Dooley Noted: 1/22/2015
Yesterday, I had the honor and privilege to help Einstein medical students perform brain removals.
As dark as that may read, it’s one of the highlights of my teaching year.
As they removed the scalp, they saw a true appreciation of its five-layer thickness.
As they exposed the skull, I heard comments like the following:
“Whoa. It’s RIGHT there. It seems so vulnerable.”
Having removed hundreds of brains myself, I did my best to let the students take the lead.
As they sawed and chiseled, they realized how vulnerability was diminished by the skull’s density.
I helped them cut enormous connective tissue attachments called meninges. I carefully cut cranial nerves and had them place their hands on the brain as they cut the spinal cord.
As we lifted out the brain, a student said:
“You are actively blowing my mind right now.”
I stood back as their eyes widened.
My mind was blown much more by their reactions than the brains they held.
I was hit with an immense sense of gratitude for the students sharing that moment with me.
Someone special died, allowing us to experience the body in which they lived.
I’ve never seen the students more alive than in that moment.
It was a moment of life unified with death, as they explored the brain’s fascinating anatomy.
These students will spend the rest of their lives helping people. They have chosen a difficult career in helping people maintain wellness.
And I’m so grateful I got to be there in the first year of their journey.
I hope you have mind-blowing day. Or, blow someone else’s mind today.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley
