Eastleigh College have joined forces with the Medical Mavericks organisation to deliver two interactive training sessions to Health and Social Care learners.

Operating out of the College’s new Learner Hub, each three-hour workshop gave participants the chance to assume the roles of medics, sampling a range of equipment including ultrasound machines, blood pressure monitors, ECG monitors and even a prosthetic arm for phlebotomy training. All attendees were Level 3 Health and Social Care learners, with a further twelve of these also attached to the Uni Connect programme, which helps learners progress onto their desired Higher Education pathway after college. For these individuals, the workshops also served to identify potential fields for future study.  

Phil Lazarus, Lecturer in Health and Social Care, said: “We do a lot of theory work in the classroom but to have this hands-on practical experience is so empowering for our learners, as it gives them the chance to visualise their adult selves as practitioners in the healthcare sector. The current world situation has naturally limited work experience opportunities over the past year, so the Medical Mavericks workshops have been a very enriching experience."

The Medical Mavericks are a group based in Wolverhampton that run workshops in schools and colleges to engage learners in medical role play, and inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals. The wide range of medical equipment they provide enables learners to appreciate the variety of jobs available in healthcare and helps them make informed decisions about their future careers. At the conclusion of the workshops, each learner receives a copy of Classroom to Clinic, a book produced by the Medical Mavericks to highlight the array of career options in the NHS.

Fiona Thomson, SUN Mentor and organiser of the event, said: “This event was a real success in engaging the students and will no doubt have helped them to broaden their horizons. We are already looking to establish similar sessions in the New Year and are currently negotiating dates to invite in a local GP to host a practical workshop for learners.”

For further details on our Health and Social courses, please click here. More information on the Medical Mavericks is available on their website: https://www.medicalmavericks.co.uk.

Note: Picture taken before face mask regulations were reintroduced.