For the first time in decades, the Virginia State Anatomical Program (VSAP) has failed to supply EMU with human cadavers for scientific study. This is the result of an unprecedented national cadaver shortage, and it directly impacts the experiences of those taking Advanced Human Anatomy, a high-level biology course on campus.
Julia Halterman, senior lecturer of biology, teaches the course’s lab portion, and she has witnessed the research benefits of human cadaver dissection at EMU. “An incredible amount can be learned from the human body, and we are blessed to have people who are willing to donate their bodies for learning purposes such as these,” Halterman said. Before this year, EMU bought four cadavers annually from VSAP, but the current pandemic has made this unfeasible.
According to Halterman, in March, VSAP halted its acceptance of body donations. It did not resume until more reliable COVID testing became available in July. By that point, there were not enough cadavers to satisfy every requesting institution, and schools that specialize in medical-related disciplines had to be prioritized. “EMU has historically been high on the list to receive cadavers each year, but unfortunately, we were lower on the list this year since we’re not a professional health school. While the students and I are saddened by this, I hope we all agree that professional health schools should have priority,” Halterman said.
In addition to being dissected by students in the fall, EMU’s cadavers were made available at events such “Cookies and Cadavers.” Alex Raber, senior biology major, remembers the event as a time where Pre-Professional Health Society members shared what they had learned and made the cadavers available for viewing by campus and community members. Now a student in the anatomy course, Raber felt discouraged when she heard about the changes. “EMU’s cadaver lab is an opportunity that most undergrads don’t get, and it was a deciding factor in my decision to attend EMU in the first place,” Raber said. “Not only was I sorry for myself, but also for the people who wished to donate their body to science and couldn’t because of COVID-19.”
Some students, like senior biology major Austin Yoder, have chosen to audit the anatomy class in light of the changes. “The cadaver shortage was a large reason why I’m not sticking it out,” Yoder said.
Senior Adam Peachey, a biology major on a pre-physical therapy track, took the class before the pandemic and serves as a TA this semester. “I’m disappointed this year’s class isn’t able to work with cadavers. It was an important aspect of the course and I think the area where I learned the most,” Peachey said. “It certainly stresses the importance of visualizing the intricacies of the human body through other resources which I know Julia and Gail [another professor of the course] are working hard to provide.”
Raber noted that alternative resources are being explored. “As a substitute, we are using a virtual anatomy program that allows you to interact with 3D models of the body. It’s nowhere near the same experience, but I guess it gets the job done,” Raber said.
“It’s our hope that life will be back to normal next year and that we will again be able to conduct cadaver dissection,” Halterman concluded.
