Besides the typical schedule of lectures and excessive studying, the last few days did present two unique experiences that I would like to write about: anatomy lab and reflex lab. I guess I'll start with gross anatomy lab. Since we just began a new semester, all of our class was reassigned to new lab groups, so it's always an interesting experience working with new faces and meeting people that you have never talked to before. Not to be cheesy, but's it's good practice for when we will finally become doctors where we will be encountering new patients on a daily basis. With that said, last Tuesday was my first lab session and the dissection was The Orbit. Now, I'm not sure if I have ever shared this before, but one of the specialties that I do have a strong interest in is ophthalmology. I'm not ready to rule everything else out at this point (I'm sure a stronger inclination towards a specialty will be made during Rotations), but it is an area that I have previous work experience in and enjoyed thoroughly. So to do a dissection concerning the eye is like a dream come true. And let me tell you...it did not disappoint! It was honestly one of the best hands-on experiences I have ever had! If you can imagine what the cadavers look like (with the top of the skull and brains removed) with only an empty fossa where the brains used to rest. And what lies beneath the forebrain? The eyeballs...and oh yeah, a little layer of bone called the anterior cranial fossa. So using all of the experience I gained working as truck driver/electrical apprentice/gopher-that-does-everything-anybody-tells-him-to-do, I had to use a chisel and hammer to remove the bones that comprise the roof of the orbit. I've never felt more accomplished in my life. To remove the shards of bone and dissect through layers of fat to reveal the multiple nerves and musculature that function to move the eyeball...was awesome. On top of that, I got to use a saw (yea, like an actual hand-saw) on the other eye socket and remove the bone (basically what was left of the forehead) directly above the eye, so that we could investigate the musculature below the eyeball. Overall, it was a really cool lab, which was made even more exciting by my actual genuine interest in the topic.
On the last day of the week, Thursday, I also had a reflex lab. Now, I have been to the doctor plenty of times and have had my reflexes tested (I am sure you have too) and really didn't think much of it. But eliciting reflexes from a patient is not that easy, especially if you've never practiced it before. So we had our first lab where we learned to test the reflexes of the biceps brachii (biceps), brachioradialis (forearm), patellar ligament (quadriceps), achilles (calves), and a few other things that would sound like gibberish if I wrote them. It was basically a chance for us to learn the proper techniques for eliciting these handful of reflexes on one another (for example, if you are a guy, don't stand directly in front of a patient when eliciting a patellar tendon reflex...if you do, you might want to wear a cup!) and gaining the confidence so that we will be able to do them while under the pressure of an examination. And I guess if you have Podophobia...it was a chance for you to get over that (if you don't know what that means...look it up). These types of labs are always helpful, not only because it forms the foundation for the things that we will be doing routinely later in our career, but it takes us out of the classroom and reminds us why we are here becoming doctors.
Anyway, those were a few of the interesting things that happened over the course of the past week. I'm looking forward to intramural basketball starting next weekend and the chance to take our minds off school for a little bit...even if it is only one hour every weekend. Alright, well that's it...
Oh and here is the weekly song...it's kind of my thing now.
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