A Medical Student’s Understanding of Anatomy Through Variation and Perseverance 

February 2025 | Vol. 69, No. 1
Written by Lauren Raziano, OMS-I, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 

The experience of the anatomy lab is a rite of passage in medical school, a humbling, extraordinary journey into the intricacies of life itself. 

The lab was overwhelming. The clinical smell of formaldehyde, the stark lighting, and the responsibility to care for a cadaver. As I looked around at other students who are also experiencing this environment for the first time, I realized that the lab is more than a classroom; it’s a space where the boundaries of science and humanity blur. I remember standing with my table mates, asking myself the question, How do you approach a person who has selflessly given their body for your education? But as I began, layer by layer, the fear gave way to focus, and with each lab, I uncovered both anatomical structures and parts of myself I had yet to understand.

There were moments of frustration when I couldn’t name a nerve or distinguish one muscle from another. I had to admit when I could not orient myself to the body before taking the next step, which gave me the confidence to ask for help from the anatomy assistants and professors. In these times, I learned the value of patience and persistence. While completing a pectoral dissection lab, I exposed the cephalic vein in the deltopectoral groove and proudly declared it my anatomy gold star. As I progressed through my musculoskeletal course, I grew more confident in what I knew. I learned that growth isn’t always linear—sometimes, it’s revisiting the same path until clarity emerges.