School Outreach

There’s something unexpectedly fun about watching a group of high school learners try to figure out how to put on surgical gloves without touching the outside. You can see the concentration, the hesitation, and then that triumphant grin when they finally get it right. That was pretty much the theme of my day at our Surgical Society school outreach programme.

Our committee set up several interactive stations covering everything from basic first aid to burns management and surgical preparation. I was stationed at the gloving and gowning table, which admittedly doesn’t sound that exciting at first until you see how quickly it turns into a mini competition of “who can stay sterile the longest.”

With my group of Grade 10s and 11s, I started simple: “How long do you wash your hands for?” Some shouted “a minute,” others guessed “five seconds,” and a few confidently said “until the song ends,” which was somehow both right and wrong. We spoke about why handwashing is important, what makes something sterile versus just clean, and why sanitizer isn’t quite the superhero it’s often made out to be.

It was less of a lecture and more of a back and forth with lots of laughter, some surprisingly thoughtful answers, and a few mock serious debates about the “correct” scrubbing song. At one point, a learner said, “So surgeons basically wash their hands for vibes?” and honestly, I had to stop myself from laughing too hard.

The energy throughout the day was contagious. Everywhere you looked, society members were explaining, demonstrating, or cheering learners on as they practiced something new. Even the shy students eventually joined in once they saw how relaxed and friendly the atmosphere was. And of course, no good outreach ends without sweets, which might just have been the secret to keeping everyone’s attention until the end.

What I loved most about the experience was how it reminded me why I joined the Surgical Society in the first place. It’s not just about scalpels and sutures, it’s about sharing knowledge, building curiosity, and maybe inspiring someone to think, “Hey, I could do that one day.”

By the end of it, my voice was a little hoarse, my gloves were long gone, and I left with that good kind of tired that comes from knowing you were part of something meaningful. Outreach days like this remind us that medicine isn’t only about the operating room. It’s also about connecting, teaching, and showing that even the smallest lessons, like how to properly wash your hands, can spark a lifelong interest in healing.