Halloween is here and all the gore and goblins are getting their time in the spotlight. But a group of Broadview University-West Jordan students in the medical assistant program had the chance to visit the University of Utah Cadaver Lab and get up close and personal with cadavers. The field trip was part of the students’ Certified Medical Assistant Review class.
This was a special opportunity for the Broadview University students to be allowed to visit the cadaver lab and get a first-hand look at real human bodies they have learned so much about throughout their program. Broadview University offers a medical assistant diploma program and an Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assistant program. Both programs prepare students for the Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA) examination and the Limited Scope of Practice in Radiology exam administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.
Students got to do more than just look during their visit. They were able to hold human organs like hearts, lungs, kidneys and reproductive organs. They also got to experience the skeletal system including joints and skulls.
One of the specimens had a joint replacement that the Broadview University students were able to touch. They were also able to feel a vein and artery and the difference between the two. It wasn’t all just for fun. The medical assistant program students were able to put their medical terminology knowledge to the test while viewing the actual body part and seeing how delicate and amazing the human body is.
While this can seem to be a ‘gory’ subject, it is vital to remember the important role that cadavers play in the medical community. The Latin phrase, “Mortui vivos docent (the deceased teach the living),” adorns the anatomy laboratory at the University of Utah, as well as cadaver labs across the world. According to the University of Utah website, bodies are typically used for periods from three months up to two years.
