Friday, April 15, 2011

M. Medical School Tour.

I went to a new Med School being built in our area today. (Timing's everything, huh?)  I sometimes help as a volunteer at the local hospital, and so I was invited to see the new building, (new, as in there were still workers painting and putting up ceiling tiles), and get an idea of what they will "do" there.  I forgot the camera, so no pics.  Sorry. Grr.

The school is part of Western University of Health Sciences, (Osteopathic Medicine).  I know very little about this except that it looks like we will have about a hundred or so students studying, and they are hiring now.  (I heard most of this on the tour.) 

I have decided, however, that I must not be quite normal. (Like that's a surprise...)  During the tour, we went around to the differing areas of the school, such as the class rooms, conference/meeting areas, the lunch room (I counted 6 microwaves and as many refrigerators... Wow!), and so on.  This is part and parcel of any big school.  But then we went to the actual 'hands on' study area.  The guide said that the room would have groups from 6 to 8 studying cadavers.  Everyone went 'eew'.  Except me.

Um. 

I thought it sounded pretty interesting, if I didn't have to smell it. Besides, what else are they going to study, Betsy Blow Up dolls? 

Then we saw the freezer that they will keep the cadavers in.  You could easily park a small TRUCK in that freezer! 

We then walked around the Administrative area.  The funny thing was, they had this beautiful half moon window with brickwork around it, for the semi-mucky-mucks.  Then you went into the High-mucky-mucks room, (the cliche' of a corner office with a view), and quite frankly, I liked the semi-mucks room better!  The big difference?  Semi mucks have to go out to use the rest room, the High Mucks have a built in loo in the back of the office. 

A funny mentioned.  High Mucks room looks over a large expanse of presently muddy ground, soon to be seeded and planted in trees, from what I understand.  However, we all noticed lot of tracks allll over the mud.  The guide said that, yes, there were two 10 year old girls that were running barefoot through the mud, and were heavily disappointed when the foreman told them to leave.  (And it looks like they must have been doing flamenco, or practicing a barn dance, as many tracks as we saw from above...)  One of others mentioned that she bet the Mom wouldn't want to deal with the mud.  The guide answered, no, we suspect the Mom sent them over...

(??!?) 

We finished up at the front area of the building, and there was this expanse of wall just covered in greenery.  I commented it was sure a lovely entry focal point.  Yes, said the guide, but it's more than that, this green stuff isn't the important part. 

Turns out, the greenery is part of an air cleaning system.  The plants are embedded in a foam like wall, and kept growing hydroponically.  The important part is that the plants get a good root system established.  The air from the school is pushed through the wall, and the roots take out the formaldehyde, and all the other 'air crap' (my words), and there's a UV light involved some how, that cleans too, so the air is returned clean.  I am given to understand this is the 2nd one on the West Coast.  We missed being first by 2 days.  Google beat us with the green wall system. 

We're number 2!  Wooo!  Heh.

So, I am hoping for the best for the school, and I want to find out if I can be a "practice patient".  They have people studying to practice get video taped working with faux patients.  I think that would be an interesting thing.  (I think I have this odd dramatic streak...) 

Oh, and M.  Mental...

I was cleaning house yesterday, and I wear my MP3 player.  I was vacuuming, so I was wearing sound reducing headphones over them.  I had a song on I particularly like, so I was dancing about, vacuuming to it.  All the sudden, I hear "EXCUSE ME!"  I turn around, and FIL is standing behind me, looking highly confused. 

I smiled, "What's up?"  He needed to borrow some salt.  He kept looking at me as if he wasn't quite sure what I was doing. 

And you know what, I decided, dang it, I don't need to explain myself.  And I didn't.  He sure kept shaking his head as he left... Hee hee hee!  Keepin' 'em confused. 

I also found out a local group needs victims and dead bodies for a CERT class, I would really like to help, but it's at night, so I don't know if I want to participate. 

(But wouldn't that look good on my resume' for my future goal of being a dead body on CSI: ?) 

x x
  >
 O

4 comments:

John Going Gently said...

I would love to be a dead body
sounds relaxing
x

messymimi said...

Wouldn't mind having that air system for my house. Especially when all of the kittens have, ah, upset digestion, like now.

Being a practice patient sounds good, too. As for the cadavers, well, i'll be one someday, if the family follows my wishes. It's just one more thing i can do to help educate a future generation.

Keep dancing when you work around the house. It burns more calories, and makes the drudgery fun.

Dreaming said...

The green wall sounds incredibly cool AND attractive - I'd love to see one. Maybe if I get out west I can stop by Google to see theirs!

Yeah... dancing while doing work is the only way!

Inger said...

All I have to say is that you crack me up as usual. And I loved your comment on my Moon post.--Inger