BLOG: Community outreach programme | inspire early, empower always

by Iwona Czerwinska, Programme Coordinator Centre for Medical Informatics | Katie Shaw, Senior Lecturer and Programme Manager Centre for Medical Informatics | Annemarie Docherty, Welcome Career Development Fellowship and an Honorary Consultant in Critical Care | Steph Burns, Research Assistant (Social Science) Centre for Medical Informatics

On the 03 and 31 March 2026, members of the Surgical & Critical Care Informatics and ICU Heart teams stepped out of their clinical and research environments and into the classroom. In partnership with the Edinburgh BioQuarter Community Impact Team, we visited S1 pupils at Liberton High School as part of their Human Body Unit - bringing science, data and medicine to life in ways textbooks alone cannot. And we’re not stopping there as a further session is planned!

Where it all began

This journey started over a year ago with a simple but powerful invitation. Dom Gibson-Cairns and Cathy Southworth from the BioQuarter Community Impact Team reached out with an opportunity to connect with local school pupils and showcase the cutting-edge research happening just down the hill from their classrooms. The idea resonated immediately.

Many of us work closely with young people at different stages of their education and understand how formative these early years can be in shaping interests, confidence and future aspirations. This felt like the kind of opportunity that could make a real difference - so we said yes and committed to building something meaningful.

Working closely with Dom and Cathy, we transformed early ideas into an interactive workshop designed specifically for younger learners. As a team more accustomed to teaching university students, we relied heavily on their expertise to ensure the sessions were engaging, accessible, and hands-on.

Designing an experience, not just a lesson

Our goal was simple - give pupils a genuine “flavour” of what we do. The first workshop began with a staged diagnosis of appendicitis - complete with a “patient” and a “doctor” played by our own team members.

Pupils were encouraged to step into the role of clinicians, asking questions, suggesting lines of enquiry, and thinking critically about symptoms and diagnosis. The level of engagement was striking; their questions were thoughtful, relevant, and often impressively perceptive.

In addition, we introduced an AI-driven diagnostic element, offering a glimpse into how data science is transforming healthcare. While one tool we trialled (HEIDI) didn’t land as effectively as hoped, this in itself was a valuable learning experience. Adapting quickly, we decided not to include this component in the next sessions - demonstrating that iteration is as important in education as it is in research.

Hands-on, minds-on

The real highlight for many pupils came with the interactive stations. Divided into smaller groups, students rotated through practical activities that mirrored real clinical skills:

Airway management and intubation

Where pupils used training simulators.

Laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery simulation

Where pupils used box trainers to practise dexterity skills. In the first workshop, pupils focused on a simpler task - cutting around a circle to simulate removing an appendix. For the second session, we expanded this activity by increasing from two to three box trainers and introducing more advanced challenges, such as thread transfer and dice stacking, allowing pupils to further develop precision and coordination.

These activities were designed to directly reflect the work of the ICU Heart and Surgical & Critical Care Informatics groups within the Centre for Medical Informatics. They enabled pupils to engage with the team, ask questions about our research, and gain hands-on experience with real training tools used to study and improve healthcare through data.

The opportunity to practise intubation using clinical training equipment gave pupils insight into the complexity of airway management and the critical role of anaesthesia and specialised training in ICU and surgical settings. Alongside this, discussions about our work at the Usher Institute ICU Heart and in the hospital helped highlight how medical research translates into improved patient care.

Another component of the session was the use of laparoscopic training boxes, which are central to research carried out by the Surgical and Critical Care Informatics group. These same tools are used in the  CAMELS study, where they support the development and evaluation of new methods for teaching laparoscopic surgical skills. Through this study, simulation training centres are being established in multiple countries to improve how surgeons are trained.

By using these research-grade tools, pupils experienced first-hand the technical challenges of minimally invasive surgery while also seeing how such equipment contributes to global research efforts. The CAMELS initiative aims to train more surgeons more efficiently and expand access to safe, life-saving operations worldwide. Providing students with access to these internationally used tools offered a unique experience and based on our conversations, has helped inspire interest in future careers in medicine and medical research.

These sessions were energetic, immersive, and-by all accounts-hugely enjoyable. They were also demanding; even across a single morning, the intensity of engagement was clear. But the reward was equally evident in the pupils’ enthusiasm.

Some asked whether simulation equipment was accessible to the public so they could practise more. Others spoke openly about their ambitions - future surgeons, doctors, neurosurgeons, midwives. These weren’t abstract ideas; they were emerging aspirations, shaped in real time.

Curiosity now, impact later

Engaging with early secondary school pupils is not incidental - it’s strategic.

At this stage, young people are forming beliefs about what subjects mean, what careers exist, and crucially, what they themselves are capable of. Introducing them to data science and health research early helps remove barriers before they form.
This kind of outreach delivers impact in several important ways:

• Broadening awareness
  Many pupils have limited exposure to careers in science or health research. These sessions expand their sense of what is possible - and who belongs in these fields
• Building foundational curiosity
  Skills like critical thinking, data literacy, and evidence-based reasoning extend far beyond the classroom. Early exposure strengthens learning across disciplines
• Supporting diversity and inclusion
  Representation gaps don’t begin at university - they begin much earlier. Reaching pupils before subject choices are fixed increases the likelihood of more diverse future pathways
• Connecting learning to real-world impact
  Healthcare provides a powerful, tangible context. Pupils can see how knowledge translates into saving lives, shaping policy, and improving outcomes

This work isn’t about immediate career decisions. It’s about planting seeds - confidence, curiosity, and awareness - that can grow over time.

Every mind matters, every question counts

What stood out most across both sessions was the willingness of pupils to engage - to ask, to try, to imagine themselves in roles they may never have previously considered.

The classroom became a space where curiosity was not only welcomed, but essential.

For us, the experience was equally impactful. It reminded us that the work we do - whether in intensive care, informatics, or research - has meaning beyond immediate clinical outcomes. It has the power to inspire the next generation.

Looking ahead

With another session planned, we continue to refine and build on what we’ve learned. Each visit strengthens the programme, making it more effective, more engaging, and more impactful. Because ultimately, this is what it’s about:

Inspire early. Empower always.

Thank you to our contributors

Further information

Surgical Informatics Research Group | Clinical Surgery

ICU Heart

Programme Leap SAVE: Surgery: assess, validate, expand – Global Surgery Research