anatomy/histology question

[colicky]

Current SMU students and/or faculty:

How exactly is anatomy lab conducted with plasticized cadavers? Could you describe a typical day in lab?

Also, does SMU have adequate equipment for conducting histology courses (advanced microscopes, etc.)?

Thanks!

[AmericanIMG]

Colicky,
plasitcized cadavers are exactly the same as regular cadavers. the process of plasticizing them is just to make the bodies last longer (it does harden them a bit though). A typical day in Anat lab will be arriving at 130, take a 15minute quiz if we have one, gather in our anatomy groups and go over what we have learned in class, or what we want to review at the moment. TAs are available throughout the room for clarification, but the HOD wants us to work together in groups rather then just sit there and have the TAs lecture to us...which i actually think is a great idea.

as for histology, the labs are equipped far better then i expected. they contain great microscopes for the students (2 to a scope). A typical day in histo lab (which i actually have in 3hrs, followed by anat lab) is we come in, set up our stations and the professor lectures to us while we look at slides, both in our scope and in a scope that is hooked up to a big TV. the professor lectures using the big TV to clarify any points, and writes on a white board as well.

i hope that this clears up any questions that you have, if not feel free to PM me

[medtir55]

so do you guys actually work on/operate/ cut these plastic cadavers?


is a plastacized cadaever just a plastic model of a dead human or a dead human whose blood vessels are filled with colored plastic....sorry im confused with the terminology here.

[jguru2]

they are real human cadavers...plastination is just another way to prolong its use...I believe they are more expensive than the non-plastinated human body...but then, cheaper in the long run because of longer usage. They are pre-dissected, and bought from the University Of Michigan.

http://www.med.umich.edu/anatomy/plastinate/

[archon218]

So if they are pre-dissected, you don't dissect anything in lab?

[MDTOB]

So if they are pre-dissected, you don't dissect anything in lab?

No dissections are done in Anatomy Lab as all of the specimens have been previosly dissected and plastinated. Advantages include: not having to deal with the stench of formaldehyde. I believe the University of Michigan Medical School uses plastinated cadavers as well.

I've also heard that this is the wave of the future as more and more schools find ways to become more efficient.