Osteology

Picture the scene: It’s the 16^th of May, a Thursday. The air is icy cold and the wind chills to the bone. It is most definitely winter; the sun hasn’t even risen yet. I am not a morning person, by any stretch of the imagination, but today is different. I sling my bag onto my shoulder, grab my breakfast up from the table, and- Oh my… my heart is beating a little bit faster, and some kind of excitement takes flight within me… as pick up the starched, white coat I now call my own.

The first of four anatomy practicals- I have been waiting for this all year. I couldn’t wait to walk the corridors of the Fisan building, notwithstanding the formalin-laden air.

About an hour later, I walk into my first lecture for the day- Anatomy. Imagine my disappointment when I find out that we have to split up, and not many of my friends are in my group. See, being alone makes me uncomfortable. And if that wasn’t bad enough, I was stuck with the most boring practical of the lot: osteology. Don’t get me wrong; it’s interesting and all, but so not what I wanted my first practical to be. I want to, you know, cut people up and stuff. [Medical students tend to have a somewhat dark sense of humour… in case you hadn’t already realized.]

Lucky for me though, I did have one friend accompanying me, and we arrived a full 15 minutes earlier than necessary. Eager little rascals, I’m telling you. So we wait. And wait. And wait. We pull on our lab coats, suddenly mighty professional. But still, the time passed sluggishly. We do eventually make it through the door though, but have to pull on these ugly booties. They don’t match, they’re all filthy, and some were even wet… I shudder to think what with.

Slipping and sliding past cadavers like that’s a normal thing to do, we find a work table and sit down. And proceed to play with bones for the next two and a half hours. Yeah, I was bored. But, to be completely honest, it was a cool experience… I just wouldn’t waste so much time on doing it again.

Yes, unfortunately, my very first anatomy lab experience was nothing to write home about. Or, in my case, gush to your parents about as soon as you get home. No, they did the gushing- wow! Look at you, all professional. Yeah, you get the picture. I love ‘em to bits, but I was formalin-induced starving, and my back was killing me. I just wanted to eat. And sleep. At the same time. With my midyears really closing in very quickly, I should’ve been studying. Instead, I curled up in bed, and was dead to the world for at least 10 hours. I never do that, never for that long.

Ah well, the life of a student. You attend lectures. You eat. You study. You sleep. Not always in that order. Sometimes, the more skilled [or experienced] among us do it all at the same time. This life is killing me, slowly but surely. But I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.