Human Cadavers

[queserasera, RN]

I almost passed out from excitement today when my A&P teacher said we'd have an optional opportunity to explore a flash frozen human cadaver!! I thought I'd only experience this if I chose medical school! Anyways, I am obviously so excited. Professor will be doing the dissection of abdomen and thoracic cavity and then we get to go in and explore, hold organs, move stuff around. Anyone else ever gotten to do this?

[Boxer Mama]

I have not -but how exiting! That sounds amazing!

[melc0305]

Does "flash frozen" mean it's very well preserved? Our cadavers in AP are so old and decomposed, it's difficult to differentiate things. Would be so interesting to see one that was better preserved. Very cool!

[queserasera, RN]

As I understand flash frozen means right after death they are immediately "flash frozen" (no kidding, like a frozen food) preserving their organs with fluid tissue intact. So no formaldehyde. Just a "fresh" thawed body.

[phoenixnim]

What a cool experience!!

[zoe92]

Chelsea, that's awesome! I was always wishing AACC would allow us to do that. Could you message me the info? I want to partake! (It said your inbox was full).

[Skips, MSN, RN]

whoo! That's awesome!

My (nursing) school offers a cadaver dissection class that is completely optional, and it's mixed in with the medical students at another school. It's also really expensive. I don't know anyone that has taken it with our already full class schedule!

[mjo07]

Thats awesome!! Enjoy :)

[o0fefe0o]

That would be so awesome! My A&P professor completely removed all dissections from the coursework So it was strictly microscope slides, models, and pictures in lab.

[pixiestudent2]

awesome! I did something similar when I was in 8th grade. I wish my college offered that, I bet I would have learned a lot!

[Music in My Heart]

My anatomy class used cadavers, 4 students per cadaver. While they weren't flash-frozen, we had complete and total access to our cadavers. I learned a ton and firmly believe that the only way to really 'get' human anatomy is by looking at it.

The flash-frozen cadaver sounds like a great experience.

[greeneyedgal]

I was able to work with two (one male one female) in the first year of pre-recs leading up to acceptance into the nursing program. It went along with our anatomy class and it really made it come to life. We were able to took at muscle structure as well as inside organs. I know that it was beneficial to many students who are more hands on than just reading the text book. I know I am better that way and it was so great! The teacher absolutely made everything click for many of us. If you every have the opportunity to even sit in on a class and observe I would take that chance.