Each laboratory group will consist of six persons, and they will dissect different regions of a single cadaver. Each group of six will be divided into three pairs of students to form dissection teams. In choosing dissection teams you should select classmates with whom you feel you can work well. Dissection is time-intensive and your partner will share lots of hours with you so that you should be as thoughtful as possible in choosing a partner. Because we understand this need to work closely we want you to be free to choose rahter than have one assigned to you. I will post signup sheets for dissection teams on the M-1 lounge area during the week of August 19. Please print your name on the sheet, and I will collect them at 5 pm on August 30. Over the Labor Day weekend, I will assign each team to a cadaver and post these in the lounge area and in the third floor dissecting room. Those signing up for the "A" team should be prepared to begin Dissection 1 on Tuesday, September 3, 1996.
Prior to the first lab meeting (September 3), you should have procured your books, lab coat, gloves and dissecting instruments, and chosen your dissecting partners. The details requiring advance attention on your part are outlined below. Read the next few pages carefully, since this information should help you get off to a good start.
These are available at the Emory Medical Bookstore (Plaza Level DUC). Make sure you have the edition specified below for all of the required books.
Required:
Anatomy as a Basis for Clinical Medicine - Hall-Craggs $36.00 (3rd, 1995)
Grant's Dissector -Sauerland -11th ed. $32.00
Surface Anatomy - Basmajian -2nd edition $7.00
A.D.A.M. Student Atlas of Anatomy $39.95
In addition, a course syllabus, which contains course formats, objectives, and useful handouts will be on sale in the bookstore.
Recommended for Reference:
Stedman's Medical Dictionary - 25th ed. $43.00
Gray's Anatomy - 38th ed., 1995 $175.00
Each student must also have a lab coat for use in the dissecting room. These are also available in the bookstore. Prices are $17.50 each for all styles.
The main activity of this course is in the dissecting laboratory. Nothing can make the hours spent in dissection more miserable and less rewarding than trying to dissect with inappropriate instruments. At least two sets of proper dissecting instruments are required for each table of 6 students. You may wish to buy your own instruments. However, considerable economy could be achieved by students who are at the same table pooling their resources to buy two sets of instruments.
The following is the minimum dissecting kit required per table:
2 -blunt probes ($1.60 @)
2 -large scissors (approx. 5" inches with blunt/sharp tips) $3.10 @)
2 -#4 scalpel handles (2.60 @)
2 -5" forceps with transversely ridged tips ($2.67 @)
2 -5" forceps with 1 x 2 rat tooth ($2.65 @)
50 #22 scalpel blades (you will need at least one fresh scalpel blade every time you are in the lab) (2 for $0.99) or 1 box of 100 for $22.50. Please purchase blades as you need them or by the box.
These instruments are shown on a photocopy on a separate page. All are available "a la carte" at the bookstore. Any instruments you get on your own should be of substantially similar size, weight and style to those shown.
If you prefer not to buy "a la carte," the bookstore has kits made up which include the following: Large and small transversely ridged forceps Blunt/sharp scissors Hemostat #4 scalpel handle 12 -#20 blades Case for instruments Cost = $25.95 Note that you would need at least 2 of these kits per table and that you would still need to procure a rat-toothed forceps and additional scalpel blades.
All students will be required to wear gloves while dissecting. We highly recommend latex exam-type gloves as being most suitable for use in the dissecting room. These are disposable gloves and offer the dual advantages of fitting most hands reasonably well, as well as providing adequate sensitivity. Count on needing a fresh pair of gloves pretty much every time you work in the dissecting room, however. The most economical way to buy gloves would be for groups of students at each table to buy a box of Latex Examination Gloves -Unisize. These come 100 to a box. They are available at the bookstore. The price is approximately $7.49 per box.
Fumes from the fluids used to embalm the cadavers are said to destroy soft contact lenses. Although we have not had an incident of such a mishap in our laboratories, other medical schools have reported either destruction of lenses and/or severe eye irritation in students wearing soft lenses to the lab. To protect your lenses and eyes, we strongly advise you not to wear them in the dissecting room and to be prepared to bring glasses, if necessary.
Some students are bothered by the fumes from the embalming fluid in the dissecting lab. You might want to purchase "Nuisance Odor Masks" from the bookstore to minimize respiratory contact with the fumes. These are special masks which are filled with charcoal to absorb odors. Regular surgical masks will be useless in this respect. They cost $4.45 per mask, but they are re-useable if cared for.