Any advice for studying cadavers in anatomy class?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I am having trouble studying the cadavers and the photos of them for my anatomy class. I keep feeling very nauseated :barf02: and imagining the prosection/skinning. It is making it hard for me to study what I need to in the picture. The pictures that look more garbled or that show remnants of the skinning process are the worst (fingertips, reflected skin, etc). I know it's psychological and I need to get past it, but it's easier said than done.

I am not normally a squeamish person - I can handle all kinds of unpleasentries with the human body, but this one seems to get me.

Does anyone have any advice or tips on how they got through it? Do you think I can get by with just studying the models? (Our tests are on cadavers.)

Thanks!

Annie

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First, i'm totally jealous that your school uses cadavers! We're stuck w/ cats and I think it would be so much easier to learn on the real deal!

Keep in mind that these people chose to donate their body to science. I'm sure that they are getting a total kick out of people using their body to learn on. Maybe if you look it like that it will seem less ghoulish or creepy that "hey, this used to be a person and someone skinned them" :)

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It takes a lot of people to warm up to the cadavers. The worst part for me was the smell. Whatever chemicals are used are consistent with the fetal pigs we used in class as well. My instructor said during med school that half her class passed out, got sick, or had to leave the room.

Try not to let the gruesome details get into your head. We are VERY lucky to be able to study with cadavers. Most nursing schools do not have that luxury. Try to think of it that way. You should feel honored to be a part of something so special. My teacher taught us before she revealed the body to us that you have to "respect the cadaver".

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Specializes in EMERGENCY.

Personally, I was fascinated working with the cadavers, but I have seen many students struggle with this part of Anatomy. If its a mental thing with you (like you said, disection, etc..) I suggest reading the book "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Cadavers". My anatomy instructor would read a passage from this book prior to allowing students into the cadaver room. It really is an intersting book and reinforces that these gifts are truly something we should appreciate and respect as students in the medical field. I have heard of other colleges that use cats... and I personally can't even imagine trying to grasp human anatomy through a small cat! Be glad that your school has cadavers available.

If the smell is what's bothering you - try dabbing a little Vicks vaporub under your nostrils. Worked for some of the smell-sensitive students.

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Specializes in Trauma, Pain Managaement.
First, i'm totally jealous that your school uses cadavers! We're stuck w/ cats and I think it would be so much easier to learn on the real deal!

:)

DUDE--- We don't even get CATS! We got a fetal pig for A&P 1, and a sheep heart for A&P 2... And we have a picture book of cadavers.

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If the smell is what's bothering you - try dabbing a little Vicks vaporub under your nostrils. Worked for some of the smell-sensitive students.

I would have loved to have been told this before our cadaver lab. I will do that when I start nursing school!

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Thanks for your advice!

Our school teaches a full quarter of anatomy and then does a full quarter of physiology. Maybe because of that division, they can do the cadavers? I don't know? I have heard on the grapevine that they are leftovers from the Ohio State medical student program. I have no idea if that is true. Our school is very respectful of them and we have a lot of rules in place to ensure that. We have 4 in our classroom right now.

I almost got sick in class last week and since then have had a really hard time studying the pictures. I have seen videos of surgeries and had no problem - that tissue is alive. Maybe you're right - it could be the smell. I plugged my nose in class and got through it for a while, but had to sit down when I started feeling light headed. I will try the Vick's this week.

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I stood next to a guy in my class that was wearing cologne. I wished he was wearing more HAHA.

Ours are donated directly to the school. We get one every 6 months.

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Ours range from 3 to 4 years deceased. Maybe that's why they are so "icky"?

So, if I try to stand really close to one of the guys, that will help with the smell? Or maybe that would send the wrong message? :heartbeat :p

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Specializes in CTICU/CVICU.
DUDE--- We don't even get CATS! We got a fetal pig for A&P 1, and a sheep heart for A&P 2... And we have a picture book of cadavers.

DUDE--- We don't even get PIGS!! How about trying to study anatomy on RATS?!?! Yes..I said it..we're dissecting a rat tonight..apparently cats are $40 a pop and too expensive.

I'll let you know how THAT goes with our anatomy discussion tonight..:banghead:

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The smell really bothered me too. There were two cadavers in a tiny room (both several years old) and when we tested the teacher would stick numbered pins in the muscles. Somehow I managed to write down quickly what I needed and then I left the room to complete the questions. You never forget that smell though! Sometimes I would be at home, or somewhere doing something random and I would suddenly smell the cadaver smell out of nowhere. It was strange!

One lady in my class wore a gas mask. Hilarious!

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Man I feel really lucky we get 4 new cadavers every year!

I would just concentrate on what you are studying. Also try vics under your nose it really helped a lot of people. One girl wore a mask.

good luck.

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