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Scholarly Commons > HCA Healthcare Journal > Vol. 7 > Iss. 1 (2026)

 

Keywords

medical school; schools; medical; dissection; gratitude; medicine in the arts; humanities

Disciplines

Anatomy | Graphic Design | Illustration | Medical Education | Medical Humanities

Abstract

The summer prior to beginning medical school, our anatomy professor prompted us to reflect on the experience of dissection and create an image based on our thoughts and feelings. I was thrilled by the assignment and immediately began listing my emotions. Excitement: For so long, I had worked toward this point, and now the quintessential medical school experience was within reach. I expressed my appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the human body through color and collage, using the vibrant layers to reflect the awe and range of emotions I felt. Nervousness: Despite my enthusiasm, I was faced with something entirely new and found myself with worries like “don’t mess up” or “there are so many tools.” I thought of the pungent embalming fluid; would I be overwhelmed by it? But most of all, I felt gratitude. I imagined the lives our donors may have lived. What thoughts and feelings filled their brains, the very organs we now study? What actions did they carry out with their muscles? What were their cultures? As I completed the illustration, I filled it with “thank-yous” in many languages, a small gesture to honor the immense generosity of those who chose to teach us through their final, most selfless gift.

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