It means that you don't do the dissection work in anatomy lab. You rummage around pre-dissected bodies to locate the lab objectives.
It saves a LOT of time doing it this way. And for those dying to be a dissector, there are electives offered after the class.
Lest you think our cadavers are just a big pile of parts, keep in mind, that the dissections are an ongoing thing. They are worked on every day. Some dissecting is likely to be done while you are there, but most of what you want to see for the day is already done. You'll get to see one of the professor's or second-year students cutting, and if that appeals to you then you can do it yourself the next year.
Trust me, by the time the first 10 weeks is over, you'll be more than ready to go onto something else. There's just no way that you could finish Anatomy in 10 weeks if you had to spend all those hours trimming out the fat and fascia by yourself.
I wanted to make a comment about PBL, too. That "PBL Hell" that one user talked about hasn't been used since the first year the school opened. Many of the first students had no idea what PBL was and didn't like it at all. They were the kind of students who need to be "spoon fed" in lectures. There's nothing wrong with that, but those students are "weeded out" of the system these days before they even get there. The school is pretty good about choosing students that have the ability to do well in PBL these days. They even let you sit in a a two-hour session to make sure that it is something you'd like to do.
That said, if you are not a self-motivated studier who enjoys learning on his or her own, then choose someplace else. If you absolutely love having the freedom to tailor your education, and lectures absolutely suck for you, then it's a wonderful environment. There are a few professors that aren't great in any school. I've run into one or two here, but for the most part they are very good people and really do want you to succeed. The administartion has a track record of listening to students and making changes based on their feedback. No, the "no food or drink" in the lecture hall will never change, but if you and your class think a lecturer really sucks, then you can bet that they'll start looking to find a replacement rather quickly. It's happened a few times already.
Things do tend to close down early sometimes, because of so many older people in the population, but sometimes this can be good. It's easy to find a table at restaurants after 9PM-- the old folk are already in bed
🙂. There is more than enough excitement nearby for most people. Honestly, it's still a resort area. People wouldn't come here if they couldn't have some fun, now would they? You have tons of professional sports teams located nearby, not to mention spring training for baseball fans. There are concert venues and clubs and excitement well within driving distance. If you like water sports of any kind, you'll be able to enjoy them year round.
The bottom line, though, is that any of the schools will give you a good education and you will do well if you work hard. Think about the things that are importnat to you. The three big reasons of mine were PBL, weather, and money. I found a school with a format that I absolutely loved, in an environment that was warm all the time, for only 5 grand more than my two in-state MD schools. It was a no-brainer for me.
I still think that people perform better in an environment where they are happy. I would be absolutely miserable dealing with cold weather 6 months out of the year. I know that it would affect my ability to dtudy and to function. I also know that debt is a big factor in my life. Eliminating that was very important to me. Pick those things that are the most importnant to you and look for a school that best fits those things. You can become a fine physician at any of them, so why not pick a place where you can enjoy yourself as well?
