Autopsy Experience!

[awinter4ever]

Could there be anything more humbling? I had the privilege of participating in several autopsies while training as a paramedic. Unlike the old cadavers that nursing students use to learn, these bodies I learned from were of persons who had died the night before. I would go to the city coroner’s office and observe/participate the dissection of persons who died under questionable deaths. It was so strange. I could actually feel the lifelessness of the people I worked on. It was also very bloody. I was in scrubs head to toe plus I wore a face shield. I was able to help cut through the chest cavity of a 53 old male. His gastric contents smelled so gross! I thought I was going to vomit. I got the chance to intubate him. It was great. His neck was bisected and I could enter through his cricoid. Because the chest cavity was exposed, I could watch his lungs inflate. It was sooooo cool! Students were allowed to go back as many times as they wanted so I also got to participate in the autopsy of a 73 year old female and a 14 month old child. All child cases are autopsied by law even when the mode of death is known. In this case, the child was involved in a motor vehicle accident. The mother, who was restrained, lived. Her unrestrained infant died. It was hard to deal with. I had nightmares for a few weeks following that case. I know that most students don't get to experience autopsies in their pre-med studies, but is there anyone else out there who wants to share their autopsy experience?

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[1Path]

I had my first experience as an undergrad too during a time when I was working for a Neonatologist. The autopsy was on an infant and my job was to retrieve parts of the small intestine(I can't believe I spelled this wrong the first time, lol) for lab experiments.
Having had some pretty tragic experiences with death by the time I saw my first autopsy at age 19, words like "fun" aren't what come to my mind when describing autopsys (on the contrary it seems like a LOT of hard and sometimes depressing work), but it certainily is interesting and humbling.

As a future pathologist , I have absolutely NO intention of pusruing a carere as a Medical Examiner or Forensic Pathologist although I realize that these are aspects of residency training.

 

[wildcat05]

Although I have never seen an autopsy, I have the opportunity to see one in the next month if I want to. I think it would be a good experience for me, but I am also nervous because I have never really been exposed to anything like that yet (ie surgeries, major injuries). I have worked with cadavers in the past but I know that is nothing compared to a person who just died because the cadavers are so preserved they dont really look real. I don't want to let this opportunity pass me by and I know I will need to get used to this type of stuff eventually, but do you guys think its a bad idea to start my exposure by seeing an autopsy? I'm just not sure how I would react to it at this point.

 

[medstylee]

i think an autopsy is a great learning experience, espically if there is a good attending/resident on board. i've had the chance to see quite a few (although only one on an adult), and i agree, it is very humbling, especially the part where the skull cap is removed. the gastric contents certainly do smell bad, but i think we'll be smelling worse at times in med school. i work in a pathology lab and i can definitely think of a few things that came from live patients that smelled way worse, like gangrenous lesions. of course, i'm only basing this on a hospital autopsy. i know forensic autopsies are way different in many respects.

i, too, might be interested in forensic path, so hopefully i'll have a chance to do a rotation with an M.E. at some point in med school.

 

[Severus]

I volunteer as a neuropathologist for a brain bank at our uni. It's kinda gross at times (e.g., when they pull down the face and saw open the skull) but other than that, it's a great experience. Cutting brains is kind of awe-inspiring, and difficult as hell given the fact that sometimes we're pushing the PMI on already atrophied brains. yargh.

 

[bikedoc1021]

i have been an assistant autopsy tech for the last 2 years, consequently i have been involved with upwards of 250 cases and i must say that i have learned more from these experiences that any class i have ever taken. anyone who has the chance to ovserve one should certainly take it. personally, the best way to learn about the human body and how it normally functions is to see what happens when it is damaged or functions improperly. as of right now, i do plan on pursuing pathology in some form but i also have inclinations towards surgery being very experienced with my hands and now skilled in anatomy.

p.s. if anyone wants to know about any cool cases i've worked, just let me know.

 

[Chinorlz]

i have been an assistant autopsy tech for the last 2 years, consequently i have been involved with upwards of 250 cases and i must say that i have learned more from these experiences that any class i have ever taken. anyone who has the chance to ovserve one should certainly take it. personally, the best way to learn about the human body and how it normally functions is to see what happens when it is damaged or functions improperly. as of right now, i do plan on pursuing pathology in some form but i also have inclinations towards surgery being very experienced with my hands and now skilled in anatomy.

p.s. if anyone wants to know about any cool cases i've worked, just let me know.

I too also am an on-call assistant autopsy tech on weekends at Mass. General. Always interesting cases coming through. Everything from Prader-Willi patients, to Hep C, to various end stage diseases, lots of cancer, and even a 10-day old rotting body. You learn A LOT about many aspects of medicine, both the humanistic side and of course the anatomy/pathology/physiology along with seeing the results of surgical procedures firsthand.

There is something both unsettling and amazing about taking a scalpel to someone to confirm cause of death. Many times, you are the first person EVER to lay eyes on what you see. After all, people don't get their skull caps removed regularly.

After doing many autopsies, you realize that you aren't shocked by much anymore. At the same time, you gain a more wonderful appreciation of what life is and what it means.

I remember being apprehensive when I was offered the position after shadowing and spending time at the weekly path conferences. I wasn't sure I could "handle" it, but I learned to. I've never felt nauseous, it's just always a feeling of slight unease.

Oddly enough, only one of my two interviewers at Sinai inquired about that aspect of my application. More of the fellow kids being interviewed asked me about it hahaha.

 

[Angelyka]

I would love to see one. I have seen several surgeries in the OR and hung out in the gross anatomy lab with the first years though.

 

[marie.bee]

Hi there, I am only a freshman in college,but I aspire to be a surgeon. I read in another forum that someone was an autopsy assistant for a year and felt it a very rewarding experience in many aspects. They also said that there are no requirements, yet you learn all about disease, anatomy, and get hands on experience such as cutting open and sewing up. Is it true that you don't need experience to hold this job? If not, then what are the requirements? Also, is this job at a hospital? A city morgue? I would love to pursue this before I get to med school, and am currently in a surgical technician program. Thanks for any info you can provide--i am very curious!
TE="bikedoc1021, post: 3650372, member: 93749"]i have been an assistant autopsy tech for the last 2 years, consequently i have been involved with upwards of 250 cases and i must say that i have learned more from these experiences that any class i have ever taken. anyone who has the chance to ovserve one should certainly take it. personally, the best way to learn about the human body and how it normally functions is to see what happens when it is damaged or functions improperly. as of right now, i do plan on pursuing pathology in some form but i also have inclinations towards surgery being very experienced with my hands and now skilled in anatomy.

p.s. if anyone wants to know about any cool cases i've worked, just let me know.[/QUOTE]

i have been an assistant autopsy tech for the last 2 years, consequently i have been involved with upwards of 250 cases and i must say that i have learned more from these experiences that any class i have ever taken. anyone who has the chance to ovserve one should certainly take it. personally, the best way to learn about the human body and how it normally functions is to see what happens when it is damaged or functions improperly. as of right now, i do plan on pursuing pathology in some form but i also have inclinations towards surgery being very experienced with my hands and now skilled in anatomy.

p.s. if anyone wants to know about any cool cases i've worked, just let me know.

Hi t