Students practiced suturing techniques using a pig’s foot and suture kit provided by the Pre-Student Osteopathic Medical Association during the group’s suture clinic Tuesday.

Carolyn Nelson, director of the Family Practice Residency Training Program at Botsford General Hospital in Farmington Hills, taught about 60 students how to suture an open wound.

A suture is a type of stitch doctors put through the skin to hold a laceration together, said Nelson, an associate professor at MSU.

“This gives students a little bit of exposure to the fun part of medicine,” Nelson said.

Kelly Donovan, the group’s public relations chairwoman, said the clinic gave students an opportunity to practice techniques they read about in textbooks.

“I feel so much time is spent studying and learning the organic chemistry and biochemistry that students lose sight (of) why they want to go into medical school,” Donovan said.

Michael Booth, the group’s president, said although about 100 people participated in the event last year, the group limited this year’s clinic to 60 participants.

“Last year we were limited on tools, so people had to share,” Booth said. “This year there should be more one-on-one learning.”

Although clinic planning started in January, the group struggled to find doctors to teach the techniques and secure enough suture tools, Donovan said.

“We knew we wanted to do it, but it’s hard planning around a doctor’s schedule because they don’t know when they’re going to be on-call or working,” Donovan said.

Booth said the Ingham Regional Medical Center donated most of the tools needed for the clinic. Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital and the physicians leading the clinic also contributed supplies and 60 pig feet were purchased.

“Usually, I called a butcher and would go through a chain of three or four people, and finally I would get someone who didn’t think it was all that strange after all,” Donovan said.