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Cadaver prosection program gets underway with medical imaging lesson July 15, 16

IU Northwest students and cadaver program participants to perform x-rays, ultrasounds on donors; Methodist Hospitals to provide MRI, CT imaging

A full-scale medical imaging effort involving human anatomical donors will take place Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16 in preparation for the upcoming 2011 International Human Cadaver Prosection Program (IHCPP). 

The IHCPP is a three-day, hands-on anatomy workshop in August located on the Indiana University Northwest campus at the Indiana University School of Medicine – Northwest (IUSM-NW) in Gary, Ind. The prosection program allows non-physician and non-medical student volunteers to become active participants in a medical lab by preparing the anatomical donors for the incoming gross anatomy class. 

Day one of medical imaging (July 15), involving select IU Northwest and IUSM-NW faculty, students and prosection program participants, will include full-body x-rays and ultrasounds of six body donors and four fetuses at the IU Northwest radiological lab in the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS).

On July 16, the donors and fetuses will be transported to the Methodist Hospitals Southlake campus via ambulances donated by PROMPT Ambulance Service of Highland, Ind. Prosection participants will gain hands-on experience while working with the hospital’s technologists during high-resolution CT and MRI imaging of donors.

The benefit of the medical imaging exercise is threefold. First, the x-rays and other images will inform prosectors and incoming medical students about any implants or irregularities within the donors that might be problematic to the dissection process. 

Second, the radiology, ultrasonography and medical students will gain valuable experience in taking film and interpreting the images. Finally, students from different medical disciplines will learn how to work together, collaborate, and respect each other’s roles in the healthcare process. 

Just as the medical field continually evolves, so does the IHCPP, which is now in its 12^th year. This year, the prosector participants, alongside medical professionals, will conduct 3-D reconstructions and split-slice technology imaging on all donors, allowing them to obtain extremely accurate interior images of the anatomical donors. 

“Previous year’s medical imaging yielded a wealth of information about each donor by showing prosectors and gross anatomy students the location of tumors, orthopedic implants and other important structures within the donors’ anatomy,” said program director Ernest Talarico, Jr., Ph.D., who is the associate director of medical education and course director of human gross anatomy and embryology at IUSM-NW. “As a result, nearly 10 independent and ongoing cadaver-based medical research studies are in process at IUSM-NW.” 

Luis Marquez, director of Imaging Services at Methodist Hospitals, also understands the true value of the high-resolution CT and MRI scans donated to the program by Methodist.

“Medical imaging is an instrumental teaching tool providing both prosection participants and first-year medical students the knowledge and insight to gather valuable information about diseases and the human anatomy,” he said. 

Collaboration among peers

Selected from more than 150 applicants, the prosection participants, consisting of both students and professionals, represent the diverse medical field, with participants’ backgrounds ranging from psychology to pharmacology to physical therapy and dentistry. 

“All participants will gain by working closely with individuals from a mix of healthcare and medical backgrounds,” Talarico said. “This wide access to various medical fields and other disciplines truly represents one of the core themes of this program: teamwork and collaboration. This model facilitates learning by informing participants of what their key counterparts do and their important role in patient care.” 

IU Northwest Clinical Associate Professor of Radiography Robin Jones understands the direct and positive impact medical collaboration can have on patient care.

“Students in IU Northwest’s radiologic science program gain real-world, hands-on experience working with other healthcare professionals – many of which they will work alongside after graduating,” said Jones, who is also the clinical coordinator of radiography at IU Northwest. 

“And beyond that, the experience the students achieve by working with human cadavers is invaluable. Cadaver imaging is much more accurate than using a phantom (an artificial organ encased in hard plastic).” 

While only select cadaver prosection volunteers will be involved in the medical imaging, all participants will attend the IHCPP taking place August 2 - 4 at the IUSM-NW.

Medical imaging participants include:

IHCPP prosectors:

• Miracle C. Anokwute, IU Northwest junior biology student, of Merrillville
• Erin M. Brown, McHenry County College junior biology student, of Woodstock, Ill.
• Aaron M. Ciesielski, Purdue North Central junior pre-physical therapy student, of Portage
• Javier E. Contreras,  HR Specialist, Defense Finance and Accounting Services, of Indianapolis
• Jeremiah J. Cox, MS-I, IU School of Medicine-Northwest, of Portage
• Kaleigh M. Fetcko,  IU Northwest junior psychology/pre-med student, of Crown Point
• Alexandra Gol-Chambers, Elon University sophomore biology/pre-med student, of Houston
• Chelsea M. Gustafson, Purdue University – West Lafayette senior pharmacy student, of Valparaiso
• Ali Hassan Hamed, M.B.B.CH., M.SC. IUSM and Assiut University, of Assiut, Egypt
• Theodore M. Hiemstra, Purdue University Calumet sophomore fitness/biology student, of  St. John
• Jacquelin S. James, EMT-B PROMPT Ambulance/IU Northwest graduate pre-med student, of Lowell
• Kay King, D.C., Goodwin College, East Hartford, of Hamden, Conn.
• Stephen M. Koveck,  IU Northwest junior chemistry/pre-med student, of  Valparaiso
• Juan D. Ly Liu, MS-IV, Universidad Autonoma De Madrid, of Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Spain
• Jarod C. Markley, Staff Engineer, Performance Validation, of Plainfield, Ind.
• Zachary M. Messina, IU Northwest junior biology pre-med student, of Portage
• Gonzalo Nozaleda Pastor, MS-III, Universidad Autonoma De Madrid, of of Madrid, Spain
• Dalibor Plecas,  IU Northwest senior BS psychology/pre-dental student, of Highland
• George V. Schedrin, Nova Southeastern University sophomore biology/pre-med student, of, North Miami Beach, Fla.
• Nicolas Maria Gonzalez Senac, MS-III, Universidad Autonoma De Madrid, of Madrid, Spain
• Neal Shah, IU Northwest senior chemistry/pre-med student, of Munster
• Christopher Sheid, Director, IU Northwest Marketing & Communications, of Hobart
• Guillermo Hernanz Vega, MS-IV, Universidad Autonoma De Madrid, of Madrid, Spain
• Emily A. Watson, IU Northwest junior spanish and  pre-med student, of Schererville
• Pete A. Zack, EMT-P PROMPT Ambulance/IU Northwest senior biology/pre-med student, of Hammond 

IU Northwest lecturer and student radiographers: 

• Aya Abdalaziz
• Vesna Balac
• Jordan Dibble
• Lisa Fleming
• Valerie Grasch
• Rebecca Grott
• Samantha Holmes
• Vesna Krusaroska
• Jennifer Matya
• Casey Nunez
• Andrea Sanchez 

IU Northwest lecturer and student ultrasonographers:

• Lynn Farrentelli
• Tia Hawkins
• Lynn Herrera

Community effort

The IHCPP is truly a community effort, with nearly 20 sponsors from Northwest Indiana alone. Without the generous support of this year’s sponsors, the 2011 prosection program would not be a success. 

“We are grateful for the community support and program partnerships the IHCPP has established with Methodist Hospitals and PROMPT Ambulance Service, as well as the additional local support garnered from 17 other Northwest Indiana sponsors,” Talarico said. “The generous outpouring of community support allows this program to be a success. Without it, it would not be possible to provide a truly unique, innovative and hands-on medical education experience; one which can only be experienced on our campus.” 

”We are proud of our partnership with IU Northwest and the IU School of Medicine – Northwest,” said

Ian McFadden, President and CEO, Methodist Hospitals. “This is one of several joint programs that support our continued vision of developing an academic-focused campus.”

2011 International Human Cadaver Prosection Program sponsors:

• Rocco Prosthetics & Orthotic Center (Rick Rocco, Jr., Cincinnati)
• MRI & CT Scanner Time, Cadaver Radiology Session II (courtesy of Luis O. Marquez and Methodist Hospitals, Southlake Campus, Merrillville, Ind.)
• Zimmer, Inc. (Warsaw, Ind.)
• MORTECH Manufacturing (Gino Joseph, Azusa, CA)
• Special Award Items (courtesy of Ronald S. Wade, Director of the Maryland State Anatomical Board, Baltimore)
• Clinical Rotations (courtesy of Vijay Dave, M.D., Cardiologist and Director of Medical Education, St. Mary’s Medical Center, Hobart, Ind.)
• Reaching Out – Workshop (sponsored in part by the American Association of Anatomists, Bethesda, Md.)
• DYNA-HEX 4 Surgical Scrub & Antiseptic Solution (courtesy of Peter Creevy, Xttrium Laboratories, Mount Prospect, Ill.)
• Suturing Workshop (courtesy of Michael McGee, M.D., Director Emergency Medical Services, Methodist Hospitals, Northlake Campus, Gary, Ind.)
• Suture & Suture Kits (courtesy of Munster Community Hospital/Community Healthcare System, Munster, Ind.)
• DVD Anatomy Atlas Sets (courtesy of Anthony C. Levenda, M.D., LakeShore Bone & Joint Institute, Chesterton, Ind.)
• Prosection Tote Bags (courtesy of Amy Han, Ph.D. – IUSM-NW and Dennis Han, M.D., CarePointe Ear, Noise & Throat, Merrillville, Ind.)
• Knot Tying Boards & Kits (courtesy of ETHICON Products)
• DVD Anatomy Atlas Set (courtesy of Douglas Conroy, D.P.T., Conroy Orthopedics & Sports Rehabilitation Center, Flossmoor, Ind.)
• Battlefield Surgery Books and Human Embryology Text (courtesy of Brian Spatola, National Museum of Human Medicine, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C.)
• Radiology/Anatomy Atlas (courtesy of Joel Vilenski, Ph.D., IUSM-Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Ind.)
• Advanced Medical Imaging Text & Atlas (courtesy of Robin Jones, Radiologic Sciences, IU Northwest, Gary, Ind.)
• “Wilderness Medicine” by William W. Forgey M.D. (Merrillville, Ind.)
• PROMPT Ambulance Service (courtesy of Peter Zack, EMT-P and Gary Miller, Highland, Ind.)
• Rohen and Grant’s Anatomy Atlases (courtesy of Ernest Talarico, Jr., Ph.D., IUSM-NW, Gary, Ind.)
• Dr. Winner Robotic Arm Electronic Kit (courtesy of Edmund Scientific, Tonawanda, NY)
• Shrouds provided by Lynn Olszewski, Director, Northwest Indiana Area Health & Education Center (AHEC), and Marlene Cohen, Marlene’s Alterations (Homewood, Ill.)
• Textbooks (courtesy of Mark A. Jaffe, D.P.M., NOVA Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale-Davie, Fla.)
• Fisher Scientific T-Shirts (courtesy of Lazette Saunders, Fisher Scientific, Hanover Park, Ill.)
• Luggage Tags (courtesy of the American Association of Anatomists, Bethesda, MD)
• Give-a-way Items (courtesy of LakeShore Bone & Joint Institute, Chesterton, Ind.)
• Spine Models and Give-a-way items (courtesy of Michael & Mary Purcell, Munster, Ind.)
• Laboratory Coats (courtesy of Nick Porter, Porter's Apparels, Hammond, Ind.)
• Floral Arrangements (Sue Richwalski, Schererville Florist, Schererville, Ind.)
• IU Coffee Cups & Pens (courtesy of the IU Northwest Bookstore, Gary, Ind.)
• Anatomy and Radiology Books (courtesy of Thieme Medical Publishers, New York, NY)
• IUSM T-shirts (courtesy of IU School of Medicine, Indianapolis)
• Safety Seminar (courtesy of Kathryn Manteuffel, Manager of Environmental Health & Safety, IU Northwest, Gary, Ind.)
• Breakfast, Lunch and BBQ Service (Darlene Adams and Comfort’s Catering, St. John, Ind.)
• Dinner Service/Training Session (Strack and Van Til, Inc., Highland, Ind.)
• Give-a-ways (courtesy of Dave Anderson, pharmacy manager, Walgreens, Crown Point, Ind.) 

For more information, visit the Web at http://iusm-nw.medicine.iu.edu/research-programs/talarico-lab/cadaver.

Additional Article Photos