Friday, July 25, 2008

A Pretend-Doctor For An Afternoon!

Today we completed all of our core lectures. We have completed 62 lectures in total and on Monday we have a big 4-hour exam on all the material. This weekend is completely devoted to studying.

After the last lecture we attended our department activity. Today in the Life Sciences department we received a hands-on introduction to space medicine. To help us understand the type of medical issues that astronauts could face during a mission, we began by practicing sutures on pig foot lacerations. We had some doctors present to help us get the stitching technique down. I think I did pretty good on my pig foot. :)

We then moved on to measuring heart rate and blood pressure with a buddy. Lastly, we looked into cardiac anatomy. When we venture on to long-duration human spaceflight, it is conditions like understanding human physiology and knowing how to perform surgery in space that the crew will have to be trained for. After listening and engaging in the lectures and activities of the Space Life Sciences department, it has really peaked my interest in becoming involved in the medical field.









Wish me luck on the exam!!! After the exam on Monday, the group heads to Madrid for some site visits. :)

4 comments:

The Chemist said...

Wow, this is a really interesting blog! I wish I had discovered it a little sooner.

I was pre-med for a while, I changed course when I decided I wanted to spend more time in the lab and less in the clinic/hospital. Yet I still find medicine fascinating.

When you do become an astronaut, if ever need to consult with a chemist on a mission, I can tell you right now I'm sooo available.

sidd said...

all the very best for your exams..

sidd said...

wow doesnt all this count as astronaut training?and your doing it!!

Unknown said...

¡Mucha suerte!