A&P at BCC?

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I plan on taking my pre-requisites at BCC in the not too distant future and I'm dreading A&P due to the whole cat dissection thing. I'm not an animal rights activist, but the thought of cats being bred for dissection really makes me sick. Human cadavers are different story, I can deal with those since they chose to donate their bodies. So anyway, do you know if you are required to dissect a cat in A&P classes at BCC? Thanks!

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Specializes in Float Pool, acute care, management/leadership.

I know Shoreline and Everett CC does cats as well. No one in my class had an issue with it, except for one day when a girl sat out. It was towards the end of our cat dissection unit and some cats were starting to decompose more than others.

I am not too sure if it is mandatory, but another option would be to take A&P at North Seattle over the summer. They offer an intensive A&P 1/A&P 2 condensed into one summer quarter. I had a greater instructor, learned a lot, and we didn't have to dissect cats. I hope that helps.

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Specializes in RN, Retired.

Cats are not used in A&P at BCC (now BC). You will have sheep brains, cow lungs, organ-specific stuff like that.

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Specializes in Harm Reduction/Public Health.

sounds fun, I can't wait. I'm taking prereqs there right now but haven't started A&P yet. I'm doing the CNA course and just the general chem&121 this quarter.

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I plan on taking my pre-requisites at BCC in the not too distant future and I'm dreading A&P due to the whole cat dissection thing. I'm not an animal rights activist, but the thought of cats being bred for dissection really makes me sick. Human cadavers are different story, I can deal with those since they chose to donate their bodies. So anyway, do you know if you are required to dissect a cat in A&P classes at BCC? Thanks!

It sounds like they don't use cats at BCC, but even if they did, I really doubt they'd actually be breeding cats specifically for dissection. Look how many cats animal shelters put down every year; I always imagined this is where the cats used in dissection labs came from.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

They don't use cats at BCC. They may use the fetal pig. They used to use the fetal pig, a couple years ago, but some instructors only use body parts (cow brain etc.). I have heard that there may be one instructor that only uses plastic models but I'm not 100%. You could email each one and ask them. Or you could ask someone at BCC who has taken it if you've already going there. You could ask a A&P tutor at the BCC tutoring center - they would know, and then you wouldn't have to feel uncomfortable by asking the teacher. I understand how you feel, so I hope you don't have to dissect at all! :)

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I just heard from a friend that they are dissecting the fetal pig in Naomi Jones' class at Bellevue College - I would assume this is standard for all A&P classes at BC.

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We didn't have cats when I was there. In fact, I can't think of a thing that we DID have besides some lungs, and cow eyes. I've never forgotten those lessons, though. You might hate it, but you learn quite a bit. :-)

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I did my prereqs at BC, we didn't use cats, just sheep/cow eyes, heart, lungs, etc. Some classes do use fetal pigs, but mine never did.

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