A chilling trip to some may be a thought provoking and insightful experience for others. DePaul Prep science courses have been taking annual field trips to the cadaver lab for almost 6 years. Students and faculty describe the unique opportunity and how it contributes to their studies and interests as scholars.
The field trip began six years ago, the idea coming from a former member of DePaul Prep. Once gone, member and teacher in the science department, Claire Kaminski, took it upon herself to continue the trip for years to come.
Kaminski teaches IB Sports Exercise & Health Science, Anatomy & Physiology, as well as freshman Biology. Out of these three, Kaminski takes her IB Sports Exercise & Health Science course, as well as her Anatomy & Physiology course to the cadaver lab.
Kaminski provided a brief overview of what the two courses entail. “In human anatomy and IB sports, we talk about all of the different body systems and all of the parts that make them up,” Kaminski stated, “We discuss how they’re all interconnected to one another and how they make you up as a human.”
With the contents of the courses focusing on the functioning of the body, the idea to implement a field trip to see the functions of body parts is an interactive way for students to obtain hands-on experience in their studies.
Kaminski talks about how this trip connects to what the students are learning and what the visit aims to accomplish for learners.
“It’s really just a culminating field trip of what they’ve learned over the years, it gives them real life experiences on the things we talk about in class”, said Kaminski, “We can talk about the skin on your body but I can’t always show it to them. It’s an opportunity for visual practice.”
Senior Mija Lisnich takes Ms.Kaminski’s IB Sports Exercise course and was one of the students that attended the cadaver trip this year. Lisnich touches on the learning experience that the lab provides that an in class lesson cannot.
“The cadaver lab allowed us to actually see the body parts we have been learning about the past two years with our own eyes,” Mija stated, “It is one thing to read about it in our textbooks and watch YouTube videos, but actually seeing the parts and pick them up gives you a new perspective on everything.”
Kaminski also mentioned that a visit to the cadaver lab allows for students that are considering pursuing studies in health, to get a real experience that can help get them started and determine if they’re really interested in the field.
Kaminski stated, “It is important for students, especially students looking to pursue the medical field to get the experience to determine if they want to spend the next four years of their life studying that.”
Senior Gabi Walker taking Kaminski’s Anatomy & Physiology course mentioned that the trip was very interesting but maybe not something that she sees herself looking into in the future.
Walker stated, “We went through the body and saw the layout of organs and were able to look at healthy vs. unhealthy organs. I thought it was very interesting to see real life organs but I also learned that I am not the type of person that is meant to work with human bodies.”
Regardless of perspectives on health professions and some students not super keen on touching a deceased body, the trip provided a renounced learning experience that took the classroom studies to the next level.
Lisnich stated, “The professor who worked at the college the cadaver lab was at then began explaining how the women we were examining had died and what was wrong with her. This part felt a little strange but also made the experience even more real because it put a story to the body that we were examining. It helped me remember that this body was a real human at one point and not just a replica.”
Walker added to this stating, “It was a little bit scary at first seeing a dead person but I was able to learn not only about the body but how to better take care of myself to avoid certain diseases and illnesses.”
Kaminski hones in on student experience being one of the things she values most. She enjoys teaching freshman bio all the way to IB Sports Exercise & Health Science because it allows her to see these students grow and apply their studies, something done during this field trip.
“I just love science. But I really love teaching all of these classes that I see and seeing freshman to senior growth. I love to see the connections made through science and getting to know my students as they learn about it,” said Kaminski.
If any DePaul Prep students are interested in attending this excursion, fear not. Kaminski is excited to continue this trip in future years, as she added, “It is one of my favorite days in the entire year. I love watching all of their faces and watching their learning come to life is always fun.”
Although initially appearing a bit gruesome, future students are encouraged to not shy away from this visit as it leads to incredible connections and provides an unmatched learning experience. And if students are still not sold, Lisnich added a point of persuasion, stating that the best part of the trip as a whole was, “Getting portillos after!”
