Modern Medical Technology: Part One

Yeah!  First post.  The two of you are gorgeous even in scrubs.  I wouldn't mind waking up from an operation to the sight of either of you, though I don't think I'd want you to be putting me under or conducting an operation just yet.

Medical technology has made leaps and bounds in the past 250 years.  The training equipment gets better every year.  I have first hand experience in CPR and Self Aid Buddy Care training in the military.  The dummies we practice on and the equipment we use continues to improve with every annual session.  We started out with stiff unresponsive models and fake mockups.  Now we're using programmable dummies and simulation instruments similar to the ones you used that lack some of the complexity.  Really impressive stuff.

Nice job, Girls.  This was a great segment.  A little late today?

OK....this may be a stretch but let's try this one on for size. A common complaint about violence in video games is that they desensitize us and somehow internally make us more apt to accept violence ok. It's a valid question. The more we acquaint oursleves with anything, the easier it becomes to accept. So- that being said, is there any validity in saying that "practicing" on mannequins may desensitize surgeons? What if "losing one" becomes so second nature that the feeling is urgency and importancy has now lessened when in the actual O.R.? Thoughts?

...and I realize both my typing and grammar is poor in that post but I don't know how to edit my own posts yet.

I believe you might be correct, Laura.  I was thinking the same thing as I watched the doctor inform Tina that her mannequin had no pulse.  I've even seen emergency response teams that don't seem too concerned when they are trying to revive an individiual.  I suppose they literally have become desensitized to dealing with fatal experiences...but is that a bad thing?

robot - I need a REZ!

*Tina casts resurection*

robot - tnx

I was surprised to learn that UW has one of the top medical programs in the country.

Well, the alternative would be having our medical students practice by operating on animals - puppies and monkeys and such.  Leaving aside how you feel about the animals themselves, the question is...would that be more or less desensitizing than practicing on a mannequin?

I'm no psychologist, but I would guess that whatever is MOST traumatic would also be most desensitizing.  For instance, if we had them practice - and fail! - on real people, they would probably get shell shocked pretty fast, a lot faster  than if they were just using mannequins.  So your goal might be to get the best training with the least stress as possible.  Something even more removed from real life, like a video game, might be less stressful, but the training provided would also be less valuable.  Real animals or people would offer better training, but would stress out our doctors more than we'd like.  Yaaay, mannequin!

Well she first has to notice that you need a Rez and then she can help you! 

Doctor to Tina - "Do you notice anything funny?  Perhaps a rythmic sound like a beep, beep beep that was there before!"  Tina - "Oh, oh my god!"  I guess it was even more funny given the doctor was so calm in asking her.  Nothing like being put on the spot!  I know we all would have probably reacted the same way and Laura was just making sure she did not get bored...