Medicine students share anatomical teaching techniques at late-night exhibition event

On the evening of Friday November 11, Exeter City Council’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery (RAMM) will feature the University’s research and teaching methods at RAMM Lates – an interactive evening event revolving around the exhibition ‘A Picture of Health: Exeter’s Medical History’, which examines health and wellbeing in Exeter from the 18th century to present day.

The exhibition explores several areas such as smallpox, bodysnatching surgeons, 'the Blue Death,' birth, the art of nursing, medical innovation, and the Exeter Hip, which has been fitted in more than two million people worldwide and was created by two Professors, Professor Clive Lee and Robin Ling in a partnership between the University of Exeter and Exeter's Hospital.

At RAMM Lates, members of the public will have the opportunity to meet students from the University who have volunteered to talk the public through some of their favourite teaching methods that are taught without using deceased human bodies.

Students managing the workshops will invite the audience to take part in active and engaging learning strategies. This includes: getting hands-on with realistic anatomical models, drawing true-to-life drawings of bones on each other to learn skeletal systems, creating origami pelvic floor models and more.

Ferdinand Boucher, a graduate medical student at the University of Exeter Medical School and one of the student volunteers, said: ”I think it's very important to share the passion that we medical students have for learning and teaching others. We want to help continue to build trust with our local community that great doctors are being trained here, by the University of Exeter Medical School.

”As a hands-on learner, using anatomy models and cadavers is key to my successful learning, and helps me visualise how anatomy and physiology come together in disease and treatment options."

Visitors will also get the chance to listen to Dr Hope Gangata, a senior lecturer in human anatomy at the University of Exeter, discuss his favourite topic on the challenges and obstacles of obtaining cadavers. The audience will be taken through the historical developmental stages of sourcing cadavers across the world in his lecture, "Historical snap view of how bodies for anatomical teaching were acquired."

Dr Hope Gangata said: ”The historical importance of teaching medical students with cadavers is pivotal to our holistic learning of the anatomy and physiology of diseases. Since the middle ages, cadavers have been dissected to help aid our anatomical knowledge of the human body. It’s important to continue this heritage, and help tomorrow’s doctors continue to become great clinicians.’’

The evening will also include dance workshops, live music, a silent disco, a gong bath, cider tasting, curator talks and a medical instrument showcase from the Devon and Exeter Medical Heritage Trust.

RAMM Lates takes place November 11, 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm. To find out more or book your tickets, visit: https://rammuseum.org.uk/lates