Dissecting a human cadaver is one of the most unique and meaningful aspects of medical school. In a way that no simulation could mimic, anatomy lab forces you to simultaneously confront mortality, recognize the variability of the human form, and understand the spatial relationships between the hundreds of structure that you will learn. But while the lab experience itself is one of the cornerstones of medical education, the actual procedure of dissection can be tedious and, to some people, extremely challenging. For that reason, I have consulted several of my friends with different dissection styles and compiled a list of tips to dissect precisely and efficiently.
- Set yourself up for success
- When I entered the anatomy lab in medical school I was fortunate to have a lot of experience as an undergraduate anatomy TA under my belt. This extensive first exposure was significant in setting me apart in my dissections, but this isn’t going to be possible or practical for most people, so the next best thing is to take an anatomy class during your undergrad. Even if you aren’t able to dissect human cadavers in these classes, just being familiar with anatomical terms and the general layout of the human body will save you an immense headache in medical school.
- Study before lab
- It is critical to study the dissection that you will be doing in lab before you even enter the room. Your school will most likely provide you with a step by step guide to whatever dissection you will be doing, and just like in surgery, in order to be effective, you need to know what to expect. There’s no need to memorize the steps, and sometimes when I was getting really behind I would only skim the guide, but by spending the time up front learning anatomy you will wind up making your dissection neater and move much more quickly (additionally you will learn the material better).
- Make lab time count
- A lot of your time in lab will be tedious, and if you are in an integrated curriculum, you will likely have a lot of other demands on your time. Therefore it’s really important to make the time that you spend in lab count for as much as possible. At my school, many lab groups would all make a commitment to study beforehand and quiz each other during slow periods of dissection, and some even went as far as having one person appointed solely to quizzing and not making a single cut.
- Don’t cut something until you can name it
- This will save you a lot of embarrassment when you accidentally cut the entire sciatic nerve thinking it is fat (I almost did this). When possible expose a structure and trace it as far as it goes in any direction until you have a good idea what it is. Then you can make an informed decision on whether you should cut it or not. When I dissect I like to jump around and do different areas so keeping a working idea of what structures I am working on helps me plan ahead and makes me more efficient.
- Find a plane and stick to it
- Most structures are separated by a thin interstitial connective tissue called fascia. This is your best friend while dissecting because it is less dense than the tissue it surrounds and cuts or tears easily. One of the most satisfying things I have ever experienced was finding the fascial plane over the latissimus dorsi and removing a whole slab of fat as easily as if I was peeling off Velcro. Doing this is so much more efficient than picking at each individual area and allows you to delineate structures easily.
- Blunt dissect whenever possible
- Blunt dissection is the process of using a blunt instrument like a hemostat, probe, or even your fingers to separate tissue by simply pushing through it without cutting. This is an easy way to maintain a plane of tissue and it also drastically reduces the chances that you will accidentally damage something important.
- There is a tool for every job
- When I was dissecting, I often got so tied up in using a hemostat to rip through something that I failed to realize a pair of scissors would have served me much better. Take the time to learn the best uses for each of the tools that are provided to you and it will save you time in the long run.
- Work as a team
- At my school, four people were assigned to each donor and very quickly it became obvious that we could not all be working at once. As a result, we had to learn to create opportunities for each other to participate and communicate clearly about when we did and did not want to dissect. This could be as simple as dividing an area into quadrants or deciding on different objectives for each person, but the important thing to remember is that you must all work together in order to learn most effectively.
- Buy two pairs of scrubs
- Nothing compares to the horror of slipping into formaldehyde-damp scrubs early in the morning. Save yourself from my fate and buy a second pair so you can wash them more often. (I went a month without washing mine and no one would stand by me).
- Never lose sight of your humanity
- This may seem odd in a post about technical skills, but I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you of what a privilege anatomy lab really is. As you look into the eyes of your donor, never forget that one day you too might be staring up at some young medical student, and consider how they would have liked to be treated. Embrace the discomfort that this will cause and learn from it. This feeling is the heart of the doctor-patient relationship and without it, medicine would be an empty profession.
