Senior MedPath and Anatomy and Physiology students recently had the opportunity to visit Gannon University’s cadaver lab, where they got firsthand experience of what it’s like dissecting the human body. Students got to see four real human cadavers and learned not only about human anatomy but also how certain diseases and can change the organs over time.

The experience brought classroom concepts to a hands-on perspective, offering a rare opportunity to see what models and diagrams cannot fully show. From the effects of smoking on the lung to how leukemia can enlarge the spleen from the size of a fist to the size of a jug of milk.

Current physician assistant (PA) students and pre-med undergraduates from Gannon supported the visit, helping guide students through the lab. They also offered explanations about the different organ systems, answered questions, and shared their own experiences of learning in the lab. Their presence gave the visiting students a unique look into the next stages of healthcare education and the difficulty of clinical training. MedPath Director Ms. Fuhrman thought the practical experience was a special and unique opportunity for the students.

“Every structure, every system, every detail is right there in front of you,” Ms. Fuhrman said. “It’s an unmatched opportunity to learn from the human body itself, the greatest teacher of all.”

Senior Joseph Ott also showed great interest in the visit.

“We were able to see real-life examples of human diseases,” Joseph said. “The most interesting part of the field trip was being able to see how different professions affect your body in different ways.”

But the visit wasn’t just about the body’s anatomy, it was about the ethics of human dissection as well. The visit gave students a chance to reflect on their future as workers in healthcare, and how knowing the human body is more than just diagrams on PowerPoints and requires hands-on experience before going into the field.