TV Series Offers Glimpse into Gross Anatomy Lab

During her first year at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Latricia "Tricia" Thompson relied on the goodwill of one woman to help her comprehend some of her most complicated class work.

Thompson and her lab partners respectfully called this woman "Annie." Annie was the cadaver who served as their personal teaching model for human anatomy.

"She was like part of our team, teaching us about anatomy and helping us solve problems," Thompson said. "Without her, we would have missed out on so much. We wouldn’t know half of what we know."

On June 25, viewers who tuned in to ABC’s "Houston Medical" reality miniseries caught a glimpse of Thompson studying in UT-Houston’s gross anatomy lab – a new $4 million facility rebuilt following Tropical Storm Allison last year.

The lab is one component of UT-Houston’s semester-long gross anatomy course – a rite of passage for all first-year medical students. The course, which covers basic descriptive, functional, clinical and radiological human anatomy, enables medical students to examine bodies that have been preserved in formaldehyde-free embalming fluid. The knowledge students gain from the cadavers is critical, especially when students begin seeing patients and taking standardized licensing exams.

"It is a difficult, intense course," said Len Cleary, Ph.D., the senior lecturer who teaches gross anatomy. "We study the entire body, and it is all important information. When these students become doctors and meet their patients, no matter what problem the patient has, whether it is a disease or an injury, the doctor has to conduct a physical exam. Anatomy is the very basis for that exam."

Thompson, who will start her second year of medical school this fall at UT-Houston, said only so much can be learned about anatomy in textbooks. The cadavers are necessary, she said, so that students can visualize where different organs are located, how they are connected to other parts of the body, and what healthy and diseased tissue looks and feels like.

"I can’t even imagine someone becoming a cardiologist without ever seeing a heart," Thompson said. "There are so many anomalies in the heart and blood vessels, but you wouldn’t recognize that unless you saw it firsthand."

The course is made possible by the school’s willed body program, which is regulated by the Texas Anatomical Board. People who want to donate their bodies to medical research can make arrangements in advance, or, upon death, family members can donate the body.

"It is set up strictly as an altruistic system for people to make a donation that will maintain and improve medical education in the community," Cleary said.

Margaret Lewis, 85, of Montgomery County, said she made the decision 12 years ago to donate her body upon death to the willed body program because she felt it was a "very Christian thing." Plus, she doesn’t want her family to worry about elaborate funeral arrangements.

"If someone is able to learn because I donated my body for anatomical study, I think that’s a nice thing to do," Lewis said. "And when my body is no longer useful, I will be cremated, just like the rest of my family. I think anyone who is considering cremation should also consider donating their body to science."

Willing a body is a free procedure. The university provides transportation of the body to the morgue, and with the exception of decomposed bodies or those with infectious diseases, most bodies are accepted. Cadavers eventually are cremated, and for a small fee, the university will return the cremated remains to the family.

"We really appreciate the generosity of the families, and we do everything we can to respect their wishes and ensure that this is an important educational experience for the students," Cleary said.

Thompson said the willed body program provides an invaluable service.

"We will carry with us what we learned in gross anatomy throughout our medical careers. You learn from these cadavers, and there is no substitute. This is definitely a needed program."

NOTE – Learn more about Thompson during "Houston Medical," which airs at 9 p.m. CST every Tuesday through July 23 on ABC. For information on UT-Houston’s willed body program, call (713) 500-5603 or visit http://nba19.med.uth.tmc.edu/willbody/willed.htm.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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