Anatomy and Physiology

StayHumble11 · May 27, 2013

I think it depends on the school. Mine didn't in a&p 1. I think we may in a&p 2.

LifeIsGood76 · May 27, 2013

I am taking an Anatomy class this summer and mine does do dissections. I am a vegetarian, and have been for 20 years, so I have similar reservations. However, I have to get over it. When I was in high school, I dropped out of a physiology class because I refused to disect a cat. I am much older now, and realize that I can't let something like this effect whether or not I pursue my career goal of becoming a nurse. I guess I make myself feel better about it because these animals are going to be put to sleep no matter what, so at least their death is having some purpose (allowing people to learn). Good luck!

HammockBound · May 27, 2013

Yes. A cow eye, sheeps brain, fetal pig...etc. Im sure there will more in the next courses. Part of learning.

Malorymug · May 27, 2013

Can you take an online version of the class? Then you are just viewing slides of dissections; one animal for 500+ students is better. I did online UTA for A&P and we viewed frog, rat, pig.

claritasd · May 27, 2013

I thought about doing it online. I'll look into UTA, thanks.

I know I'm going to have to dissect things, I'd just rather it were people, hah. At least they chose it.

Pamlepper - thanks. I'll do it if I have to - I'm in Peace Corps, and I had to give up veganism and switch to being vegetarian for while I'm here (though I do plan to switch back once I return to the US), so I know sometimes you have to make compromises like that for what you really want to do. But I'm glad to hear from someone else with this problem.

dkmamato3 · May 27, 2013

We used primarily cats - 4 students per cat with the same cats used throughout our 3 A&P classes. We also looked at elk hearts and eyeballs (fresh due to hunting season) and a few other preserved animals parts.

edited to add - before you do an online class, make sure to check if your nursing school of choice require an A&P laboratory component - most schools want you to have some hands on experience

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · May 27, 2013

We had to pith frogs for physiology lab. This means we held them in our nondominant hands and bent their necks over, then inserted a dissecting probe through the foramen magnum and scrambled it around a bit. The frogs felt no pain and we were able to do the experiments on muscles, etc. We also killed them for dissection by hitting their heads hard on the lab bench. Quick. I don't know if they still do either one -- probably not, with all the squeamishness I hear about these days-- but I'll never forget it.

It was also good practice for me when I had to put a severely injured chipmunk out of its misery when the cat brought it in. A good hard whap to the head on the counter edge and it's all over.

queserasera, RN · May 27, 2013

Uh, at my school it's human a&p, so no. No animal dissection.

rncat2000 · May 27, 2013

My school did human a & p as well but we still dissected animals. We did a pig heart sheep brain and an eye.

i♥words · May 27, 2013

In my lab we dissected a cow's eye, sheep's heart, and sheep's brain. We did it in groups so usually only one person did the dissecting and the rest observed. Honestly it seemed like a waste of time. The lab manual had better pictures.

lauraline · May 27, 2013

We had human cadavers and only humans remains. I initially had no problem because the individuals knowingly donated their bodies to science. However, after seeing how they were treated made me somewhat upset. Not the fact that they were dissected and mutilated for science, but because remains were literally being stored in empty coffee cans, ziploc bags leaking with fluids, and used as props for students to make obscene jokes. It just seemed disrespectful and inappropriate to me. There was complete lack of dignity and respect. If I had known this is what happens, I never would donate my body. Somewhat off topic, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.