University at Buffalo (UB)
Girl Scouts Visit UB Medical School
First-year medical student Amanda Wachtel shows the Girl Scouts the superior vena cava and the aorta of a cadaveric heart.
Published January 18, 2011 This content is archived.
Nearly 100 Girl Scouts from across Western New York recently visited UB's School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to explore what it's like to train to be a doctor.
Hosted by the American Medical Women’s Association, “Girl Scouts Go to Medical School” is an annual event led by UB medical students. This year’s highlights included a tour of the Clinical Competency Center, a stop at the Museum of Neuroanatomy and opportunities to learn about such specialties as radiology and cardiology.
During the half-day program, held Jan. 8, medical students taught the Girl Scouts how to use stethoscopes and reflex hammers while introducing them to the basics of the physical exam. Visiting the neuroanatomy museum, they viewed the collection of some 80 dissected brain specimens and were invited to handle a cadaveric brain. Using the anatomy lab's "bone boxes," the girls learned about the musculoskeletal system. At a session on radiology, medical students showed them how physicians use X-rays in clinical care.
The event culminated with a Q&A session during which the girls and their parents asked medical students about their journey to medical school and their professional aspirations.