It was tough getting used to slicing into preserved human cadavers in Anatomy class. At least those bodies were fixed with formaldehyde, thoroughly gray and stiff and cold — it helped us acclimate.
But many surgeons train on fresh cadavers: no preservatives, no rigor mortis, eerily life-like. The surgery student requires a higher level of dissociation from the task at hand. Yet the reality is never far from anyone’s mind, a fact exploited by this video prank (Windows Media, direct link).
For balance, there’s a thoughtful NPR video series on a first-year medical student group experience in Anatomy lab…