New anatomy LAB

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We are proud to announce that Caribbean Medical University has finalized setting up a new anatomy lab for the MD 1 students.

Although other options for anatomy education exist, little compares to the experience of working with a human body. Textbooks, diagrams and virtual reality all fall short of hands-on education. The new lab is equipped with all required supplies and can handle up to 4 cadavers. A lab design for a new anatomy has resulted in a successful, completed installation. This anatomy lab is now 100% completed and being used by the university’s students for its intended purpose.

Anatomy lab requires a thorough understanding of the unique needs and challenges of a large space where medical and allied healthcare profession students learn about anatomy through actual, physical dissection.

The overall finishes of the lab space are designed for maximum durability. Within the lab, there are two plumbing hose bibs, to allow the university to bring in spray washers and spray wash the entire lab space, including floors, walls and ceilings. This potential water saturation of all surfaces dictated not only an extensive floor drain system, but also waterproof surfaces and light fixtures, as well as ground fault interrupters on all electrical outlets.

The group of students attend the anatomy lab once a week for the whole day under the supervision of the Anatomy professor. Scrubs will be offered for sale through the campus. If you miss this sale, any scrubs purchased online, in a medical supplies store, even at Wal-Mart are fine. Most students get light blue, because that is the color CMU sells, but there is no color requirement. Many students elect to get a set of scrubs. If you purchase scrubs, we recommend only 1 or 2 sets, and if you need more you can always buy them later.

The mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are sophisticated, in keeping with the demanding nature of anatomy lab usage. The HVAC system is designed as a laminar flow system, with air distributed from the ceiling and exhausted through low returns in the wall (similar to the HVAC design of operating rooms and clean rooms). All of the electrical as mentioned had to be waterproof, including flex-coil outlets suspended from the ceiling. Lighting in particular was developed with multiple lighting levels, to allow alternate uses of the space requiring high vs. low ambient lighting levels.

All-in-all, state-of-the-art anatomy lab, resulting from careful study of this university lab building type, as well as close coordination between university administration and anatomy lab teaching staff.