August saw us (myself and my fellow two Techs) on a day trip to... MAAAAAAAD-CHESTARRRR
Or rather, the inaugural Sim Tech Symposium, held at Manchester Uni.
So, this was a gathering of Medical Sim Techs, from the Uni and Hospital fields, from all over the UK and further afield, for a mega conference. Spoiler alert, it was bloody AWESOME and I absaloutely loved it.
However, I had also been asked to present a workshop on using low-fi and upcycled stuff in Sim. Being as the NHS tends towards the 'embrace your inner Womble' end of the budgets for day-to-day training, I've become quite good at this sort of thing. I thought I'd be doing a bit of show and tell, up to the stage of the Teams call where I found I'd be running a workshop of up to 25 people. Something I've not really done since I worked in a school, though Scouts has given me a certain amount of experience doing this sort of thing.
First up, trying to come up with a project we could all do in about 40 minutes, with minimum tools and materials. I decided to do a broken-bone simulator.
A bumper batch of brushes...
I ended up building a simple jig to cut them all to the same sizes.
Thinking about my Life Choices.
More Thinking About My Life Choices, whilst cutting 25 wooden rulers to size.
Cutting up a popped giant beach ball. Thank goodness my Scouts are so incredibly destructive with their games equipment.
The parts which were handed out (with instructions).
And there we go. Taped to the human arm (and covered with one of those nylon tubes you hide tattoos with), or under the skin of a robot, they look the part.
Of course, it wouldn't just be making stuff. I had to give a presentation, and I thought it would be best to show off some of the stuff I've made too.
"Excuse me sir, why do you have your little girl in the boot of your car?"
"It's alright officer! She's not mine! No wait-"
Honestly, it's great we weren't pulled over on the way there or back. I ended up going on leave straight afterwards too, so Kitty here spent the week sat on my living room floor.
Manchester Metropolitan Uni, home for the day.
I was given an art classroom to set up in, ably assisted by my gaffer, Lead Tech Lee.
Hello Kitty!
Plenty of room to spread out the practical demonstration pieces.
The workshop went by in a blur; everyone present seemed to find it interesting anyway. I did ask if people at the back could sneakily vape or flick-V's at me, to really take me back to my days teaching practical's to Year 9's.
A higher class of Beige Buffet!
Look at this place...
...compared to our little hospital, this places looks like something out of a cleaner version of Blade Runner.
In the afternoon, I took part in a workshop run by a couple of very talented techs from a Czech Uni, where we cast some sections of spinal column.
I really don't like blowing my own trumpet...
...but there's my name, up in lights on the top left! I didn't win, but didn't mind, as I was in excellent company. Again, the day was brilliant, and I am really looking forward to doing this again next year.
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