JACOB KONST/Arizona Daily Wildcat First year med student Zach Robbins sutures a pig's ear in the Surgery Club. The club gives med students and a few undergrads interested in medicine, a chance to experience the field of surgery.

If your stomach can withstand the thought of suturing a pig ear and you can hold a scalpel steady, then the UA Surgery Club might be the place for you.

The Surgery Club is a group of more than 50 undergraduate, medical, and graduate students, who come together to expose students to various surgical fields and techniques.

On Tuesday members of Surgery Club and the Emergency Medical Club held a clinic to practice their suturing skills.

In addition, the Surgery Club is planning a tape and splint clinic, a laparoscopic clinic, an anesthesia clinic and an IV clinic, for students to learn about surgery hands-on.

The club holds regular meetings, which feature guest surgeons from a variety of fields.

At Monday's meeting, Dr. Allan Hamilton, department head of surgery at the University Medical Center, addressed the group about changing technologies in the medical field.

Hamilton, a neurosurgeon, is known for his research on the healing powers of prayer and his use of horsemanship classes to teach doctors non-verbal communication.

Jason Johnson, a second year medical student and the club's president, said that even though the surgery club has been around for years, the group only recently began holding events on a regular basis.

"When I started med school there was a surgery club, but they didn't really do anything," he said.

In the past only medical students were members, but this year officers decided to open up the club to undergraduates and apply for ASUA recognition, Johnson said.

"I thought it was a great idea to let them in," Johnson said. "Some of these undergraduates are going to end up being surgeons. They are going to operate on me or my family someday."

Nearly all of the club's 50-plus members are pre-med or medical students, but it's open to all students with an interest in surgery or the health sciences.

"It is going to be of greatest interest for health professions," said Shane Lipskind, the club's public relations officer. "Anyone who is interested can come out and see what it is like."

It is important for potential doctors to learn about surgery early on in training, said club member Murat Dag.

"It is important to note that while not all students are interested in becoming surgeons, we will all have patients, and be patients, who will need surgery one day," the second year medical student said. "The more we know the less we will be afraid."

Most UA students say that while they would not sign up for the Surgery Club themselves, they think that it is a good idea.

"I would want somebody who has had a lot of experience working on me," said Crystal Stark, a music education senior.

"The more pig ears, the better," said Jennifer Jordan, a music education senior.

Other students are more skeptical.

"I just think it's weird," said John Lepore, a history senior.

The Surgery Club plans on collaborating with the Sports Medicine Club to set up the tape and splint clinic later this semester, Johnson said.

The next meeting will be Sept. 18 at noon in Room 2117 in the College of Medicine. UMC orthopedic surgeons Dr. James Benjamin and Dr. Kevin Casey will be the guest speakers.

For more information about upcoming events e-mail jasonj@email.arizona.edu.