I am having trouble studying the cadavers and the photos of them for my anatomy class. I keep feeling very nauseated 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.)
Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.
I had cadavers in my anatomy class - but then again, it was a 300-level class at the state's flagship university, and not a dinky 100-level A&P type course.
And, to be completely unhelpful, have fun eating beef jerky after you're done with the class.
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..
"Lord, Thank you for the poor dead fetal pigs we had, and your many other blessings"
From the info I got at the school bookstore, the fetal pigs were $80 a piece.
"Lord, Thank you for the poor dead fetal pigs we had, and your many other blessings"quote]
LOL!!!! Apparently the rats are too expensive too..bc we have YET to see a rat..the Professor said he "heard" that there are fetal pigs around..so he may try to use them..
The joys of A&P I at a local community college...:)
Thank you guys for making me laugh this week! It has definitely changed my perspective. I will go in thinking of cats, pigs and rats (oh my!) instead of my nauseated tummy!
The elusive promises of an anatomy professor...it's drama to make you excited to see the rats. Now that would make me sick, too! Pig, cat, fine, but rats? Eww! I think that would give me nightmares.
The other night we had cornish hens for dinner and I couldn't eat mine. I kept looking at the muscles and couldn't block out the names as I ate. It made me sick. This is one heck of a diet program! :) If only the cadavers smelled like pizza I would be skinny forever!
I've actually seen pics of dissected rats..and was one of the few people that weren't please when we came in and there were no rats!
My cousin had taken the class a year or so earlier..so when I asked about the cats..she was like..you wish! It's rats!
The professor said the shipment hadn't come in yet..so he was going to look into..and to finish his sentence, the class was like, "Look into getting them from off of the street?" lol
I'm in a very urban city..and while I'm cool with the dissection of rats..not those that run around the city! lol
Thank you guys for making me laugh this week! It has definitely changed my perspective. I will go in thinking of cats, pigs and rats (oh my!) instead of my nauseated tummy!
The elusive promises of an anatomy professor...it's drama to make you excited to see the rats. Now that would make me sick, too! Pig, cat, fine, but rats? Eww! I think that would give me nightmares.
The other night we had cornish hens for dinner and I couldn't eat mine. I kept looking at the muscles and couldn't block out the names as I ate. It made me sick. This is one heck of a diet program! :) If only the cadavers smelled like pizza I would be skinny forever!
Lol, I know what you mean! We had to dissect chicken thighs and detach the tendons etc. It was really hard for me to eat chicken after that!
Specializes in LPN in the Navy, completed paramedic crs.
well my college cant afford a cadaver lol-we get cats next week. I have heard that rubbing some Vicks vapor rub under you nose helps with the smell. I would have loved if my school could have gotten a cadaver.
The rats are in!! The rats are in!!! Can't wait until next Tuesday for lab!!!!!!
Please update us on how it goes!
I have my lab again tomorrow - and a lab practical exam. I will come prepared with vick's and a new appreciation for having cadavers and hopefully a full knowledge of back and lower limb muscles, blood vessels and nerves!
I was watching an NCIS re-run last night and my whole perspective on the morgue scenes has changed. Now, I pay attention to the organs visible from the reflected skin and it is obvious that they are all wrong. The show must have done this on purpose because it is soo way off. I am sure I would have known that before, but I certainly wouldn't have looked. And, the scenes don't even begin to look gross to me now. Maybe I am de-sensitizing after all.
Our school has the smelly cats, and cow's eye balls..... I dont know how I would react to a 3-4 year old cadaver smell either. I would probably be skipping dinner those days until I got used to it.
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. 
Apparently the rats are too expensive too..bc we have YET to see a rat..the Professor said he "heard" that there are fetal pigs around..so he may try to use them..
TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP
1,290 Posts
I had cadavers in my anatomy class - but then again, it was a 300-level class at the state's flagship university, and not a dinky 100-level A&P type course.
And, to be completely unhelpful, have fun eating beef jerky after you're done with the class.