Hey, remember last week when we published that article about how Snapchat is all growns up now? Well guess what: not only has Snapchat blown past puberty (as have many of its users), but it’s getting ready to graduate from medical school–all thanks to Snapchat Spectacles. Yup, those goofy-ass glasses that record 10 second videos for easy upload to your Snapchat account.
Dr. Shafi Ahmed is a surgeon at the London Independent Hospital, and on December 9th, 2016, he had to repair a hernia. Ahmed also had to provide step-by-step visibility into the surgery for a number of medical students. This time, instead of using a 360 degree 4K camera–like the setup he used back in April when he got all fancy-schmancy while removing a colon tumour–he just slipped on a pair of Snapchat spectacles and had one of his assistants manning the recording and the uploading (one click each). Ahmed just sliced and diced while providing commentary throughout the series of 10 second clips. About 200 medical students followed the surgery as it occurred.
According to Ahmed, the 10-second clip limitation was quite effective in helping him reconsider and refine how he teaches students during procedures. “It’s like you’re presenting a recipe,” he told Time. “You’re training people in a structured way…The Snapchat platform is really interesting because it mimics who we are. It thinks on a 24-hour, short-term basis, and we, as individuals, work in short-term basis.”
Next up: A “Courtroom Sketch Art” filter on Instagram and #DeliveryRoom trending on Facebook Live.
According to Ahmed, both the device and the medium were a hit; in the next few weeks, he will publish the “results” of the Snapchat tutorial trial, but regardless of those results, expects to continue using Spectacles regularly going forward.
Enjoy the video:
