I'm currently working on my prerequisites and it's going great, aside from the road bump that I just hit. I was diagnosed with Mastocytosis a few years ago and it's currently (for the most part) under control, but formaldehyde is still one of my biggest triggers. So, I risk anaphylaxis if I take Anatomy and Physiology with the typical lab that involves the cadaver and tons of formaldehyde. It honestly isn't the cadaver that bugs me- I'm totally all for it. I was even looking forward to it. But even with a mask, I doubt I could keep my airways open due to the chemicals involved in preserving the body.
So my question is, are there online anatomy and physiology labs, or other avenues I can take, that would fulfill the lab component of the class without an exposure to formaldehyde?
Pinky, that sounds amazing! Your school is allowing you to use that for your pre-req, without the in-person lab? I'd love to hear about what school you're doing that through!
We did a lot of dissections in my class. We had cats that we worked on the whole semester, plus some individual organs that were either sheep, cow, or pig. We were lucky enough to have human cadavers. They were stored in a separate room with ventilation but no windows. We didn't dissect them, but the professor showed us things, we got to feel around and ask questions. I'm not sure if they used formaldehyde for any of this. You should probably ask the school.
As for online A&P, my school system does offer it completely online. My school and many others do accept it because there is still a lab portion. They actually send you organs to dissect. So you might still have the same issue.
The only undergrad A&P class I knew used human cadavers was medical illustration class at my college.
In college we only used a cow eyeball and that was the only dissection that we did I am sure with advanced in computer technology and programs available for anatomy practice you could get reasonable accommodations for alternative learning!
MissHopeful111
21 Posts
Pinky, that sounds amazing! Your school is allowing you to use that for your pre-req, without the in-person lab? I'd love to hear about what school you're doing that through!