Do HACC's A&P classes require animal dissection?

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Jan 7, 2014

Welcome fellow HACC student. I just started my prerequisites for a RN program June of last year at the Lancaster campus. I've taken Anatomy and Physiology I; there were zero dissections or even video dissections. We worked with models and slides; the slides were histology-based. I've A&P II this coming semester; and from what I've seen, there will be no dissections in that class as well. I think it comes down to funding and what's required for storage of what would be dissected.

HACC Lancaster campus has been wonderful to date. I do recommend using Rate My Professor to get a rough guide as to how a professor's style of teaching might fit your style of learning; and then ask around. There are HACC Facebook groups including one for nursing. Join at facebook.com/groups/groupsathacc/ (you do need a valid and working hawkmail email account to join). Their nursing Facebook group is not as active as PA College of Health Sciences, but the people who are active are friendly and helpful.

Also, there are great people in allnurses.com who can help from various angles; I've learned so much through various members of this forum.

Thank you.

Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jan 7, 2014

Moved to the Pennsylvania Nursing forum.

CareerChange63 · Jan 11, 2014

Short answer is no. I took both A&P 1 and 2 last year at the HaCC main campus....no dissection.

neld257 · Jan 29, 2014

I took A&P I and II at HACC Lancaster campus - Spring and Fall 2013 respectively. I do not remember any dissection in A&P I, but we definitely had dissections in A&P II. I specifically remember looking at the eye, the brain and the kidneys. We dissected them as a group during lab class so you would not have to personally do the dissection, but you would have to look at them well enough to identify the parts for the exam. My instructor used the dissected parts as part of our lab exam.

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Feb 1, 2014

Good day:

I'm taking A&P II now at the Lancaster campus; no dissections to date, none planned.

Neld, who was your professor?

Thank you.

neld257 · Mar 31, 2014

I took professor ******* for both A&P I and II.

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Mar 31, 2014

Hi Neld:

To date, no dissections of anything by any professor in HACC; there are no methods or means to store anything of such in quantity for students.

Thank you.

beshacohen · Apr 3, 2014

I took A&P I and II at the York campus. We used models, photos an drawings to learn anatomy. The was no dissection.

neld257 · May 14, 2014

Hi pmabraham:

Yes, we certainly did do dissections at HACC Lancaster Campus. If you read my post you will see that they were done as a group in A&P II. The parts are stored in buckets in the same shelving as the microscopes in the lab. If you look over there you will see many buckets. It is possible that your professor(s) chose not to show you any actual organs, but my professor did. We got to look at brains, eyes, and kidneys. One student would actually cut the organ and then we would all handle it and study it. Then the organ would be used as part of our lab exam. I was lucky enough to be the one to cut into an eyeball. If you ever get to do that be prepared for a mess!!

pmabraham, BSN, RN · May 15, 2014

Good day, neld257:

I apologize for thinking that all AP1 and AP2 classes where the same.

Thank you.

neld257 · May 16, 2014

pmabraham:

No worries. It's too bad that all the professors don't take advantage of the opportunity to show the students what the actual organs look like. Looking at the kidneys was especially cool.