Refusing to dissect in A&P or Microbiology?

sapphire18 · Nov 12, 2012

Dissecting a cat was the majority of our A&P lab...idk how they will grade you on identifying all of the bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves otherwise. I do understand your beliefs- I am also vegetarian- but this is just something that you have to do. Didnt you have to dissect a fetal pig in advanced bio?

Sherrybaby412 · Nov 12, 2012

In my A&P classes, we dissected in a group setting, usually one animal per table, maybe two. I always dissected because well I liked it but others would help. We always had one or two people who did not dissect but wrote notes or filled in the worksheet for the group. Hope this helps.

Sherrybaby412 · Nov 12, 2012

Oh and no dissecting in Micro.

2dogsandaguy · Nov 12, 2012

I have a degree in biology and have dissected several animals of different types, as well as performing surgical procedures on them and keeping them alive for the purpose of research. I have made it through by being very appreciative of the little guys that have given their life for my education and potential career. With that said, you will most likely be working with a lab partner and you can work it out with them to do the dissection. If you have a problem with blood and body parts, keep in mind it's part of the being a nurse.

2daag

dkmamato3 · Nov 12, 2012

We have done a rat and a cat dissection during this term. I would think that you cannot opt out of these dissections as they are often an integral part of the A&P learning process of comparative anatomy. However, like PP said, our dissections were done in group/table setting and someone was taking notes. We did two persons to one rat and 4 persons per cat. Good luck!

KristinaT · Nov 12, 2012

I thought I would have a problem with the cat dissection when I took Anatomy because I have my furbaby at home but I actually just jumped right in. Once you get over the initial "Oh my god, that's a cat" (especially because the one for my group had the same coloring as my cat at home!) then you view it more as a learning tool and it becomes interesting. My advice would be speaking with your professor, it probably possible to not have to do any dissecting yourself but probably not possible to completely avoid class during that time. We were tested on the dissections and the cats were set up for our exams (naming muscles, organs, etc).

Orange Tree · Nov 12, 2012

I've never dissected anything. It's disgusting and unnecessary. I have been in classes where things were dissected (at a younger age), but just kind of sat around pouting and don't recall them being graded activities. It might be worth it to email your instructors in advance and ask about their policies.

My anatomy classes never dissected anything, although there were cow hearts and maybe a few other "parts" set out for lab tests. In microbiology, everything is too small to dissect!

I realize that people have different beliefs about the use of animals for research and education, but it's ridiculous to be happy that an animal "gave" itself to you for the purpose of dissection. You're doing something "mean" to the animal, it's not doing something "nice" for you.

elkpark · Nov 12, 2012

I realize that people have different beliefs about the use of animals for research and education, but it's ridiculous to be happy that an animal "gave" itself to you for the purpose of dissection. You're doing something "mean" to the animal, it's not doing something "nice" for you.

Given that all the animals are long dead before they get to A&P labs, and students don't have to procure their own subjects, what exactly are they doing to the animals that is "mean"? Desecrating the corpse?

The cats that my group dissected in A&P lab were euthanized in shelters, and would have been dead anyway, regardless of whether we dissected them in class or not.

Orange Tree · Nov 12, 2012

"Mean" is in quotes. The reason that I used the word was to contrast the "nice" thing the animal did by "giving" its life.

I'd rather see the money spent on purchasing dead, processed cats for dissection go to doing something about pet overpopulation.

sixty3dayswithSarah, BSN, CNA, RN · Nov 12, 2012

I sorta think it's essential to having a full understanding of how the human body works. In fact, I think that RN's should need to participate in Gross Anatomy if I ruled the world, but that's me. Until you gain knowledge of the disease process and how the body works as a whole and individually, I think school is gonna be one tough road ahead of you, and like I have always said "dont make waves in the pool, bc the ones that do may be drawing too much attention, standing up for what they think is right, but may also find themselves employed as a CNA for the rest of their life!"

Speaking of human subjects. I'm my Advanced Health Assessment course, there was one brave female that offered to be my partner... Her response was, my GYN is a guy, and your gay, so what do I care? Will you be my partner? Background, everyone assumed I would just volunteer myself to be everyone's male exam partner.... But when this one female volunteered (I actually identified her early pregnancy! The least I could do was allow her to give me an exam in the embarrassing area's. We made a joke about it. She even noted my piercing in her HX and PX exam presentation, right down to the gauge size, location, and so on.... And yes, she did perform a rectal exam- she let me do one, so fair is fair... she pleasantly remarked I was the both the cleanest male she had ever had the pleasure of performing an exam on as well as I was gonna be a tough act to follow, for the first time. Between her and I, we worked out that while I presented my findings, I could present my findings that she was pregnant, approx x # of weeks with an estimated date of confinement XXX.

Get use to dissecting, if we as nurses, and hopefully future DNP's, we will need to be competitive

Fast forward about a year, I was at my MD/NP office for my yearly physical/and I needed a semen analyses and Askenazic Jew Ancestry Einstein Victor screening. The ANP that came in to perform my PA was a new grad male NP. I know he had his list of questions he needed to ask/screen for (I did a rotation at this particular clinic) and one area of assessment for a 33 year old male was sexual health. First question, are you sexually active (wanting to make him laugh and relax) I answered "with others?" or "alone" he turned every shade of red. Next question "how many female partners have you had" (this was a rather odd questions and specific) I answered "um, one" next: and how long ago was that? "20-21 years ago" well thats been a long time, for any reason "well, she and I lost interest when we placed the baby for adoption. Oh, and I just seemed to loose interest after that" oh, was it because of the baby? "no, I have two at home and we are trying for a third, she just wasn't the right one for me" then he paused and asked if I had my wallet with me and if I carried pictures of my children "yes, yes (and I showed him" oh, I see, are you not attracted to Caucasians? (my older two children are adopted from Guatemala.) Just then, a medical assistant knocked and came in, my blood test results where available (STD screen) "Well, sorta, some I guess, but not all, like most people I am not attracted to everyone I come across" hm, (not knowing my kids are adopted) so if you haven't been with a female in twenty years and you are trying for a third, why do you need a semen analysis and all of this expensive genetic testing with the Einstein Center? The Medical Assistant looked at me and smiled. The ANP looked at the results and told me, all clear, but I still dont understand why you even needed an STD screen if it has been twenty years? Then the Medical Assistant chimed in "Mijo XXXX (my name.) I am sorry that you are being questioned by the police like this! (then looking at the male ANP) "Mijo, XXXX (my name)does not like ninas, only hombres, how else could he have el nino en la nina!" Then she hugged me and said, I'll go get Marco for you, ok. The male ANP turned and I swear he almost passed out.

See what happened's when you don't get a good history or foundation as your base footing! He asked me, why didn't you just tell me, I would have been alright with it.... I replied "well no.1 my insurance wont pay for all of those test's I need if they know that I am gay and trying to have a baby. no 2 I didn't think it mattered, gay or straight, it was the same form of care, no difference. no 3 I sorta liked watching you do the mental math.

rubato, ASN, RN · Nov 12, 2012

Trust me, OP, I'm right there with you. Vegetarian, animal rights activist, no leather, don't believe animals should die to benefit us. I'm fully there.

However, if you are going to be a nurse, you have to learn on something. Unfortunately, the cat is already dead (or whatever animal it is), and you aren't harming it more by learning on it. I do wish we could come up with a better way of doing this. I don't like it either. Lucky for me, we didn't have to dissect anything in A&P. I did when I was in high school a long time ago, but I think I just didn't participate, only watched.