Cadaver Lab

The cadaver laboratory has been arranged through the department of Surgery to enable surgical residents to practice surgical techniques/procedures prior to undertaking the same procedures in the operating room. The purpose of this exercise is to provide residents with the opportunity to perform the surgical procedures in a more learner-friendly and less tense environment. The cadaver lab sessions will have a major emphasis on teaching surgical skills to Surgery Residents in the current work hour environment. These sessions will consist of taking residents through surgical procedures appropriate for the year of training under the guidance of Faculty of the Department of Surgery. The Faculty will take the residents through the pertinent anatomy prior to letting them perform the procedures under direct supervision.

Each scheduled lab day is broken down into specific PGY groups so that all residents can actually perform the procedures to enhance the learning potential. The "small group model" enables a good Faculty to resident ration of 1:2. The cadavers used are "lightly embalmed" and differ from the cadavers that first year medical students dissect upon. The "lightly embalmed" cadavers differ from the regular cadavers in that the structures/viscera look and feel more like the live tissue encountered in the operating room. The similarity to live tissue, small groups of residents and presence of the Faculty provides the right environment for surgical residents to practice and learn the techniques of Surgery.