Freaking out about Anatomy dissection...

[luvmy3kids]

Has anyone had to dissect a rat in Anatomy??? I seriously have no problem digging in and looking at all the parts... I just wish it were a human cadaver instead.

I just really don't have the guts to cut open a rat. Ewwww... they creep me out as it is when they are alive... Their little teeth and their tales... Let's just say... I can't wait!

Anyone else?? How did you do it?? Is it as bad as it sounds?? Thanks for your help!

[casi, ASN, RN]

Will you be working with lab partners? I always got my lab partner to do the things I wasn't to sure about. Which almost always included the big sharp huntting knife as I'm a klutz and had visions of myself removing my fingers...

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

I thought I was going to vomit when I learned I had to dissected the fetal pig and the cow eye (especially the cow eye). But I was OK.

I think what made my stomach settle was the fact that when I finally got to the point of those dissections, I had already studied 100s of pages worth of human anatomy and I had completed many labs. So, it became "old hat" sort-to-speak.

In fact, I was excited and had a very professional attitude in doing all of the dissections. So do not worry, you should be fine if you approach each lab with a good attitude.

I think the same can be said about cleaning up human feces and other bodily fluids. If you know a lot about what you are doing and why, there might be a point in your education where most stuff will not phase you. I suspect this will be the case for me. Good luck.

[MB37]

I'm actually worried because we don't get to dissect anything at my current school. We had human cadavers at my old school and got to work on them for two weeks, but then Katrina came and now I live in Florida. I take A&P I this semester, and the whole class including the "virtual lab" is online. I'm just nervous I won't learn as much or as well that way, but it's the only way I could get into the class at all. I'd rather practice on a dead person than a live one...anyways, good luck to all!

[SweetVen]

we dissected a cat on my anatomy class. it smelled so bad & it kinda burned your eyes too because of some chemicals that they put on the cat(forget the name of it).Nywaze it was great experience. My partner usually did most of the dissecting because i don't want to missed up cutting the muscles and all the impt. stuff.

[cad4296]

I am actually retaking A & P 1 because I didn't feel like I got as good a class as others. Everyone else was dissecting cats and stuff and all we did was look at a slide of blood. No models, nothing. And 95% of lectures had nothing to do with anatomy. My teacher tended to go off on tangents of stuff that had nothing to do with anything. My A & P 2 teacher was awesome and I realized how much I was shortchanged in A & P 1! So I actually am retaking just so I can dissect something! I think it's a great learning experience. Don't think of it as a rat, just think about all the cool anatomy you are getting to learn!

[Megsd, BSN, RN]

Honestly, once you get into it, it quits being "a rat" or "a cadaver" and morphs into a big mass of muscles and vessels and bones you have to be able to identify. My school was fortunate enough to use cadavers and I was creeped out at first, knowing that I was poking at the insides of a human being, but once you get in there it's just all muscles and bones and whatnot and there's really nothing that is so bothersome anymore.

The smell will always stay with you, though. I showered religiously after anatomy lab to try and kill the smell, but undoubtedly everything smelled like preservatives for a few hours.

[barbnyc]

We dissected cats in both Anatomy I and II. There were also sheep brains and hearts. I didn't appreciate the smell or the process. They didn't use human cadavers.

I had an arrangement with my lab partner where I brought the gloves, the dissection kit, the mask and the lab manual. He was the surgeon (which he seemed to enjoy immensely). I was the coach.

There are many resources on the internet for reviewing cat anatomy and human anatomy. Our lab practical exams used the dead cats, so you may want to grin and bear it.

[4evrhisma]

I'm having a little bit of uneasyness too. OK, a lot of it. I just found out I'm going to have to disect a fetal pig for class. When I think of other animals, doesn't bother me as much, for some reason this just does.