CAUTION: This might be a little graphic for some. There are no pictures and no gross descriptions, but I will be talking about an autopsy. I just wanted to give you a warning to continue at your own risk.
The school requires us to attend an autopsy before 3rd year rotations start. Well rotations start in 1 week for me, so I figured I've been putting it off for too long. I was not looking forward to this experience. I got an email yesterday after church that there was an autopsy only 30 minutes away, so I decided to go.
The pathologist threw me into it right from the beginning. He made the initial cuts and then gave me the scalpel. He told me where to cut and was guiding my hand. After that I decided this wasn't so bad. He cut out the first lung and was explaining to me what he was doing. He cut out the second lung and handed it to me and said do what I just did. AGH!!! I also got to stitch up the entire abdomen.
They were thinking it was a drug overdose, but it turned out to be sepsis due to a kidney infection. They did send off for toxicology to see if they were drugs in the system on top of the infection.
It was such an amazing learning experience. In the anatomy lab, the bodies do not look real at all. The organs are hard and usually white. Here the organs looked like they were suppose to look. I'm really glad I got this opportunity, but I do not plan on attending anymore autopsies. Yay for steps to becoming a doctor. :)
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