Kadivars and Cats in A&P

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Who all had to work on human cadaver's and 20lb cats in their A&P classes.

Exactly what was it you had to do with them? Did if freak you out?

I'm a little nervous about this whole concept, any tips on how not to let it bother you?

I know its something I will have to do and I WILL DO IT, but I think its going to take a little getting used to.

I have two 20lb cats at home:uhoh21: (and a 7 pounder, just an FYI)

Specializes in Urgent Care.

I worked as a lab assistant for A&P II last semester and will for fall semester as well. We have a cadaver ( we're getting a new one for fall), and we harvest organs from the old cadavers and keep them as well, so we have about 4 hearts, 3 GI tracts, etc... We always try to keep their face covered to respect the cadaver and also keep it impersonal so people focus on the organs and not the person. I am personally fascinated by it all. I'm sure you'll be fine!

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Specializes in ER.

The school where I took A&P I did cats....

A&P II at a different school we had a human head that was dissected on one side so you could see all the muscles. It was preservered in a plastic block, and I THINK his name was Mike.

The main thing I learned was that pretty much everything looks like chicken. Also, a friend of mine can no longer eat turkey drumsticks at fairs and Thanksgiving. :chuckle

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We dissected a cat in A&P. I couldn't stand looking at his little face, so I covered it up! And I gave extra hugs to my own kitty at home. It's not fun, and it smells something awful, but it really helps you learn the material.

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We are supposed to do a cat in A+P II but I have this sinking feeling my lab professor isn't going to do it. We were supposed to dissect a sheep's heart last week and he skipped right it like he was barely interested in in. In fact, lab lasted all of about 15 minutes while he pointed out some of the "main" anatomy of the heart and then called it quits. I thought OK well just a bad day but nope this week lab once AGAIN lasted all of about 15 minutes when he went over about 20 arteries+ veins and called it quits for the day. He's new and he's just a fill-in....I really don't like him and I don't feel I am getting much out of it. I don't mind dissection but it looks like we won't be doing anything in A+P2....we did 3 dissections in A+P 1.

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wow i guess our school really is spoiled. We had 4 human cadavers and they were not used (get 4 new ones each year) and then for extra we had sheep brains hearts and pig kidneys so everyone could disect. On the human cadavers we had to locate all the muscles and some origins and insertions, nerves, most veins and arterys and of course all of the organs. the practical was set up with numbered pins stuck in to a part and you write down on your sheet what it was and sometimes a function of the part. there was no touching the cadavers during the practicals so you had to be familiar with parts in many different positions and without "digging around" to find out what you're looking at. My advice is to carry some ginger or mint gum and just remember that adaptation will take place so after awhile in the room you won't smell the formaldehyde nearly as much. I really appreciated having human cadavers because it made anatomy more real and we did extensive blood tracing in our last term of a&p and it helped to visualize how the veins and arteries fed blood throughout the body.

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In A&P we had 1 cat per 2 students. We used the same cat for A&P I + II. I was thoroughly digusted by it. I asked the teacher one day why we couldn't have a human cadaver. "They are expensive" he said. After questioning him I learned that we could get 1 human cadaver for same price as all the cats. It seemed like that made a lot more sense, because none of us were going to be veterinarians or surgeons. It was pretty much all pre-nursing students. I was like, "hey, we're going to be working on humans - not cats." It seemed like we could learn a lot more from a human's body than a cat's. But I just think he didn't want to deal with it, or to people's reactions to it. I never got a straight answer from him.

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When I was in nursing school we had to dissect cat. We also had human cadavers.

I disliked the dissection initially, but my second semester A&P instructor (she was great) said that cats were just like humans, only smaller. We would become familiar with anatomy in an engaged atmosphere.

I got thru the dissection, remembering that this would help me be a nurse and become familiar with cat anatomy too.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
Who all had to work on human cadaver's and 20lb cats in their A&P classes.

Exactly what was it you had to do with them? Did if freak you out?

I'm a little nervous about this whole concept, any tips on how not to let it bother you?

I know its something I will have to do and I WILL DO IT, but I think its going to take a little getting used to.

I have two 20lb cats at home:uhoh21: (and a 7 pounder, just an FYI)

I know this sounds crazy to some people, but you might understand me :p

It too freaks me out to have to dissect a 20lb cat. I have cats and other pets at home (no children), so they are my children.

The good thing in my school some teachers opt for dissecting a cat and others a fetal pig.

In bio we did a sheeps brain, an eyeball, frog, and fish. I really didn't want to have to dissect a cat, just cause it would hurt me. I requested the instructor who chooses to dissect a fetal pig.

I understand where you are coming from, it is very difficult. The choice is ultimately yours though. You might want to talk to your instructor prior to dissecting just so she/he knows how you feel.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
Who all had to work on human cadaver's and 20lb cats in their A&P classes.

Exactly what was it you had to do with them? Did if freak you out?

I'm a little nervous about this whole concept, any tips on how not to let it bother you?

I know its something I will have to do and I WILL DO IT, but I think its going to take a little getting used to.

I have two 20lb cats at home:uhoh21: (and a 7 pounder, just an FYI)

I know this sounds crazy to some people, but you might understand me :p

It too freaks me out to have to dissect a 20lb cat. I have cats and other pets at home (no children), so they are my children.

The good thing in my school some teachers opt for dissecting a cat and others a fetal pig.

In bio we did a sheeps brain, an eyeball, frog, and fish. I really didn't want to have to dissect a cat, just cause it would hurt me. I requested the instructor who chooses to dissect a fetal pig.

I understand where you are coming from, it is very difficult. The choice is ultimately yours though. You might want to talk to your instructor prior to dissecting just so she/he knows how you feel.

Jessica

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Man, I wish I had a cadaver or cats to disect in A&P I&II. I would have loved to have that experience. We did pig hearts and goat kidneys and such.

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Thanks everyone. Your stories and advice are very interesting. I'm trying to keep in mind that most of my fellow students will probably feel a little squimish too, so I'm sure I wont be alone. I'm sure that its also a great learning experience. I will however be getting that vicks someone mentioned to rub under my nose!!

Keep your stories coming.

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I'm totally jealous of those of you who had the opportunity to work with cadavers, cats too (sorry for those of you it bothers.) We had fetal pigs, and we were in groups of about 4. Also did sheep brains, cow hearts, cow eyes, and sheep kidneys.

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