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Taking Blood

Does anyone know which Medical Schools teach taking blood by getting students to take blood from each other

Cambridge do, though you use plastic arms first, and you don't have to be practised on if you really don't want to.

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Reply 2

nexttime

I'd imagine all of them, although of course if you don't want to consent to having blood taken from you that's fine.

Reply 3

slobo95

No I'm weird I want to be used and take blood from other people haha

Reply 4

Beska

I've never heard of a medical school not letting you practice on each other (end of the day it's better to mess up on your friend rather than embarrass yourself in front of a patient). Some medical schools make a point of the fact you'll be taking blood from each other within the first few weeks (Newcastle do this, Nottingham as well I think?) but others you might take it later in the course. Swings and roundabouts.

Reply 5

modini

Original post by Beska

Haven't done anything like that yet unfortunately :/

Reply 6

Araliya

I know Imperial does within the first term :smile:

A handful of other little experiments, too, but I don't quite remember the details as I'm not a medic myself :tongue:

Reply 7

Beska

Original post by modini

Haven't done anything like that yet unfortunately :/

Oh maybe not then, must be getting confused. :p:

Reply 8

dances_with_lamposts

Original post by Beska

Oh maybe not then, must be getting confused. :p:

Yeah, Nottingham don't teach us stuff like that till the clinical phase (3rd year for the undergrads). We do get to practice on each other if we want though. :smile:

Reply 9

gozatron

Varies at Birmingham depending on the GP you get. Some let you use a plastic arm, some let you use each other, some get patients to consent to practice and some don't let you do it at all until later in the course.

Reply 10

slobo95

So will SGUL and Manchester definitely do it, if anyone could confirm, please do, ps thank you everyone so far all of your comments have been informative

Reply 11

username570224

Original post by slobo95

No I'm weird I want to be used and take blood from other people haha

heehee

Just a random question, is there any major difference between taking blood on plastic arms and taking blood from humans? Like is the plastic arm deliberately easier or anything?

Reply 12

Helenia

Original post by Boom533

heehee

Just a random question, is there any major difference between taking blood on plastic arms and taking blood from humans? Like is the plastic arm deliberately easier or anything?

It feels very different. And the plastic arm doesn't move/tense/swear at you. It is good for learning the routine and getting the basic skills, but doesn't replace practice on real people.

Reply 13

Mushi_master

Haven't done it here, practiced on fake arms and then my first go on a real person was with a poor patient. However I'm not sure whether that was because of hospital policy on my first clinical placement (no actual bodily fluids in clinical skills lab), or because of KCL.

Reply 14

nexttime

Original post by Boom533

heehee

Just a random question, is there any major difference between taking blood on plastic arms and taking blood from humans? Like is the plastic arm deliberately easier or anything?

The plastic arms we have are incredibly chunky compared to real people. The vein walls are like 1cm of rubber :s-smilie:

Reply 15

Becca-Sarah

Might have changed when the curriculum did a few years ago, but AFAIK Aberdeen does not let their students practice on each other - we have plastic arms, and then we have patients.

Reply 16

Beska

Original post by Boom533

heehee

Just a random question, is there any major difference between taking blood on plastic arms and taking blood from humans? Like is the plastic arm deliberately easier or anything?

It's ridiculously easy on one of those arms, especially the practice ones. You could probably throw the vacutainer blindfolded from across the room still manage to take blood, ha. That said, for our stage 1 and 2 OSCEs they use plastic arms that are loads more realistic (veins wriggle, are small, no distinguishing features, aren't 100% anatomically perfect) which are more of a challenge but yeh. No chance you're going to miss and hit a nerve...

Reply 17

username113840

Original post by Boom533

heehee

Just a random question, is there any major difference between taking blood on plastic arms and taking blood from humans? Like is the plastic arm deliberately easier or anything?

Yeah, plastic arm are for basic skills only really. It's the "ideal" patient arm - barndoor veins like hose pipes without a tourniquet.

It'll get more complicated once you start as an FY1, especially in places like renal, oncology or ITU.

Original post by Helenia

It feels very different. And the plastic arm doesn't move/tense/swear at you. It is good for learning the routine and getting the basic skills, but doesn't replace practice on real people.

It also doesn't teach you how to deal with the ED and Anaesthetics SpRs looking over your shoulder while you're desperately trying to get a cannula into the seizing meningitic patient's foot who's being held down by both staff and security.

That wasn't a fun night shift for me.