A Brain in the Hand is Worth Two in the Head

Last Monday marked the beginning of the end (of anatomy, that is): our fourth and final block has begun. So far, this final block has proven to be fairly difficult in terms of the material. Having exhaustively covered the upper limbs and back (block 1); the thorax, abdomen and pelvis (block 2); and the lower limbs and perineum (block 3); we now find ourselves slogging through the head and neck, a rather complex set of structures confined to a comparatively meager area of the body.

As a rule in GIE, up until block 4, the heads on all the cadavers remain covered; they like to give everyone plenty of time to get acclimated before uncovering the face, seeing as it tends to affect people the most profoundly. But now it has come time to start in on the head and neck. Therefore, two weeks ago, during our first lab session for this block, we began the dissection by removing the head shrouds. Prior to this point, I had thought quite a bit about what uncovering the head would be like, wondering just how much it might affect me. I knew I would be able to handle it, but figured it would likely be a powerful moment, just as the very first day of lab--what now seems like decades ago--had been. As it turned out, although it certainly elicited some strange feelings for a moment or two, I ultimately found myself largely unmoved. I think this was partly because the face, preserved as it was, looked rather fake; unhuman. Beyond that, it seems that the whole lab process has been rather desensitizing: I've become so accustomed to the (intimate) exploration of my cadaver, starting in on the head just seemed like a perfectly normal next step.

And that step led us one closer to the finish.

I have to say, with our final anatomy exam a mere 1.5 weeks away, I am thrilled that the light at the end of the optic canal has finally come into view. Although I have truly enjoyed many aspects of the course, and it has certainly been an undeniably unique experience (as those of you who have stuck around for the ride know full well), I am desperately looking forward to moving on. I am tired of having to shower twice a day. I am tired of the unrelenting olfactory assault. I am tired of memorizing origins and insertions and the names of every single canal and fossa and hiatus and condyle and fascial layer known to man. I'm ready for to get back into the familiar, conceptual territory of biology and biochemistry.

...Then again, a few weeks from now, when I'm drowning in metabolic cycles and cellular signals, I'm sure I'll be begging to go back to the simple, straightforward material that so vexes me at the moment. So it goes.

But then again...again, this block also has some pretty sweet perks. How so, you ask? Please elaborate, you request? Just get on with it already, you vociferate? Well, if you insist.

Here is an abbreviated version of my lab instructions for Tuesday:

Step 1.  Remove the skullcap
Step 2.  Yeah, keep trying. This may take a while. I'll wait.
Step 3.  ...

Step 4.  Got it? Great. 
Step 5.  While you're at it, why don't you go ahead and take the brain out, too?

Step 6.  Hold brain in hand, admire it in all its brain-y glory
Step 7.  Rejoice

That's right, folks. You heard it here first. Tuesday was skullcap and brain day, the highlight of anatomy lab. It was glorious.