And they don’t even buy him a drink.
Meet Patrick…
Ever wondered how medical students practice prostate exams?
While once willing volunteers might have filled that role, they no longer have to, because Patrick is more than happy to help out.
Thanks to the joint team at the University of Florida, University of Wisconsin, and Drexel University, medical students will now learn “professional intimacy” with Patrick – the robot bum.
Yes, you read that correctly. A robotic bottom, backside, butt, bum or derrière – however you would like to phrase it.
Patrick the robot bum is actually very sophisticated. He provides instant feedback to the student about the prostate exam they’re giving him.
Equipped with four sensors, Patrick, will let his student know if the exam is too soft, hard or inadequate.
If the technology is commercialised, researchers hope that they may be able to sell it to other schools.
Dr Benjamin Lok, one of the professors behind Patrick, told the Future of You, “Our goal is to get students more comfortable with these mortifying scenarios.”
He continued, “There aren’t enough opportunities for students to practice, which causes them a lot of anxiety.”
Anxious and doctor are two words which should not appear in the same sentence. So all we can say is – Patrick won’t be the butt of any of our jokes.
Pun unintended. We swear.
Want to learn more about Patrick? Watch the video:
What do you think of Patrick?
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Top Comments
As someone who regularly has rectal examinations, I can see a lot of good in this. Even though it's not an accurate representation of all the things that could be going on in there, and there really is no substitute for genuine human feedback, it is definitely a good starting point!