Body of Work: Meditations on Mortality from the Human Anatomy Lab Book

Fascinating!

A fascinating account of this "acceptable taboo" subject - namely, the medical dissection of the human body by medical students. This one is up close and personal, because the author is one of the students. She takes us through the entire semester - or more precisely the spiritual journey she undergoes. We follow Ms. Montross through her development - both human and medical. She is obviously anguished by what she has to do in the medical lab - and her reactions and exposé give the book great beauty. We can feel her growth, she makes incredible connections between her lab work and internship with live patients. She realizes that the extreme awkwardness and cutting to exposure ALL parts of the human body is also a preparation for dealing with real people who may be terminally ill, have grotesque disfigurations, etc...

Like all medical students she must learn to balance feelings and discomfort when listening to patients - but not at the loss of giving just a cold clinical diagnosis. We also get a sense of the mental and physical stress that these students undergo - not all of them make it through the entire term. They are in their own special club - and those outside the club cannot properly relate to them. Ms. Montross gives us wonderful insights into this club.

Another aspect of the book I liked was its lack of criticisms. This is not a book that rails against the medical profession and those in it. It treats all from the body undergoing dissection to the students, doctors and patients with a great deal of humanism and respect.

She also gives a history of anatomical dissection and how bodies were acquired (more often stolen) in past eras. Given the subject this is not easy reading - it is necessarily morbid. I did not have nightmares, but the words in the book remain with you - as does any good book.