The Last Anatomy TAs

Last Tuesday after the fourth block exams, the anatomy TA program held our end-of-the-semester TA dinner, a final celebratory get-together for everyone who have made the Anatomy TA program possible. This semester, we made certificates of recognitions for the 24 TAs who have completed their 2-semester voluntary commitments to the program, and organized the dinner at Bonita’s Cantina in Simpson Bay by the water.

Several TAs showed up as well as many professors, not just from the anatomy department but other departments as well, and we all had a good time.

Next semester, there will be some major restructuring of the Anatomy lab curriculum: The lab manual has been updated, labs will be 2 hours instead of 3, and dry lab will become mandatory. There will now be lists of objectives to be completed by the students in the wet and dry lab, and the TAs will become part of the grading process for the class by making sure they are completed. For the first time, the use of prosections (and eventually plastinations) will be incorporated into the curriculum in addition to the usual forceps-and-scalpel dissection by students. The TAs will be preparing the prosections, with the opportunity to become certified in dissection (Dr. N has the license to grant certificates). The title TA will also be changed to Demonstrator, which is the proper international term for those with our position. Haley, Arif, and I will be among the last Anatomy TAs and first Anatomy Demonstrators.

Looking forward, I only wish the best for the Anatomy TA program, and hope these changes will make our program stronger, help students learn the material better, and give all of us more opportunities. Becoming a “Certified Dissector” sure sounds cool, doesn’t it?

Thanks Laura for these wonderful pictures from the dinner!