Gross Anatomy

[firstgeneration]

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I was wondering how much gross anatomy you actually have to do. I am okay with everything buy the thought of gross anatomy, actually scares the heck out of me, especially with cadavers. I can do animals but has anyone experience that feeling. I would love more than anything to do dentistry but that gross anatomy course is really giving me second thoughts. Please help with suggestions.

 

[johntara04]

I was wondering how much gross anatomy you actually have to do. I am okay with everything buy the thought of gross anatomy, actually scares the heck out of me, especially with cadavers. I can do animals but has anyone experience that feeling. I would love more than anything to do dentistry but that gross anatomy course is really giving me second thoughts. Please help with suggestions.

All I can say is get used to it. Any health doctoral level degree comes with gross. Medical, Dental, PT, etc all has it. Other than the smell, it really isn't bad. It is actually really cool. You have a semester of it. You will spend 3-5 days a week dissecting the human body. You will get out the hand saw and cut through the skull. You will get the hammer and wedge and bang off the vertebrae to get to the spinal column. You will saw through the cadaver's rib cage to pry off the ribs to get to the heart. You will get the huge clippers and chop through the ramus of the mandible to get to the inferior alveolar and lingual nerves. Etc, etc, etc. Shameless really, but there isn't any other way to get the job done, right? 🙂

 

[drhobie7]

I believe you can desensitize yourself to this. There are students every year who faint during anatomy lab, but after that initial exposure they are fine. Take it slow. You can have your lab partner do the dissection until you feel comfortable. I really encourage you to get involved in the dissection because you will learn more this way and you'll look back on it as one of the most special experiences in dental school.

 

[2quik]

Well, if you're pre-pharm (like it's stated under your name) you wont have to worry about the cadaver b/c they dont do it. But if you really are pre-dent, all i can say is you get used to it. It really isnt that bad after the initial cut. Come test day you wont even think it's a person b/c you'll be too busy trying to learn everything you can about the brachial plexus=D.

 

[tanden]

This may be a stupid question, and sorry if it is, but why would you need gross anatomy for dentistry? I understand looking at the jaw, teeth, etc., but the whole body? I don't mind it, but it seems a bit unneccessary to me.

 

[Streetwolf]

Because hands down it is the most effective way to remember the material in the course. It's SO much easier to learn the hundreds/thousands of terms thrown at you when you can actually go to a body and point them out, trace their paths, and so forth. Not to mention it allows you to appreciate how unique and diverse each body can be.

Plus when you start to work on patients you can visualize where all the important (deep) structures are thanks to your cadaver.

 

[I'mFillingFine]

To the OP: everyone (even if they don't admit it) is extremely nervous or grossed out at first. Most are afraid they'll be the first to pass out or won't be able to handle it. And it is hard for the first few labs. It took me around two weeks to stop feeling sorta weird after I'd leave lab. But the best way to get over it happens naturally: The moment you begin, there is SO MUCH to learn and memorize that you become more concerned at learning it and passing the exams than thinking about what you're actually doing to the body. Basically, you get over it fast once the course gets going.

To tanden, dentists are oral physicians; it wouldn't be responsible to picture the head as cut off from the body, unconnected to any other system. Think about the head and neck and how deeply it's related to the vasculature, nerves, muscles. Also, dentists do relate to systemic diseases (diabetes, cancer, smoking pathology, osteoporosis, etc. etc.) True, I got tired of studying the arms and fingers and lower intestines, but it's all part of the general medical curriculum that you're taking during first year. Most dental students will spend more time on the head and neck and at our school we didn't dissect below the pelvis (I think others might.)

 

[johntara04]

This may be a stupid question, and sorry if it is, but why would you need gross anatomy for dentistry? I understand looking at the jaw, teeth, etc., but the whole body? I don't mind it, but it seems a bit unneccessary to me.

The prescriptions you prescribe, the surgeries you perform, etc, affect the whole body, so you need to know the body. You are going to be a doctor, and will have to make decisions about your patients that could put their lives in danger. Granted, nothing like an MD has to do, but you can still kill your patient. So, you need to know why.

 

[SuperC]

I was scared, so my professor let me cut up a cat.

 

[pts218]

I know NYU has been doing gross anatomy strictly using pre-dissected plasticized cadavers for the past couple of years. I heard it's a lot more efficient since everything has already been found for you and you don't have to waste time rooting around looking for some miniscule nerve or structure that you might have destroyed accidentally. I dunno what other schools use the plasticized bodies but that should be less traumatic for those that are completely opposed to dissectiing a cadaver.

That being said, I felt dissection was one of the best parts of dental school, cutting is fun. Plus you can get high off of the formaldehyde fumes. 😀

 

[docj1]

As a dentist you perform surgery on a daily basis. You have to learn what is bone, nerve, ligament, artery, vein, muscle, (you get the idea). It is much easier to learn these things on a cadaver. Gross anatomy should be mandatory for anyone who uses a scalpel on live patients.

 

[Zzzdentist]

Gross anatomy was one of the courses I feared most about going into dental school. I even mentioned it in my dental interview. I think they appreciated my honesty!

Thankfully it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Our cadaver was, how can I say this, not as fresh as some other ones in the lab. The body was pretty brown and a little dried up. It kinda reminded me of Kentucky Fried Chicken oddly enough. 😉

If it helps you any, usually when you're working on the body, they have a cloth covering the face. I believe that all the blood has been drained from the femoral artery, and they run formaldehyde through the circulation. Or do they immerse the entire body in it? I'm not certain.

We started on the chest area first, and I had to let my lab partners do most of the work since it took me a while to get used to the whole thing. LOL sure call me a wuss, but they didn't supply any gloves for us in the lab. After a while people were buying their own boxes of latex gloves so that helped. The smell isn't too bad. It's just a chemically smell mostly.

Our cadaver's head was pretty shriveled up so it didn't look so real which made it easier to work on. Don't worry - you're not the only one with the heebie jeebies thinking about dissecting human bodies. Try to concentrate on learning the anatomy rather than focusing on your fears.

It's actually kind of neat after you've removed the heart and lungs. The chest cavity is just a compartment with the spine and esophagus running down the back area. You end up seeing people in a whole new light.

 

[atlantadentist]

I do oral surgery and dental implant placement routinely. It is essential to know where everything is and not to harm anything. Anatomy is very important. I have done about six dissections and my knowledge of anatomy has helped greatly.
The humans you dissect donated their bodies. They wanted you to learn from them. The dead help the living. The last dissection I did I actually felt a great deal of appreciation for the woman.
Like anything else, you get accustomed to it and it becomes no big deal. Remember when you first learned to drive a car.
Regardless, the information is vital. What would you do if you accidentally hit the lingual artery and the mouth filled up with blood? Anatomy teaches you the answers.

 

[DrJeff]

Most d-students are the most apprehensive about gross anatomy when starting d-school and after finishing d-school it's probably the favorite course that many have taken in the previous 4 years. Truely amazing to see how the human body works👍

 

[tinman831]

Most d-students are the most apprehensive about gross anatomy when starting d-school and after finishing d-school it's probably the favorite course that many have taken in the previous 4 years. Truely amazing to see how the human body works👍

My sentiments exactly. 🙂

 

[1992Corolla]

Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can't Handle.

Seriously, this is the acronym for the bones in the wrist. 😀

 

[Streetwolf]

Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can't Handle.

Seriously, this is the acronym for the bones in the wrist. 😀

I prefer these more:

Our only objective: to touch and feel virgin girls' vaginas and hymens.

Some say money matters but my brother says big breasts matter more.

Two zebras bit my cr__ch.

What are THESE for? 😛

 

[1992Corolla]

so dirty...😀😀

On Old Olympuses Towering Top A Fine Victorian Gentleman Viewed A Hawk

Six Sailors Made Merry But My Brother Said Bad Business My Man

I don't know what the Zebras one is for though... I bet I ahve an acronym for it...LOL, I am glad anatomy is over with, one of my favorite classes though.

 

[toothfairy85]

The Zebras one is for the branches of the facial nerve.

Temporal
Zygomatic
Buccal
Marginal Mandibular
Cervical

 

[Montserrat]

The Zebras one is for the branches of the facial nerve.

Temporal
Zygomatic
Buccal
Marginal Mandibular
Cervical

I learned this one as "to zanzibar by motor car." Far more lame than Streetwolf's.

 

[Montserrat]

Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can't Handle.

Seriously, this is the acronym for the bones in the wrist. 😀

That's a cool one. It even follows the left to right directional flow for the right hand.

 

[armorshell]

so dirty...😀😀

On Old Olympuses Towering Top A Fine Victorian Gentleman Viewed A Hawk

Six Sailors Made Merry But My Brother Said Bad Business My Man

I don't know what the Zebras one is for though... I bet I ahve an acronym for it...LOL, I am glad anatomy is over with, one of my favorite classes though.

Some Say Marry Money, But My Brother Says Big Boobs Matter Most 👍

There's also something about Ooh Ooh Ooh To Touch and Feel...

 

[Wayne Coronado]

Some Say Marry Money, But My Brother Says Big Boobs Matter Most 👍

There's also something about Ooh Ooh Ooh To Touch and Feel...

I'll finish that one...Very Good Velvet, Ah Heaven (not too exciting)

How about this one...Ooh Ooh Ooh Truly There Are Five Very Gorgeous Vixens Awaiting Him (dangerous yes, but much more intriguing) 😀

 

[Streetwolf]

Dirtier = better cause you remember it.

I learned this one first though:

Oh, once one takes the anatomy final, very good vacations are heavenly.

 

[armorshell]

I'll finish that one...Very Good Velvet, Ah Heaven (not too exciting)

How about this one...Ooh Ooh Ooh Truly There Are Five Very Gorgeous Vixens Awaiting Him (dangerous yes, but much more intriguing) 😀

Lets just say ours uses different "V"s 😉

 

[1992Corolla]

someone else already posted the vagina one, don't be so bashful 😀

I remember the tzbmc one, we used the motor car version. We had so many it wasn't even funny.

I found the more ridiculous they are the easier they are to remember.

 

[armorshell]

someone else already posted the vagina one, don't be so bashful 😀

I'm practically a PSA about why you should read entire threads before posting