IQMU QUARTERS AND SEMI FINALS
The Quarter Finals and Semi-Finals of the International Quiz for Medical Undergraduates (IQMU), were held across the morning and afternoon of 17th September. With both rounds being challenging and creative in their ideas, the day was bound to be a unique blend of fun and education.
Mental Relay, the Quarter Finals, was held at the Heamatology Lab in the Physiology Department, and as the 24 participating teams filed into the lab at 8:30 in the morning, their nervous excitement was palpable. The round involved co-ordination, trust and keen clinical acumen between the two teammates as they examined and investigated a case separately to arrive at the right diagnosis.
An added challenge was the fact that one of them would have to ‘buy’ the investigations with the points they’d earn over the course of the round, with the cost they incur being expressed as negative marking. Despite these hurdles, two teams arrived at the right diagnosis, proving the mettle of the participants of IQMU as Dr. Leslie Lewis, the quizmaster of the round, discussed the case to ensure that everyone left the lab with far more knowledge than when they entered.
The top 12 teams from Mental Relay then moved on to the next round—Step 2 Step, the Semi-Finals. In this, six stations were set up across the Interact Hall, either laptops and a patient at each. With only the chief complaint of the patient, the participating team was then expected to view the right investigations required to diagnose the patient before cycling to the next station to repeat the same.
The 6 teams who scored the highest in this round were then declared the finalists of IQMU 2024. Despite only six teams qualifying out of the twenty-four that had walked in that morning, everyone left the quiz enriched with far more knowledge and a truly memorable experience.
PATCH PERFECT WORKSHOP
On the 17th of September, as Vedam 2024 continued, Cutting Edge held Patch Perfect – a Split Skin Grafting workshop for the participants of the annual academic fest. It took place in the Basic Sciences Building from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm.
The workshop commenced with an introduction to split skin grafting which was followed by a demonstration using a Humby Knife. Papayas were cleverly used as a simulation model, and each participant had the opportunity to take a skin graft using Humby knives borrowed from the Department of Plastic Surgery at KMC for this workshop.
Afterwards, the participants were divided into smaller groups for one-on-one teaching of meshing of the graft. Each participant was then taught how to perform simple interrupted sutures and they practiced suturing the grafts that they prepared onto leg and arm models.
The participants were also educated about the indications, contraindications, and risks of the procedure, emphasizing the importance of understanding these aspects alongside learning the skill.
Introducing a new skill, using authentic surgical equipment as utilised in the Operation Theater, along with Cutting Edge’s meticulously crafted simulation models, the workshop was everything it promised and more.
MURDER MYSTERY DINNER
On the glorious evening of 17th September 2024, all the noble courtiers assembled at Interact Halls for the wedding dinner of Ned Stark and Caitlyn Tully.
Justitia, the Forensic Medicine and Toxicology club of KMC Manipal, hosted an evening feast titled ‘Murder Mystery Dinner: The Dread Wedding’. The participants were each assigned a character from the infamous TV series, Game of Thrones. Among the chatter of toasts and congratulations to the newlyweds, one of the courtiers, Robert Baratheon, the soon-to-be king, drops dead. Now, it was up to the attendees to figure out the imposter among them. After solving multiple riddles that revealed hidden facts about the characters, a grand appearance was made by Melisandre, the red priestess from the series. It was played by one of the club members, and she declared a prophecy that would hint at the murderer; although it was only unveiled after solving a forensic science case. With the help of allies between families and factions, the participants decided that Ned Stark was the murderer.
Later, to their surprise, they found out that it was Petyr Baelish, who killed the to-be king, to disrupt the wedding of his lost love, Caitlyn Tully.
It was an exciting evening full of masquerade and deceptions, leaving the participants with an exhilarating aura.
Writers: Rohita Mahesh, Prakhya Gupta, Ayeshani Mishra, The Editorial Board, KMC Manipal
Photographers: Nupur Gautam, Pavan Krishnan, Tanvee Meher and Pranav Venugopal, The Editorial Board, KMC Manipal
Uploaded by: Medha Chatterjee, The Editorial Board, KMC Manipal