Plaster Casting Fun shows Interns the art of the Fake Injury

In the latter part of the day, interns enjoyed a welcome break from their intensive disease lectures to partake in one of the program’s absolute favorite activities: plaster casting. This highly anticipated tradition is always a staff and student favorite because it brings high-energy, interactive fun straight into the learning environment.

Historically, plaster casting is an ancient technique that involves using a mold to create a replicated three-dimensional sculpture of an object. The original object from which the plaster can take its form can range from a face, a pregnant belly, another building, and more. Our interns used their own arms and hands as the models. 

Before the messy fun began, Team Leads walked the students through the step-by-step process of wrapping gauze and preparing the plaster. To kick things off safely, the students even recited a lighthearted, traditional oath promising to follow all instructions carefully so no one actually ended up in the emergency room!

The interns then split into pairs, taking turns carefully applying the casts to one another or experimenting on themselves. It provided a wonderfully relaxing break from the lecture hall. The atmosphere across the rooms was vibrant and full of energy, with different genres of music playing in each space to keep the mood upbeat. Team Leads floated between groups to snap photos, while the hallways echoed with animated conversation and laughter.

Once the plaster dried and the casting was complete, we captured individual and paired photos of the interns proudly showing off their new "injuries," resulting in plenty of silly poses. It is a long-standing tradition for interns to text these photos to their parents, jokingly pretending they had a little accident during the day.

If you happen to receive a sudden, alarming text featuring a cast today, please don't panic—we assure you that they are completely safe, healthy, and just having a little fun!