The Last Anatomy Lab

Last Wednesday I walked out of the anatomy lab for the last time. To my surprise, I wasn't thinking deeply about it at the time. I remember the last time I was in the anatomy lab as an M1, I felt and thought a lot leading up to it. Even if I didn't feel momentous surges of emotion as I walked out, I stored the moment with resolution I would usually use for hugely important things. I remember what I was wearing, I remember which exit we used, etc.

This time I actually forgot it was my last time walking out until I was already in the hallway walking away. Then, I calmly walked to the lab management office and said to the lady who works there, "I'm not going to use this coat any more. Could you [i.e. the anatomy department] use it?" And I left it with her. (I had noticed recently that our professors use lab coats with unfamiliar names embroidered on them. Fun to think of who will use my lab coat, which has my name in sharpie on it.)

But now I think of the magnitude of things: unless I am invited to participate as a professor or physician (e.g. during our pelvis lab an OB/GYN was invited; during our leg lab a sports medicine doc came in), I will never legally reenter an anatomy lab.