College News

Marvelling at Medicine

Prospective medics at QE were invited to the launch of the new operating theatre suite at Darlington Memorial Hospital.  The A level students were given a tour of the new theatres, the bereavement centre and had the opportunity to talk to members of staff, including theatre nurses, anaesthetists and surgeons.  They were also shown how the medical equipment, used for laparascopic surgery, works.  One of the Theatre Sisters gave them an overview of how different members of the team work together both pre and post-operatively.

Susan Krakue, a first year student at QE intending to apply for Medicine in September said,  “I was amazed at the technology that the surgeons and staff are required to use, also the size of the operating theatre – it was great to see how excited the staff were about it opening next month to its first patients”.

Catherin Wiseman, who has an offer to study medicine at Newcastle University added,  “I was so pleased that I had the opportunity to visit and see the inside of a modern theatre.  The staff I spoke to were very informative about just how far surgical procedures have developed”.

Jill Foggin, communications officer at County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, added, “We were delighted that the students were able to share our excitement at the launch of this prestigious facility where around 10,000 surgical procedures will take place annually, including life-saving cancer operations and joint replacement surgery which enables people to maintain mobility and be pain free.  We hope that the students who were able to come along, and others from QE, will be members of our team in the future.”