Cadaver lab?

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My CC has a cadaver lab for A&P. They say they are one of only a few 2-year colleges in the west to have such a thing. Does anyone know exactly what goes on in a cadaver lab? Are they people cadavers or animals? Are they just there to look at or do you have to actually mess around with them?

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Specializes in DOU.

They are human cadavers. My understanding is that students do little/minimal work on them because the schools don't want the students to mutilate the body tissues. You will probably do your work on animals.

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My CC (Bay area of CA) had human cadavers. We had 3 bodies per semester and then also had giant Rubbermaid containers and plastic garbage bins full of various limbs, then of course, jars and tubs full of hearts, brains, eyes, reproductive and other organs. It was VERY hands on. Though most of the dissection and prep was done by advanced students, we still had the option to prep (skin and "defat" - not sure of the proper term.) We did nothing on animals in anatomy. We did do dissections on sheep eyeballs and frogs in physio.

We had courses offered as just anatomy or just physio. In anatomy we started with histology slides - looking and IDing various tissues under the microscope, then progressed to skeletal anatomy. This was both human bones and life sized models. Then the remainder was on the cadavers and parts. It was very disconcerting to have to pull a mostly skinned arm or leg out of a container and put it on giant "cookie sheets" and figure out all the muscles and such. Much of what we did on the cadavers was first lead by the instructor, who would point things out, then the little group would be left to look things over while she went to the next group. Then we would find various parts on the different cadavers to note minor anatomical differences. For exams, there would be a little numbered flag or push pin placed in a structure (either in a a body or a dissected part) and we would have to say what it was in deepest detail. I won't lie it was intense. But that said, it was also VERY cool and I was so appreciative that people had donated their bodies so I could learn. I think it also served to desensitize, learn to cope with stress, fear, gross-outs, smells, etc. I don't really see how working on a cat would help me learn about humans so much. Not like I am going to be a vet tech! I actually think that would be more upsetting to me. I hated working on the freshly killed frogs! I thought it was cruel. Plus I don't know if they don't kill the cats to sell/use for such classes. I am pretty sure they didn't kill the people!

I really wanted to apply for an honors dissection slot when I was done, but I still had so many prereqs I needed to knock out, I never did.

Remind yourself that you are lucky to have such an opportunity. You'll be fine!

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

I wish we'd had a cadaver lab. Our primary dissection was with cats; sheep hearts, brains and eyes.

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We didn't get real bodies. We got fetal pigs, I was so excited I named ours Elmer. He was such a little guy.

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Specializes in DOU.
We didn't get real bodies. We got fetal pigs, I was so excited I named ours Elmer. He was such a little guy.

We named ours "Wilbur". :D

I loved those classes.... I had a great time dissecting stuff...

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Specializes in SRNA.

Irvine Valley College (Irvine, CA) offers a Human Prosection course for Honor Students. It was a small group class where you chose a portion of a human cadaver to dissect out. I loved my Anatomy teacher and really wanted to take the course, but I was four hours, one day per week and couldn't work into my full-time work schedule.

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I had no problem dissecting worms and frogs in 8th grade. People... I don't know. It would be weird, but I think I could do it. Cats... I hope we don't have any cats to dissect. I think my cat would know and stop talking to me.

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Specializes in DOU.

I thought animal dissections would be a problem for me, but I just covered their faces with paper towels. It really helped. In fact, I did "extra credit" dissections for our final because they didn't have enough. I did cats and fetal pigs.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I went to a San Diego CC. In general bio we did fetal pigs and worms and crawfish and such. In anatomy we dissected a cat and we just checked out the cadaver lab. At my school if you completed an anatomy class you could do a semester of human dissection. It was 4 hours a day a week like someone else mentioned. The experience was pretty amazing. They are very respectful with the bodies, covering the head, hands, and feet. If some part was taken out it was always put back. I think they only have two bodies though.

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Plus I don't know if they don't kill the cats to sell/use for such classes. I am pretty sure they didn't kill the people!

They get them from shelters after they are euthanised. 10 million animals are put down in shelters every year and are sold for medical research and to pet food companies (yes, the euthanised dogs and cats end up in pet food).

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
They get them from shelters after they are euthanised. 10 million animals are put down in shelters every year and are sold for medical research and to pet food companies (yes, the euthanised dogs and cats end up in pet food).

yum meat by-products

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