UVI visit to Ninewells hospital and medical school

UVI Form chemistry pupils recently had the unique opportunity to spend an afternoon visiting the Dundee University Clinical Skills Centre, the Ninewells Hospital Pharmaceutical, Clinical and Radiological Research Departments. We were impressed by the comprehensive simulated ward in which Dundee medical students are often taught and tested, and enjoyed meeting sim-man, the mechanical patient, who had survived almost every known medical emergency and still "lived" to tell the tale!

In the pharmaceutical research lab, we exercised our collective biological brain-power to investigate the effect of ATP on different proteins. The procedures behind drugs testing were explained to us in the brand new clinical research centre, although we were unsure that we would be volunteering our services anytime soon. Confronted with one of the most powerful MRI scanners in Europe, with video images of the heart beating and of dye passing through the circulatory system, and of buttons that would cost £50000 if you were to accidentally lean on them, we could not fail to be impressed! Thanks are due to Professor Andrew Morris and Mr Armitage who organised such an inspiring afternoon.

Hamish Houston (Patchell's, U6th )