We should do Cadaver Labs!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I am a nurse practitioner student and one thing I really want to do is to go through a cadaver lab. My nursing school and NP school has zero cadaver opportunities. Everyone I know who had the opportunity said it was really helpful to visualize the 3D image of the human body and tissues. Thankfully, there is one college with a medical school I live close to that offers graduate level gross anatomy classes that include a cadaver lab. They are usually reserved for students in a premed postbacc program, but they allow you to take them as a non-degree student if space is available. The school is about an hour away and I am strongly considering actually taking a semester off of NP school so that I could do this. I am really excited just thinking about it.

Have any of you had the opportunity to participate in a cadaver lab? What did you think?

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).

I took Anatomy though UCLA Extension and the class lab used cadavers. Anyone can take that the class, but it was mostly pre med and pre nursing, with some physical therapy graduate students. It was a great learning opportunity. Some people were freaked out at first, but it didn't bother me. Our professor had a weird sense of humor, so that made it interesting.

He literally had a "box o' brains." He told us not to mess with his "good brain" in a separate box. LOL

There were signs on the lab walk-in frig like "put a left leg in, take a right let out, do the hokey pokey . . . "

I guess I have a twisted sense of humor, too.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Not quite the same thing, but I attended an autopsy for nsg school A&P.

Amazing, fascinating, eye-opening, etc etc etc.

By all means, it will be a learning experience.

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Specializes in Home Health, Primary Care.

I

21 hours ago, amoLucia said:

Not quite the same thing, but I attended an autopsy for nsg school A&P.

Amazing, fascinating, eye-opening, etc etc etc.

By all means, it will be a learning experience.

I envy you. I just graduated (like today was the last day of the semester) with my Post Master's Certificate to be an AGPCNP and they are building my county's medical examiner's office literally right behind my neighborhood. I would LOVE to witness an autopsy. I swear, whenever they open their doors, I'm gonna go over there and ask if I could.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Most interesting things - the SIZE of the liver!!! Biggest internal organ. Seemed like it just filled up her abdominal cavity.

And the tar & nicotine residue in the lungs of that youngish female smoker.

Clumps that looked like black sticky gummy tar!!! Just major NASTY!!!

Made a significant impression on me as I had started smoking again while going nuts for nsg school. Quit for good just after I graduated.

Was about 1973 or so.

So again to OP - go for it!

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