Gross Anatomy
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Yeah, a lot.
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Goto, do you see many applicants with such an experience? Could I use it for something to talk about at interviews?
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It's becoming more and more rare for undergrads to take human cadaveric labs. It would definitely be something to discuss. Perhaps in response to, "What do you think prepares you for medical school," type questions you could say your own fascination of the human body as a result of your undergrad cadaver course.
The actual skill of dissection truly doesn't translate into a usable skill in your future. Few will argue it may help with dexterity for a future in surgery but I just don't see that being true. It's really just a lot of work and time. However, you would come in with a pretty big leg up if you'd had lab time before.
Don't kill your other grades, etc. to do it... but if you can do it comfortably, yes.
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An undergraduate level anatomy course with cadaver lab is a great idea for any pre-med student. It does not need have any dissection that needs to be done by the students...the dissection can already be done.
The benefit is that you get to see the actual anatomy of a human body, and not just pictures or models. You can see the human body in 3D, which build a more accurate mental mapping of systems. And you arent shocked by how much more difficult it is to differentiate a nerve from an artery when they arent yellow or red, but the same grey purple that the rest of the cadaver is.
So, while you are right about pre-meds not needing dissection skills, a cadaver lab is great way to learn anatomy, and probably the best prep for the cadaver lab that you will see in med school.
IMO
The benefit is that you get to see the actual anatomy of a human body, and not just pictures or models. You can see the human body in 3D, which build a more accurate mental mapping of systems. And you arent shocked by how much more difficult it is to differentiate a nerve from an artery when they arent yellow or red, but the same grey purple that the rest of the cadaver is.
So, while you are right about pre-meds not needing dissection skills, a cadaver lab is great way to learn anatomy, and probably the best prep for the cadaver lab that you will see in med school.
IMO
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I am currently in an anatomy class with a cadaver lab. The dissection class would be in the summer. The bodies are then used in the ug cadaver lab course.
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At my undergrad, after you take Anatomy, you can apply/interview to teach the anatomy lab. The anatomy lab instructors (there are 30) all take "advanced anatomy" which is much more in-depth than the basic anatomy course and all of the anatomy lab instructors are assigned a dissection during the semester. I actually just finished my dissection on Saturday night which was the Peripheral Nervous System and the Spinal Cord. I spent about 11 hours last week and my partner spent about the same working on the dissection and cleaning (the brachial plexus is a beast and is super time consuming). As was said before, if you can do it without your other grades suffering at all, I'd say do it! It has been an extremely rewarding experience for me and while it may only benefit me for the first week or two of anatomy lab in med school, that is a week or two I can focus more on other things.
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It would help and as long as you are doing it for course credit or you like anatomy, I would do it. But it's not going to give you a large if any advantage for medical school. Difference between a nerve and an artery you learn on day 1. The problem with anatomy is that if you don't keep it up, you lose it quite quickly. Also it seems as though most undergrad anatomy classes are pretty superficial. Slowly going over each muscle and maybe it's innervation when you are responsible for innervation/aterial supply/veinous drainage/insertion/origin all at the same time. Plus they probably don't have much clinical correlation which is the real key. I'm pretty bitter right now though because I just got put through the ringer on my final exam 😉
Which nerve is lesioned if the patient cannot open their right eyelid, and upon manually opening it, they cannot look left? What symptoms would be most prominent in a patient with a tumor pressing on the stylomastoid foramen? Which muscle has lost innervation if the patient's jaw deviates to the left upon opening? Getting hit on the side of the head with a pool cue at the pteryion can cause what kind of hemorrhage and from which artery?
These are the important questions. Knowing which muscle elevates the uvula, not so much.
Which nerve is lesioned if the patient cannot open their right eyelid, and upon manually opening it, they cannot look left? What symptoms would be most prominent in a patient with a tumor pressing on the stylomastoid foramen? Which muscle has lost innervation if the patient's jaw deviates to the left upon opening? Getting hit on the side of the head with a pool cue at the pteryion can cause what kind of hemorrhage and from which artery?
These are the important questions. Knowing which muscle elevates the uvula, not so much.
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If you go to Western U, and have had A&P, you can apply for the summer anatomy course. Before first year starts. It is accelerated, and if you get a B or higher, you can TA for the rest of the first year class in the fall. I think you also get paid a small hourly wage. It is not much, but it could be some beer money.
I seriously wanted to take the summer course, then my first block of anatomy would be out of the way, and I would not need to worry about exams the first few months of school.
I think a few other schools do a similar program, it may be worth looking into if that is your thing.
dsoz
I seriously wanted to take the summer course, then my first block of anatomy would be out of the way, and I would not need to worry about exams the first few months of school.
I think a few other schools do a similar program, it may be worth looking into if that is your thing.
dsoz
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3rd nerve palsy/lesion (oculomotor). I don't know the name of any condition but I know that the facial nerve passes through the stylomastoid foramen so i can only assume it'd give a droopy face on one side (much like someone who suffered a major stroke). Not sure about the muscle with the jaw deviating to the left but based on the functions I'd guess the masseter or buccinator. No idea on the last one lol. In my anatomy class, we DO learn relevant information and a lot (but less than half) of our test questions are set up in a clinical manner. We get questions like "decreased or lost ability to perform flexion of digits IV and V of the manus would likely be caused by a lesion/palsy of which nerve of the brachial plexus?" Yes they are likely worded better than I just tried to do, but I feel our anatomy course has been extremely helpful and from what I can tell it goes above and beyond many other undergrad anatomy courses. For me this course knocks my last 3 upper division credits I need for graduation, and I'd rather be doing this than spending many many more hours in a micro lab (because all my other courses have been micro and I live in the micro lab).
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I know it's good for you but I don't know many people who are in your position or love anatomy dissection as much 😉 Your class sounds golden though. Definitely help ease the stress for the majority of the class. Overall, I think anatomy isn't that bad. I mean, it's pretty much straight rote memorization and I destroy the written exams. But the practicals kill me man. Our professors twist the cadaver around to give u a look at a muscle/nerve/artery that you haven't seen it from that angle before and expect you to magically know it. No one is gonna go through the neck to the other side to look at a structure. Just flip the neck the other way. It's almost as if they are trying hard to intentionally make the tests more difficult. Oh well, I'm done with it now 🙂
#3: Lateral pterygoid
#4: Extradural hemorrage of middle meningeal artery 😉
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Yes, taking an undergrad cadaver lab is very helpful for med school gross anatomy. I took a cadaver lab during undergrad about five years ago and then assisted in teaching the lab as an undergrad TA four years ago. I'm a first year med student now, and those experiences, even though they were a while ago, have helped me in med school significantly. I forgot a lot for sure, but I have remembered quite a bit and what I don't remember right away seems to come back pretty quickly. Its true that it won't help you on written exams, but it will help a lot on practicals, which kills a lot of peoples' grades. I say definitely go for it if it works with your schedule and stuff. And then if you do really well and have the opportunity to teach it as an undergrad TA, you'll be that much more prepared for med school anatomy and it looks good on your med school app.
I got accepted into the dissection class (had to fill out an application for it). It is over two months away and I am already pumped! 😛
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