Cadaver Reflection

Walking into rooms filled with almost 50 cadavers really stuck to me, but not in the
sense I expected. I was filled with different emotions at first because of the build-ups that
took place before our visit. I was really expecting a lot more emotions. I anticipated a lot
more contemplation on my morality, yet when it happened, I was almost as cool as ice.
After saying a short prayer for the souls of the cadavers we were observing, I immediately
proceeded to making the most of the visit. Its not every day that we get to have this kind
of visit.
I was first amazed by the preserved specimens, both cut and dissected parts, found
in the first room. The amount of detail in which we could study the human body was
amazing. Each part was even labeled accordingly. While observing each of the specimens,
I felt a repulsion to what was done to them, but it was overshadowed by the gratitude I
felt. I was thankful that these people helped the advancement of physiology and anatomy
of the human body.
The best was yet to come. When we entered the next room, I was astonished by
the amount of cadavers found in the room. They were more than forty dead bodies,
greatly preserved for the purpose of science. We were given the opportunity to examine
three. Once again, I prayed a short prayer for these people, while being thankful and
pitying them at the same time. A thought came into my head, it was that each one of
these cadavers were once alive, individuals living their own lives. Now theyre here in this
room, bared for all to see. It was a complex feeling, seeing them like that. I decided to
learn as much as I can from this activity. After giving myself a few minutes to relax, I
proceeded to make my observations. I went on touching, feeling the different parts of the
cadavers, which were exposed from the waist up. Each of them was skinned, and different
parts of the body were cut to allow viewing of the deeper layers.
All in all it was an unforgettable experience. Seeing a cadaver for the first time
wont be easily forgotten. It made me think that death is a mystery. I wondered what
these people would think while we are here, experimenting on their dead bodies. I felt the
utmost respect for them that they offered their selves for the advancement of the field of
medicine. I became more motivated to finish my course, and continue on to medicine, to
not let their sacrifice be in vain.