STUDENTS at The Petersfield School were given the opportunity of a lifetime when they attended the Operating Theatre Live event.

Operating Theatre Live from Birmingham is a travelling school-based medical programme, built and delivered by the UK’s leading anatomist and teacher, Samuel Piri.

Samuel and his team converted the gym at the school in Cranford Road into a portable operating theatre.

This allowed the students to get hands on with real anatomy using animal parts in a clinical setting last Thursday.

Students in Years 10 and 11 worked with anatomists to dissect a range of pig organs and tissues in as realistic as possible operating theatre setting.

Samuel, who studied at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “In a nutshell, we operate the UK’s only approved licence for the use of animal by-products for educational purposes.

“We teach about the visceral organs and internal environment by using all real anatomy harvested from pigs – no plastic models – so the students learn the science of post-mortem dissection including the surgical skills.”

A team of experienced operating theatre practitioners made sure that all the students got equal dissection time and understood the basic surgical procedures. .

Headteacher Mark Marande said: “The students were able to experience preparing patients for theatre, calculating anaesthetic dosages, took part in a real heart transplant, and got hands on with a real digestive tract and much more.

“The event gave the students an experience as close to reality as possible in order to encourage them to aspire to and realise their aspirations within the health care sector.”

Science teacher Sarah-Jane Beacher added: “It really was an amazing day.

“What an absolutely amazing experience. The students thoroughly enjoyed every minute and are totally inspired.”

She told Samuel’s team: “Thanks so much for travelling all the way down to us, we are definitely booking up for next year.”

After the event, students were also given a range of information on the various routes into careers in health, medicine and bioscience.