ArkanSONO

ArkanSONO was recently awarded a five-year, $1.27 million dollar Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). The ArkanSONO staff are partnering with the Little Rock School District to determine if hands on use of technology by ninth grade students can be used to stimulate students’ interest in STEM careers. UAMS faculty will visit ninth grade Physical Science classrooms in the LRSD and invite students to a week long summer day camp focusing on technology and cardiovascular health.

This project is funded by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) award from the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIGMS or NIH.

Little Rock School District

In the spring of 2017, DCA faculty visited four of the five high schools in the Little Rock School District (Central, McClellan, J.A. Fair and Hall). These visits were spread over nine separate days and reached over 750 ninth grade students in demonstrations to students in over 30 physical science classes. The core outreach DCA staff included Drs. Kevin D. Phelan, Noor Akhter, and Mohsin Syed. Dr. Joseph Daniel participated in several sessions as well as Dr. Melody Allensworth-James (Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences).

This demonstration consisted of a short introductory description of sound and the physics of ultrasound, small group hands-on sessions where the students use the hand-held Vscan devices from GE Healthcare to scan the facilitator’s neck and forearms, and a concluding classroom wrap up session that included an application exercise. Each student was provided a double-sided color printed handout with ultrasound information on the front side and STEM career information on the back including QR scan code links to STEM related websites. Download a sample of the classroom handout: Side 1 and Side 2 (PNG files).

“The content was easily incorporated into my physics curriculum. Students were engaged during the program, and enjoyed the interactivity with the devices and medical professionals. There were many good questions asked even after the presenters left, indicating some lasting influence. Students would like to hear more of specific uses for ultrasound and additional demonstrations”
– Ninth grade physical science teacher, Central High School

University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical 2017 STEM Success Day

Images showing nerves, bones, and muscles in a forearm and hand.

On March 16, 2017, faculty from the Division of Clinical Anatomy offered a hands-on ultrasound workshop to 44 students from five regional middle schools (Dunbar, Henderson, Forest Heights, and Jacksonville). The outreach staff included Drs. Kevin D. Phelan, Noor Akhter, and Mohsin Syed. The demonstration was similar to those described above and included students examining the muscles, tendons and nerves in the forearm as shown in the graphic.

Sample Middle School Student Survey Responses

What were the most important things you learned or accomplished at this workshop? “How the heart moves,” “Seeing how the veins and arteries work,” “Our technology is advancing rapidly,” “STEM is changing the world,” “Learned how to use the ultrasound,” “Ultrasounds are used for more than one thing,” “Learned a little about medicine,” “Sound waves can allow us to see what is in the body.”

How will you use the information you learned as a student? “Tell people how cool it is to see a heart,” “Think more on my life/career,” “Use when I become a nurse,” “Will help if I become a doctor,” “Make sure I get checked to make sure I’m healthy,” “Share with my science teacher.”

General comments: “This was cool!” “Loved the presentation,” “I like science!”

American Heart Association (AHA) Sweethearts

Dr. Phelan demonstrating the appearance of the kidney using the hand-held GE Vscan dual probe devices.

On October 16 and 17, 2017, Dr. Phelan organized a hands-on demonstration of cardiac and renal sonography for 56 high school sophomore girls as part of the AHA Sweethearts tours of the UAMS campus research facilities. The girls were from several public and private schools in the region including Central, Parkview, Mount St. Mary’s, Episcopal, Pulaski Academy, LISA, North Little Rock, Cabot, and Central Arkansas Christian. This demonstration included hands on demonstrations of the heart and kidney in a standardized patient and a simulator mannequin demonstration of a patient with bleeding around the heart.