*this post is not for the faint of heart...er, brain.
So I am into week 2 of our Scary Neuro Block. I LOVE THIS MATERIAL. I mean come on, who doesn't love the brain??
The neuro labs are kick a**! Our prof (slightly crazy, as they all are) often calls parts of the brain or vasculature "ooh preettty" or "cute". I totally understand this as all of us crazy medical people find one thing or another cute about the human body that no normal/non-medical person would find appealing in the slightest. Take example my love of the human lung...last semester my friend looked at me like I was certifiably insane as I cradled it like an infant. Haha. But they are so squishy :)
Anyways today I was mediasiting (watching an online recording) of our 5th neuro lab which entails coloring time and labeling print outs of brain sections. At the end of the lecture Dr. Welke takes the time to show us actual brain sections (she takes them out of a fun filled brain bucket at the front of the classroom) and puts them up on the Elmo projector. She is usually wearing gloves. Usually.
Today she actually surprised me when she placed a brain on the projector and then took a large knife that resembled one you'd use to cut a loaf of bread...or a bagel. I thought, "Oh my god she's going to cut that brain apart!"
Welke, "when I was in graduate school we started off by cutting up fruit...now let's look at a coronal section."
She proceeded to cut the brain up (in many slices) to make several coronal sections. Then she said "next I will cut the brain like this, to make axial sections... like you would cut, um. Anyone have an analogy? Oh yes, like a bagel! Good for you!"
And that's just what she did.
Amazing how easily such a vital, complex and utterly spectacular organ can be cut into tiny pieces with a blunt tool. Very humbling. But then, that's med school for ya.
More later!
So I am into week 2 of our Scary Neuro Block. I LOVE THIS MATERIAL. I mean come on, who doesn't love the brain??
The neuro labs are kick a**! Our prof (slightly crazy, as they all are) often calls parts of the brain or vasculature "ooh preettty" or "cute". I totally understand this as all of us crazy medical people find one thing or another cute about the human body that no normal/non-medical person would find appealing in the slightest. Take example my love of the human lung...last semester my friend looked at me like I was certifiably insane as I cradled it like an infant. Haha. But they are so squishy :)
Anyways today I was mediasiting (watching an online recording) of our 5th neuro lab which entails coloring time and labeling print outs of brain sections. At the end of the lecture Dr. Welke takes the time to show us actual brain sections (she takes them out of a fun filled brain bucket at the front of the classroom) and puts them up on the Elmo projector. She is usually wearing gloves. Usually.
Today she actually surprised me when she placed a brain on the projector and then took a large knife that resembled one you'd use to cut a loaf of bread...or a bagel. I thought, "Oh my god she's going to cut that brain apart!"
Welke, "when I was in graduate school we started off by cutting up fruit...now let's look at a coronal section."
She proceeded to cut the brain up (in many slices) to make several coronal sections. Then she said "next I will cut the brain like this, to make axial sections... like you would cut, um. Anyone have an analogy? Oh yes, like a bagel! Good for you!"
And that's just what she did.
Amazing how easily such a vital, complex and utterly spectacular organ can be cut into tiny pieces with a blunt tool. Very humbling. But then, that's med school for ya.
