I look forward to doing it again this year.

[ralk]

Hi everyone! We had a fantastic response - thank you to all those who have been kind enough to sign-up and to post their support!

 

We are still looking for a few more volunteers to fill out the numbers a bit. I know a lot of people reading this forum are soon-to-be-Schulich students, and I highly encourage anyone about to enter their 1st year to consider volunteering for the Symposium. The POCUS club is one of the more active clubs on campus, especially since last year's graduating class provided the school with it's own portable ultrasound machine. We'd love the chance to give you a look at the club on the weekend before your O-Week!

[dk3what]

Hi everyone! We had a fantastic response - thank you to all those who have been kind enough to sign-up and to post their support!

 

We are still looking for a few more volunteers to fill out the numbers a bit. I know a lot of people reading this forum are soon-to-be-Schulich students, and I highly encourage anyone about to enter their 1st year to consider volunteering for the Symposium. The POCUS club is one of the more active clubs on campus, especially since last year's graduating class provided the school with it's own portable ultrasound machine. We'd love the chance to give you a look at the club on the weekend before your O-Week!

Signed up

[ShadowStar]

What kind of clothing would you recommend for males vs females who are volunteering as patients? Noticed males had to take their shirts off so would all of them have to be comfortable doing that? And for females, what would you recommend for them?

[ralk]

What kind of clothing would you recommend for males vs females who are volunteering as patients? Noticed males had to take their shirts off so would all of them have to be comfortable doing that? And for females, what would you recommend for them?

 

For both, the rule of thumb is loose-fitting clothing. For men, shorts and T-shirt are probably the simplest way to go. For women, comfortable bottoms with a T-shirt and sports bra generally work well. None of these are set-in-stone recommendations, just clothing that seems to have worked well in my experience.

 

In terms of what needs to be accessible, the abdomen is exposed for most scans. For both men and women, the shirt can simply be lifted up. Often men simply find it more comfortable to take off the shirt, which is why they're often seen without one. The chest is only scanned in the Cardiac and Respiratory sessions and for that it's usually preferable for men to be shirtless or wearing a hospital gown. I actually like the gown - it covers you up pretty well while still letting the scan go ahead. I try to have enough men to do these sessions, since some women are understandably uncomfortable having their chests scanned. That said, we have definitely had women be patient models for both the Cardiac and Respiratory sessions (especially the Respiratory session). Both can be done around a sports bra, albeit with an extra challenge for those scanning.

 

Ultimately, for both men and women, it's all up to an individual's comfort level. Anyone who signs up to volunteer is certainly not obligated to participate as a patient model in any session they would be uncomfortable with. We expect and plan for this.

 

I want to reiterate that we try to keep patient models as comfortable as possible, the same as we would with a real patient. We have gowns, blankets, and washcloths specifically to keep everyone happy and feeling comfortable as a model. That's part of the education for those attending the Symposium! 

[ShadowStar]

For both, the rule of thumb is loose-fitting clothing. For men, shorts and T-shirt are probably the simplest way to go. For women, comfortable bottoms with a T-shirt and sports bra generally work well. None of these are set-in-stone recommendations, just clothing that seems to have worked well in my experience.

 

In terms of what needs to be accessible, the abdomen is exposed for most scans. For both men and women, the shirt can simply be lifted up. Often men simply find it more comfortable to take off the shirt, which is why they're often seen without one. The chest is only scanned in the Cardiac and Respiratory sessions and for that it's usually preferable for men to be shirtless or wearing a hospital gown. I actually like the gown - it covers you up pretty well while still letting the scan go ahead. I try to have enough men to do these sessions, since some women are understandably uncomfortable having their chests scanned. That said, we have definitely had women be patient models for both the Cardiac and Respiratory sessions (especially the Respiratory session). Both can be done around a sports bra, albeit with an extra challenge for those scanning.

 

Ultimately, for both men and women, it's all up to an individual's comfort level. Anyone who signs up to volunteer is certainly not obligated to participate as a patient model in any session they would be uncomfortable with. We expect and plan for this.

 

I want to reiterate that we try to keep patient models as comfortable as possible, the same as we would with a real patient. We have gowns, blankets, and washcloths specifically to keep everyone happy and feeling comfortable as a model. That's part of the education for those attending the Symposium! 

 

Thanks sounds like a fun event. When's the last day to sign up? I still need to see whether I'll arrive in London before the weekend or during.

[ralk]

Thanks sounds like a fun event. When's the last day to sign up? I still need to see whether I'll arrive in London before the weekend or during.

 

We're doing our best to make it be a fun event!

 

No real final day to sign up, we'll just keep advertising until we have enough volunteers committed. I doubt we'll be lucky enough to turn people away, so if you're interested in signing up, go ahead whenever you have your schedule settled. The sign-up list is checked about once a week, so we'll see any sign-ups whenever they come