Blood pressure and things

I actually heard a blood pressure today! We have to learn to measure blood pressures manually with a stethoscope and not just with a digital machine which I've used previously. Firstly, manual BPs are more accurate (especially if they are very low or very high) and also if we go to the back of beyond for our elective in fourth year then we probably won't get a digital machine to use- although I'm still considering the possibility of nipping down to Boots and getting a digital home one to keep, just in case. I've measured BP previously during my first degree, except there were about 100 of us in the lab and the background noise meant we heard nothing. I had a couple of attempts and was struggling and then I tried on another student (who used to be a nurse and was pointing me in the right direction) and I heard it! Very pleased but certainly need more practice.

This morning we had a quiz with our KEEpads (like the who wants to be a millionaire 'ask the audience buttons') for two hours on chest x-rays. Lots of the questions were "what is X pointing to?" or "which condition does this patient have?" with multiple choice answers. Graphs appear on the screen (like in who wants to be a millionaire) to show which percentage of students voted for which answer. I think it was a really effective way to find out what you didn't know and be reassured that you did know quite a bit of stuff. One x-ray showed a baby with Dextrocardia Situs Inversus, which is when the heart is one the right side of the body (as opposed to the left) and other organs (such as liver, stomach, spleen, appendix) are on the opposite side too. This usually causes the individuals no problems ad often isn't detected until later in life. However, having just dextrocardia (a heart on the right) can cause major problems. Isn't that interesting?! It's pretty rare though.

I also had an interview today to be an Aim higher associate. These are undergraduate students who are involved with mentoring and encouraging applications from local school students who may not previously thought of going to university (due to finances, living in local authority care, being a carer for a parent, unrealistic perceptions of university or not having family members who have gone to university). It was a group interview with five other girls where we had to prepare a presentation on "what is university?". I think it went okay. I find out tomorrow and it pays very well.