We’re sorry to have to postpone Dr Anna Muggeridge’s talk, which was originally planned for Monday 8 July at 5:30pm. We’ll update soon with a new date and time.
Sorry folks.
My Work Experience- Izzy Tyler
My name is Izzy, and I did my work experience at Worcester’s medical museums because I am interested in medical science and believe that to learn about the future of medicine (like I want to), I need to understand the past.
George Marshall
I did the first half of my work experience at the George Marshall Medical Museum with Ms Louise Price.
I found everyone who worked here to be extremely kind and polite. I did most of my work experience with Ms Louise Price who was incredible the entire time. She made sure everything I did was interesting and directed for me.
We did many activities such as:
-remodeling and refilling the museum apothecary box
-making a display box
-transcribing oral interviews
-working with ideas for social media
-and so much more!
The Infirmary museum
I did the second half of my work experience at the Infirmary Museum with Ms Harriet Hathaway.
It was just Harriet and I over this section and she was so sweet and kind. She would always check on me to make sure I was having fun and was interested in what I was doing.
We did many activities such as:
-condition checking items
-making and testing trails for visitors
-working with ideas for social media
-and even more!
I feel Louise Price and Harriet Hathaway gave me such a well-rounded experience of what I might come across in certain careers. If they gave me something to do, they made sure it was fun and enjoyable. Over this week I have learnt so much from these museums not only about how these jobs are done, but also about the history and culture of our country, medicine and even the buildings we’re in. I had way more fun than I thought I would, and it was an amazing introduction to the working world.
I am extremely grateful to both Louise and Harriet for giving me this wonderful opportunity and ensuring it was a fun experience.
Placement at the Infirmary Museum- Guest blog post by Abigail Cassell, University of Worcester Student
My name is Abigail Cassell. I have undertaken work experience at the Infirmary Museum as part of my studies at the University of Worcester. As I was unsure about my career path post-university, having multiple options to choose from, the opportunity to be placed into a museum setting has been excellent in allowing me to get an insight to the career of a curator. Alongside this, the museum has enabled me to broaden my history knowledge as medical history is not studied on the History course at Worcester. The Infirmary covers a vast range of medical and local history which I am sure will be a great benefit for the future.
During my placement, I have completed a range of many different tasks which have allowed me to get a real grasp of what the industry is like. One task I have completed is condition reports. Reviewing the condition of objects that the museum has within its storeroom, checking for any deterioration within the condition, any missing parts and stating what the object is suitable for (e.g. display or loan). Looking at the hundreds of objects I have been given to choose from was a real eye opener on the medical equipment used within the past. It was interesting to see what different objects were used for and how this has developed from the initial creation to now. One example that springs to mind is a tongue compressor where they have change from being a metal that was sanitised after each use to a one-use wooden stick. However, some medical instruments haven’t overly changed like the Pre-Natal Stethoscope. Modern versions may take a different design but the way they function is the exact same.
Harriet also gave me the opportunity to adapt some of the displays by turning the pages in different books which can be seen throughout the museum. This gave me a real insight into curating and making sure the displays are suitable and look good to the public. Some other tasks I have completed include enhancing the use of the loan box by adding a PowerPoint teachers can use to explain to children what the items are, how they function and how they may have developed into the modern day.
In addition to this, I have assisted Harriet (curator of the Infirmary Museum) with some school tours and created a quiz for the children to work on during their time in the museum on the visit. Furthermore, I have being working on a trail for the museum which will be accessible to any visitors to enhance the engagement of people with the history of the setting and give an opportunity for people to think about things outside of their visit. I used this trail with a group of year 1 and 2s who visited the museum for a tour which I led myself. Another great opportunity and experience given to me by Harriet.
Overall, I have had a brilliant experience at the museum which is valuable to my career steps when finishing university next year, giving me a great insight into how a curating career would look like. I would encourage people to visit the Infirmary as it is a great place to learn about the advances of medical history but for many people, it is a way of learning about the significance that events that happened so close to home had on the way medical care developed.
Guest Blog by Eleanor Palmer, Student at University of Worcester
My name is Eleanor and I have just completed my work experience at the George Marshall Medical Museum. I am currently doing a history degree at the University of Worcester. As part of my course, I chose to undertake a work experience module, for which I was placed at the George Marshall Medical Museum.
I have always enjoyed visiting museums, but have never had the opportunity to volunteer or work in one before, so this experience was new to me. Previous to my time here, I had little knowledge of medical history, but have discovered through research and looking around the museum that it is a very interesting topic. Whilst at the museum, my knowledge has been broadened and I have had the opportunity to develop a number of skills which will be useful to me in my future. Prior to my placement, I was not set on a career, but having the chance to create resources for the museum to use has opened my eyes to the prospect of working as a Museum Education Officer.
During my time at the museum, I had the opportunity to get involved with a number of exciting projects. For my first project, I was able to create an activity trail for children and families to complete as they walk around and enjoy the displays and information. I included a number of activities ranging from true or false questions and matching the medicine with the cure, to drawing tasks and dressing up. This is now on display at the front of the museum for people to grab on their way in. I found this to be a very enjoyable task, and completing it opened my eyes to the way in which museums can encourage public engagement. It was also rewarding to be able to see my work displayed in the museum ready for people to use and hopefully enjoy.
On completion of this task, I then had the chance to search through the vast collection of handling objects that the museum stores, and created a box with a range of objects, photos, questions, and information sheets relating to the history of healthcare. This box will now be available for community groups and schools to borrow from the museum. Completing this project has enhanced my knowledge of museums and how the public interact with history. I have been able to develop my problem solving skills and have been lucky enough to do tasks which were tailored to my interests surrounding education.
My work experience has opened my eyes to the importance of museums and public history, and highlighted to me that this is something I would be interested in getting involved with in the future. I would recommend undertaking work experience at the Worcester medical museums to anyone interested in history or museum work, as it is very enjoyable whilst providing you with a number of important skills for the future. If you haven’t already visited the museum, please make sure to drop by and have a go at my trail, or simply take in the history that is on offer.