Student Doctor Wong Chi Kit offers up their experiences of training in the dissection lab.
The weight of life is immeasurable.
As a medical student studying in Hong Kong, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to consolidate my anatomical knowledge in the dissection lab. These invaluable moments spent with my silent teachers have left an indelible mark on my journey. While some may perceive the experience of working with cadavers as daunting, I consider my time in the dissection lab to be one of the most heart-warming and transformative periods of my life.
I vividly recall my first dissecting practical. Entering the dissection lab, I was met with a mix of emotions—steel tables, cadavers shrouded in grey bags, and trays of neatly arranged dissecting tools. As I donned the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the first time, curiosity, nervousness, and stress flooded my mind. Although picking up scalpels and forceps was a refreshing change, I couldn't help but feel inadequate in my anatomical knowledge: I felt I wasn’t ready. Before I could find a moment of break, our professors had already led us through a solemn ritual: one minute of standing in silent tribute to honour our silent teachers.
After the ritual, we embarked on our learning agenda. In small groups, guided by our professors and their slides, we began locating the anatomical structures we had studied in lectures. Encouraged by the camaraderie of my peers, I made my first incision on the silent teacher. With each subsequent dissection practical, I embarked on an endless journey of exploration, continuously amazed and captivated by the intricate world of human anatomy.
In medical education, we often emphasise three crucial components: medical knowledge, clinical skills, and professionalism. The dissection experience, I believe, provides the most fruitful learning opportunity before stepping into our clinical years. In terms of medical knowledge, our silent teacher serves as an unparalleled resource for learning anatomy, demanding a deep understanding of human structures in three dimensions, including the intricate relationships between organs and neighbouring vessels.
When it comes to clinical skills, the dissection experience not only allows us to practise surgical techniques on real human bodies but also compels us to keenly observe and identify clinical characteristics manifested on the silent teacher, such as pigmentation, scars, lumps, and bumps, which may warrant further investigation of underlying pathologies. Lastly, the interaction between medical students and the silent teacher nurtures a profound reflection on the meaning of life and death, concepts that will inevitably accompany us in our future medical careers. Moreover, as we delve into investigating pathologies within the bodies of our silent teachers, we, as medical students, gain a deeper understanding of patients' experiences, cultivating compassion and empathy that will shape us into more understanding and caring doctors.
In general, with the donor's consent, cadavers can be utilised in various ways, including first-hand dissection by medical students, plastination to create preserved specimens, practise by junior surgeons, and technological research by senior surgeon researchers. However, donating one's body is not a decision to be taken lightly, particularly given societal conservative views, family-centred values, and traditional funeral practices in Asia. Thankfully, in Hong Kong, the cadaver donation programmes are well-structured and humanistic, ensuring that the donors and their families receive the utmost respect, support, and autonomy throughout the entire donation procedure.
Beneath the cold skin of a cadaver lies a warm heart. Donating one's physical body for medical education is synonymous with bestowing everything upon the next generation—their values and spirits. I am forever grateful for the transformative experience I have had as a medical student, as a doctor-in-training, and as an individual within a loving community. Studying in the dissection lab has not only shaped my path, but has also ignited within me the desire to perpetuate these acts of goodwill for generations to come.