Year 11 Boys Experience the Medical Profession

During the Easter break, twelve boys from years 10 and 11 took the time to gain work experience at the Wigan Hospital Cardiology department. The boys were able to gain a valuable insight into the medical profession and were fortunate to experience many aspects of Cardiology.

Shadowing Dr Gulliford, Consultant Physician in Acute Medicine, and his colleagues doing ward rounds on acute admissions gave the boys hands on experience of the day-to-day role of a doctor. They attended the Academic Cardiology Multi-Disciplinary Team Meeting and were shown around WWL Heart Centre, the Coronary Care Unit, the Cardiac Department and the Cardiac Catheterisation Unit. To help them understand more about the subject of Cardiology, they were given a lecture on Cardiac anatomy, Blood Circulation in the foetus, and a short talk on the history of milestones in Cardiology. In addition to this they were shown how the various investigations are conducted in the Cardiology Department and attended outpatient clinics at the Thomas Linacre Centre, which exposed them to a different aspect of medicine. The boys were also fortunate to have the chance to meet Mr Robert Armstrong, Chairman of the Trust who is photographed below with the students.

For these boys who are hoping to go on to higher education and careers in this field, having this experience will provide them with a greater understanding of the expectations and demands of these professions. They are now aware of the vital skills required in these roles such as the importance of maintaining confidentiality. The boys were able to learn a great deal from their time spent in the Cardiology department and all thoroughly enjoyed the experience.