Modern Anatomical Sciences Students Receive Hands-On Ultrasound Training

After a week of orientation-filled activities, Northeast Ohio Medical University Master of Modern Anatomical Sciences (MAS) students had the opportunity to suit up in PPE for a hands-on ultrasound activity held Friday, July 24.

The MAS students paired up and spent 30-minute rotations with sonographers from Mercy Health – Howland Medical Center and Summa Health System – Akron Campus guiding them as they learned to  locate veins and arteries on each other.

Lisa Silliman, a sonographer from Mercy Health – Howland Medical Center, explained to students that ultrasounds have two enemies: air and bones. “That’s why we use gel – it helps penetrate the sound waves,” she said.

Marissa Manno, a sonographer from Summa Health System – Akron Campus, offered the students a tip for working with  children: “If kids are afraid – which they often are – put a little dot of the gel on their finger and let them play with it first.”

Throughout the session, the sonographers helped students to identify how fast their partner’s blood was moving, how to use color doppler — similar to a weather map on tv — and more.

Dana Peterson, Ph.D., a professor of anatomy and neurobiology at NEOMED, shared that as part of the MAS curriculum, students will go to a hospital and work with an ultrasound tech for a four- to eight-hour shift.

NEOMED’s Modern Anatomical Sciences program is designed to train the next generation of anatomists and anatomy educators. The program provides hands-on experience, like ultrasound training, in a research setting and the opportunity to work and learn as part of an interprofessional team with health care professionals.

Photo (L to R): MAS student Verushqa Andrade, sonographer Lisa Silliman, and MAS student Hassan Abdalla.