A Clockwork Cervix

Last week was my first Anatomy lab, though I did go to lab the previous week to get study tips from honors students and check out the bodies.

It was an interesting experience and gave me that "I'm really in med school" feeling that apparently traveling 2,000 miles and attending lectures for the past two weeks coudn't quite do...

The anatomy lab is divided into 4 portions: Dry Lab, Wet Lab, Small Group Discussion and Physical Examination.

For me, first was dry lab. Ok, so it's 8AM and we're looking at X-Rays and going through some discussion questions in pairs. The guy with me knew what he was doing so that was good. I was still waiting for my coffee to kick in.

After going through a few pages of X-Rays the Prof's call attention to the front and begin to show slides on the TV screens hanging throughout the lab. Then they point to structures and begin to randomly call on people. OK, I think, I can handle a question... then, before I realize it I am one of the 5 people (out of like 50) that are called on. OK, it's a softball.... nice and easy "what is this structure here?" and she's pointing to the Cervicle Vertebrae.

I know this!

So I blab out "that's the cervix vertebrae"

Silence.

Professor: "Nooo... guess again"

I am stumped - didn't I just say what it was?

I can't remember if I say anything but before I know it she call's on someone else and they say "Cervicle Vertebrae" - Correct!

Dr. Brahim offers consolation since cervix does mean neck, just not in that part of the body... afterward he says my mind was in the right place. Cervix, of course, is in the uterus.

AAAH!

Things get better from there as wet lab went well. We go around in clockwork to different bodies which are arranged in stations showing different body parts. The spinal cord that was just on its own was neat. Random farm animals announce when it is time to switch stations, which is only after about 2 minutes.

Some people are a bit immature around the cadavers and show a lack of due respect by playing around and joking. Probably just their way of coping with the situation. At the other end of the spectrum are those who don't want to touch the body at all. I'm interested in figuring out what it is I need to know so I just jump right in and poke around. Most of my guesses are wrong but I learn so it's OK.

Then was off to small group discussion where we were admonished for not knowing the arteries of the vertebrae well enough but I ended up making up for my cervix obsession by giving a nice summary of the spinal stenosis clinical paper we had to read - and now don't have to give another summary all semester ;)

The physical exam was fun as we got to palpitate various parts of the back and find various vertebrae based on landmarks. I also showed people my scoliosis which they all remarked upon with interest... but for a bunch of future docs, only 1 actually showed sympathy and asked what the future complications are for me with this disease. To which I referred him to the spinal stenosis paper.

Overall, an interesting time and I look forward to more physical exam and wet lab... and hopefully the papers will stay interesting too.