Reporting in

Had a really long week at medical school. I'm not sure why, but somehow it got big on me. Consequently I feel very very tired. But, I guess compared to others I have nothing to complain about!

Still, there are a few reasons people often list for not wanting to go to medical school. One of them is working with dead people in order to learn anatomy. It's a confronting thing to do in many ways.

I remember this time last year, just wigging out at the notion of having to see a dead person. I was really nervous about it. I'm not sure why, but I'd never seen a body devoid of the essence that made it human before. But I sucked it up, and it was all fine.

So far in medical school the pracs with cadavers in are generally prosected already, and all you have to do is take a peek, see where that organ lies, or where that vessel goes. It's really helpful in that sense, but still similar to looking in a text book.

Alas though, recent evidence has shown that the best way to teach students is to actually have them perform dissection themselves. And what was once an elective has become mandatory. Without going in to too many details, my partner and I found ourselves face to face with a cadavar today. It was a strange experience.

One thinks one would feel rude about it, exploring somebodies body without them consenting to you personally. But you know they made a choice to be there... And then sooner or later you find yourself trying to tease two bits of body apart and you forget they used to be people. So many strange feelings!

But it was fascinating, and I've learnt so much. As we were working, the topic came up of what a privilege it is to be able to do this. Not many people in the world get to see the wonder of the body in all its magnificent glory like this. Our guy also has benefited greatly from medciine. He has a pacemaker still in him, his chest still had old staples holding his sternum together, and evidence of a central venous line.

So I can't help but wonder if that was anything to do with his compulsion to donate his body to science. I know I don't have a strong compulsion to do it, at least not now!

Incredible really. Incredible.