Tips For Surviving Cadaver Lab Day

By Author: Evan Ibbot
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The dissection of human cadaver can be an exciting experience for some, for others it might be a big challenge. Approaching the cadaver lab with all the preparations and surviving it what you will learn through this article.
Quick tips before you approach cadaver lab:

• While it is your first visit to the lab, the first thing that you need to remember is to pick clothes that you are most likely to dump. It is the smell of cadaver that lingers on to the clothes that will bother you.
• Often the lab is full of foul smell that is not easy to handle by many. To avoid this, rub a small amount of Vicks on the upper lip.
• Avoid spending too much on your tool kit as chances are that you might lose your tools in the tank or mix it with another group. Another thing is that these tools might not come in handy again unless you have chosen this field. Also, remember to not leave your tools at the edge of the tank, it is easy to lose it there.
• Leaving your glove box around will empty it in no time; you might not be able to find it. Others might use ...
... it without your permission.
• Giving your lab coat to cleaners is better than trying to wash it in your machine. This will leave the washer or dryer stinking.
• Before going for the dissection, it is advisable to read the procedure.
• Utilize your time at the lab for completing the dissection. An hour and a half is an ideal time to complete it.
• Avoid choosing a body that is fatty as you will have to work your way through the fat muscles before you reach the organs.
• Making a list of what you need to identify and locate is a good approach prior to getting into the lab.
• Each body is different, so, you need to look at the same structure in three different bodies before making the final judgement.

Other Tips
• Remember to carry an anatomy atlas that will help you with making preparation prior to reaching the cadaver lab. Also, it just might come in handy while working on dissections without wasting time.
• Do not skip your breakfast; as much as it sounds weird to you, getting nauseated on empty stomach is easy.
• Share the work done in the lab with lab partners. Working in a group of 4 or 5 will help you with understanding other things with different perception.
• Remember to spray a moistening solution over the cadaver prior to leaving the lab. It is possible that you might work for days or weeks on the same cadaver.
It is not easy to go ahead and perform a dissection on a cadaver, things often get messy and new thing surface while in the process. However, the above mentioned points will help you a bit on your first day to cadaver lab.