Confronting Mortality on the Dissection Table

The day had arrived for my anatomy lab section’s first cat dissection. As the preserved specimen was placed before me, I hesitated briefly before lifting the plastic covering. My lab partners and I decided to name her Maggie, both to honor her contribution to our learning and to remind ourselves that she had once lived and breathed like our own cherished pets.

I slowly made the initial incisions through Maggie’s fur, reflecting on the technique we had practiced on model cats to avoid damaging underlying blood vessels. As I dissected the skin and exposed the red muscle, the first wave of preservative solution hit my senses. I steadied myself after that initial unfamiliar shock and continued on more resolutely. With precision, I located connective tissue planes to systematically separate the dermis from the muscles layer by layer.

Over the next hours, our team gradually exposed Maggie’s full anatomy. We handled the delicate digestive organs with particular care, starting with the mouth then tracing down through the esophagus, stomach, liver, intestines, and finally out. I located key arteries and traced their tree-like branching patterns across organs. Moving inward, we revealed intact rib bones sheltering vital lung tissue as well as the steadily beating heart of another lab cat via biofeedback sensors.

By the session’s end, Maggie was completely skinned and dissected. As I gazed down at what remained on the metal tray before me, I saw not just a random assortment of tissue samples but rather the beautiful sum of once perfectly integrated parts that had given a lovely creature life. With newfound gratitude, awe, and respect, I understood this experience had profoundly expanded my reverence for the miracle that lies within every living body. I silently thanked sweet Maggie once more before cleanup. Though only my first dissection, it was assuredly my most unforgettable.