Wonderlab teaches with mock babies, banana stitches

On one side, IU medical students used pig hearts to explain blood circulation. On the other side, Dr. Tim Steiner helped children drill holes in an imitation femur.

They were volunteers at “Real Life Science: Examining Medical Careers” on Saturday at WonderLab Science Museum.

The event showed children and teenagers the possibilities of a career in biomedical research, said Dr. Peter Wallskog, the event’s founder. He created the event last year in response to the shortage of physicians in Bloomington.

“Physicians who are practicing here either went to IU or grew up here,” Wallskog said.
He said he hoped the children’s outreach program will encourage young Bloomington students to consider a future in medicine.

“We have physicians doing displays involving health messages, demonstrating surgical techniques and showing diagnostic procedures,” he said.

First-year IU medical student Chad Ward gave children instructions on how to stitch a banana. He also explained the chambers of a pig heart.

“Pig hearts are very similar to human hearts,” he said, adding that the valves from pig hearts are used in open-heart surgery.

Dr. Richard Malone’s display gave information on nutrition, adolescent wellness and the path to becoming a pediatrician. Malone is a pediatrician and was called in for a delivery at 5:30 a.m. before coming to the WonderLab.

“The medical community is aware that there is a need and an opportunity for young people interested in entering the health profession,” Malone said.

One of the displays, the SimMan, realistically simulates human breathing and heart activity. Using a stethoscope, children listened to SimMan’s pulse.

The nursing display had a simulated baby that mimicked respiratory distress. Its heartbeat could be felt in its umbilical cord, similar to a real baby.

Freshman Megan Duffy, a neuroscience and psychology double major, came to the event because of her interest in medical science.

“I’ve always been a medical nerd, but this has completely amplified my desire to become a doctor,” she said.

The Ear, Nose and Throat display was Duffy’s favorite, and it reminded her of the surgery she had for a sinus infection.

The display was operated by Dr. Paul Johnson, who used a fiber-optic laryngoscope on himself. The laryngoscope has a small camera at the end of a long tube, and Johnson casually pointed out the different terminology to medical students as he moved it down his nose.

“You put it down the nose and you can look all over to your heart’s desire,” he said. “The kids love seeing me torture myself.”