“Welcome to the Human Anatomy Cadaver Lab.”

     It was my summer break after graduating high school when a friend recommended that I take human anatomy due to my interest in the healthcare field. I followed Ellie’s advice, registered for anatomy, and enjoyed the rest of my summer before starting university. What I didn’t know at the time was that Weber State had two anatomy classes: one in the College of Science, and another in the College of Health Professions. And although both are anatomy classes, there is a stark difference between the two.

     I can only remember being confused when I showed up in room 112 in the brand-new science building during the first week of the semester as a freshman. The tables and chairs were set up around the room’s perimeter, leaving the middle open for two people wearing lab coats to stand next to two gurneys topped with large black bags. Ellie had told me about the models and anatomically accurate mannequins she learned from, but she said nothing about the bags or what was inside of them. 

“Welcome to the Human Anatomy Cadaver Lab.”

     That was the moment I realized I had not signed up for the same class she had taken. Rather than plastic replicas, I found myself facing the real deal; people with memories and experiences, just like everyone else. And those two people in the room zipped up in body bags, would become my greatest teachers.