Reflections from Anatomy Lab
Going through anatomy is an eye-opening experience each day. While each lecture seems to pass as a complete blur of semantic information, time at the anatomy lab slows down as we discover each new nerve, artery, and organ. In my most recent section of study, I explored the thorax and dissected out the lungs. As I lifted out each lung in amazement of the size and density of what I held in our hands, my eyes were drawn to its surface. Covering the mottled surface, the lungs were punctuated with a countless number of black spots. I knew that our donor was not a smoker, but when I asked the prosector what could have caused such an appearance, I was surprised by the answer: city living. Simply just that. As I go running around Boston, I’ve always taken time to admire the nature around me and savor my time to breathe in fresh air. Little do I know that one day, despite my efforts to stay healthy, my lungs will be just like my donor’s – surreptitiously marked by air pollution.
–Meghan Hewlett
