Cadaver
Oct
02
We received our results from last week’s exam. The teacher was very excited and told us since she’s been a teacher we are the highest test average ever at 84%. I scored a high C and in chatting about the test I realize when I went back over my test I changed correct answers to the wrong ones. I received a lecture in going with the gut answer. Blah. Live, learn, and don’t change your answers! I wonder if I’d have scored higher on my credentialing exam had I not done the same thing? No one ever told me about that rule. I thought it was the right thing to do. I welcome all test-taking tricks in the comments section!
Next we went to the lab where I was finally starting to make sense of the slides we’d been given to learn. Then we got to meet our 80 year old male cadaver.
I was worried that I’d get light-headed because I didn’t have time to eat before class thanks to my 5 year old throwing her usual morning tantrum. Anyway, the cadaver resembles a person but thanks to all the preservative and time passed, it doesn’t look so much like a dead guy. We are prevented by law from seeing the face, hands, and feet (protection of his identity and our own emotional response). We don’t know how he died, but from the abdominal cavity heavily stained from blood we’re guessing it was a GI issue (no trauma visible from the outside). He had left hip replacement and that was interesting to see a plastic and metal joint where bone should be. After the survey of the body to explain mostly the skin layers (we’re studying integumentary system) and anatomical position, planes, and quadrants, we were invited to stay in and do as we wished with regard to respectfully handling the cadaver. Four of us stayed (two nurses, an EMT, and me the midwife) and we handled the organs (liver, lungs, etc.), felt the pericardium and other peri- organ tissues.
It was very interesting overall and I am looking forward to learning more about the systems in a 3D sort of way, compared to the one dimensional book learning I’d done on A&P previously. The teacher invited us to get an A or a B in the lecture/lab series and apply for admission to Advanced Human Anatomy where she and the class will be prosecting a newly donated cadaver.
It wasn’t an aromatic assault either. The scent of the cadaver lab was slightly medicinal with a wintergreen overtone. The teacher moistens the cadaver with a wintergreen spray prior to handling for the benefit of the students.
Now I’m hungry and feeling pretty put off about grease (thanks adipose tissue!) and meat (hello shredded muscle!).
October 2nd, 2006 at 1:30
I think there are two kinds of test takers: the rushers and the overthinkers. If you are a rusher and don’t fully think out your answers then it pays to go back over the test. If you are an overthinker, which it sounds like you might be, then NEVER EVER go over your test!
The cadaver experience sounds amazing! So, um, what is the point of the wintergreen spray? Just for aesthetics? Yummm. I’m thinking it wouldn’t so much make it more pleasant as maybe make it so I could never chew gum again!
October 2nd, 2006 at 11:42
Can you hear me gagging over here?
You’re right about adipose tissue – puts you off of chicken skin forever, doesn’t it?
October 3rd, 2006 at 12:00
OK, mom’s going to blow lunch here.
You are NOT at all the child I knew at 4-yrs-old
who was worried about Baby Duckie. Now you’d likely dissect her yourself.
. . .and, at least one of your parents (ahem) told you never to go back and change your answers. The first instinct is usually right. Of course, back then I didn’t know you were skipping so much school and tests.
Sr. Mary Mom.
October 3rd, 2006 at 2:16
I go to a Catholic university and the teacher I have for Fund. of Nursing says a prayer before every test and at the end of the prayer she always says “…Please don’t let them go back and change their answers. Amen”