The International Human Cadaver Prosection Program (IHCPP), a unique medical program held at the Indiana University School of Medicine – Northwest (IUSM-NW) located on the Indiana University Northwest campus in Gary, Ind., will take place July 31 – August 2, 2012. 

This hands-on and innovative medical program is the only one in the country that allows non-physician and non-medical student participants the opportunity to become active volunteers in the IUSM-NW gross anatomy lab. 

Forty-four individuals have been selected to participate in the 2012 summer prosection program. They will gain detailed knowledge of human anatomy, medical imaging, and wound suturing, as well as a greater understanding of tissue histology, embryology, prosthetics, orthotics, and orthopedics medical specialties.

The participants will prepare the body donors for the Fall 2012 gross anatomy class by removing the donors’ skin and body fat to expose organs, muscles and other anatomical structures.

This is the 13^th year for the program, which is under the direction of Ernest Talarico, Ph.D., IUSM-NW associate professor of medical education and course director of human gross anatomy and embryology. Participants will come from around the United States, as well as from Canada, Egypt, Haiti and Spain. 

Two High School Participants

Eighty-two percent of this year’s participants are students from various educational levels and fields of study, the majority being undergraduate, graduate or medical school students. But two students, in particular, will stand out amongst the crowd, since they are just high school students.

Allison Krone, 16, a junior at Peoria Notre Dame High School in Peoria, Ill. and Joseph Bobo, a junior at Lake Central High School in St. John, Ind., will find themselves working alongside some students who are twice their age, and with professionals who are, in some cases, decades older than they are.

Since the age of seven, Bobo has had a strong desire to help and heal the sick, a passion further strengthened through his high school studies. His interest in the physics of the human body was accelerated through his Biology honors course and his independent research in the medical field. Bobo now looks to the prosection program as another opportunity for him to ‘gain exposure in the medical field, and help him to achieve his future goals.’ 

Krone said she is grateful not only for the learning opportunity but also for the anatomical donors who make this program possible.

"I will learn from this opportunity about the medical field I may wish to pursue once I've graduated from high school," she said. "The donor will help me to learn that process, and in a sense, they will be my teacher."

Varied Experience

All student participants, like Krone and Bobo, will work under close direction and guidance with IUSM-NW faculty, as well as with eight professional participants. 

“This year’s professional participants bring substantial medical knowledge and expertise to the table, which will create an enriching learning experience for all, and will ultimately benefit all gross anatomy students,” Talarico said.

First Patient 

The IHCPP program is much aligned with both Krone and Bobo's sense of gratitude, respect and professionalism; all prosection participants, in addition to learning basic anatomy, will be encouraged to celebrate human dignity. 

In accordance with the ‘Talarico Protocol for Human Gross Anatomy,’ (Clinical Anatomy Journal) donors in the lab are treated with the same dignity and consideration that living patients would expect to receive from their physicians. 

Prosectors are reminded that the donors have essentially become “first patients” for them and for the fall medical students who will follow. This means that donors should be referred to by their own names.

Additionally, as part of the ‘Talarico Protocol,’ summer prosectors are given the opportunity to correspond with families of the donors. The fall semester medical students are also given the opportunity, in some instances, to meet the families, of their donors. It is an experience, Talarico explained, that can have a fundamental impact on their future interaction with patients.     

The following individuals will participate in the 2012 International Human Cadaver Prosection Program: 

Northwest Indiana participants include:

• Miracle C. Anokwute, IU Northwest senior biology/pre-medicine student, of Merrillville
• Alexandra M. Arges, IUSM-NW second-year medical student, of Crown Point
• Amber Bishop, IU Northwest junior nursing student, of Schererville
• Danielle A. Bly, IU Northwest senior pre-podiatry and biology student, of Crown Point
• Joseph R. Bobo, Lake Central High School junior, of Schererville
• James I. Caudill, Purdue University North Central junior pre-radiography student, of Porter
• Aaron M. Ciesielski, Purdue University North Central senior pre-medicine student, of Portage
• Alicia M. Ciesielski, Purdue University North Central  sophomore nursing student, of Portage
• Joshua D. Downey, Indiana State University junior biology student, of Valparaiso
• Kaleigh M. Fetcko, IU Northwest senior psychology/pre-medicine student, of Crown Point
• Mandy J. Fisher, IU Northwest junior nursing student, of Wheatfield
• Travis L. Frantz, IUSM-NW second year medical student, of Merrillville
• Sara E. Frey, IU Bloomington senior biology/history/pre-medicine student, of Valparaiso
• Theodore M. Hiemstra, Purdue University Calumet junior biology/pre-medicine student, of St. John
• Heather M. Hollister, IU Northwest Police Department cadet officer and IU Northwest graduate criminal justice student, of Wheeler
• Jacquelin S. James, EMT PROMPT Ambulance and IU Northwest pre-medicine student, of Wheeler
• Jillian A. Joyce, IU Northwest senior pre-dental student, of Crown Point
• Stephen M. Koveck, IU Northwest senior chemistry/pre-dental student, of Valparaiso
• Jose L. Mas, D.V.M., Ivy Tech Community College Professor of Anatomy & Physiology and collaborator of cadaver-based research arising out of the  IHCPP, of Valparaiso
• Blake Platt, Johns Hopkins University graduate student, of Munster
• Fatima Qaisrani, IU Northwest senior chemistry/pre-medicine student, of Highland 
• Samuel J. Rheinhardt, IUSM-NW second-year medical student, of Miller
• Ryan S. Sullivan, Purdue University North Central senior pre-medicine student
• Peter Zack, EMT-P PROMPT Ambulance and West Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine first-year medical student, of Hammond
• Feras Z. Ziadat, IU Northwest senior pre-dental student, of Griffith 

Illinois participants include:

• Jasmyn L. Du Bois, Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois resident embalmer, of Chicago
• Barbie A. Klein, Northern Illinois University graduate anatomical sciences student, of DeKalb
• Allison A. Krone, Peoria Notre Dame junior, of Peoria
• Jarod C. Markley, CSL Behring validation engineer, of Manteno 

California participant includes:

• Coleman Ho, University of California, Davis, physician assistant, of Alhambra

Florida participants include:

• Faria A. Fatmi, Nova Southeastern University junior biology/pre-medicine student, of Sunrise
• Lynette Miller, Nova Southeastern University senior pre-medicine student, of Weston
• Daniel Vesco, Nova Southeastern University senior biology student, of Pembroke Pines

Iowa participant includes:

• Bryan J. Butel, Luther College junior biology/pre-medicine student, of West Des Moines

Missouri participant includes:

• Natasha R. Lobosky, Valparaiso University senior biology/chemistry/pre-medicine student, of Linn Creek

New York participant includes:

• Beric E. Berlioz, Nova Southeastern University senior pre-medicine student, of Bronx

Utah participant includes:

• Chance D. Christensen, Utah State University senior exercise science/pre-medicine student,  of Logan

Washington participant includes:

• Sara E. Cabbage, Ph.D., South Puget Sound Community College faculty member, of Olympia

Canada participants include:

• Fraser B. Kegel, University of Windsor senior forensics student, of Ontario
• Tamara J. Maciel, HBSc, MSc, University of Waterloo teaching laboratory coordinator for the School of Anatomy, of Waterloo

Egypt participant includes:

• Walid T. Abdalazia, MB ChB, Ain Shams University, of Cairo

Haiti participant includes:

• Claire I. Verret, Nova Southeastern University senior pre-medicine student, of Port-au-Prince

Spain participants include:

• Fernando Garcia Prieto, Universidad Europea de Madrid third-year medical student, of Talavera De La Reina
• Roberto Sanchez Sanz, Universidad Europea de Madrid third-year medical student, of Madrid

The IHCPP is a global effort, with more than 20 sponsors and contributors. This year, the following hospital systems in Lake and Porter County are program sponsors: Community Healthcare System, Franciscan Alliance, Methodist Hospitals, and Porter Health System.

Without the generous support of this year’s sponsors and contributors, the 2012 prosection program would not be a success: 

Program Sponsors:

• Rick Rocco, Jr, Owner, Rocco Prosthetics & Orthotic Center, of Cincinnati, Ohio
• Gregory J. Sarkisian, Sarkisian & Fleming, of Portage, Ind.
• Zimmer, Inc., of Warsaw, Ind.
• Gino Joseph, MORTECH Manufacturing, of Azusa, Calif.
• Imaging Services, Methodist Hospitals South Lake Campus, of Merrillville, Ind.
• Indiana University School of Medicine-Northwest, of Gary, Ind.

Program Contributors:

• Rick Rocco, Jr, and Aaron Moles, Rocco Prosthetics & Orthotic Center, of Cincinnati, Ohio
• Andrew S. Meyers, University of Cincinnati, of Cincinnati, Ohio
• Anthony C. Levenda, M.D., Lake Shore Bone & Joint Institute, of Chesterton, Ind.
• Bruce J. Thoma, M.D., Lake Shore Bone & Joint Institute, of Chesterton, Ind.
• Michael McGee, M.D., Methodist Hospitals, Director Emergency Medical Services, of Merrillville, Ind.
• Vijay Dave, M.D., St. Mary Medical Center, Chief of Cardiology, Director of Medical Education, , of Hobart, Ind.
• Jacob Hennings, M.D., Methodist Hospitals, Emergency Medicine, of Merrillville, Ind.
• Joseph F. Schwartz, M.D., Bone & Joint Specialists, of Merrillville, Ind.
• Douglas E. Conroy, DPT, Conroy Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, of Flossmoor, Ill.
• Donald P. Fesko, Community Hospital, CEO, of Munster, Ind.
• Jonathan S. Nalli, Porter Heath System, CEO, of Valparaiso, Ind.
• Ian E. McFadden Methodist Hospitals, FACHE, President and CEO, of Merrillville, Ind.
• Luis O. Marquez, Methodist Hospitals, Director Imaging Services, , of Merrillville, Ind.
• David Wilkinson, Strack & Van Til, L.L.C., President, of Highland, Ind.
• John Davies, Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana (Ivy Tech Community College), of Gary, Ind.
• Gary T. Miller, PROMPT Ambulance Service, CEO, of Highland, Ind.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific
• IU Northwest Bookstore, of Gary, Ind.
• Sue Richwalski, Schererville Florist, Floral Designer & Owner, of Schererville, Ind.
• MakeSigns.com, of Tinley Park, Ill.
• Ethicon, Inc., of San Angelo, TX
• Crown Trophy, of Merrillville, Ind.
• Joel A. Vilensky, Ph.D., IUSM-Fort Wayne, Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology, of Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Mark A. Jaffe, D.P.M., Nova Southeastern University, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• Radiologic Sciences, IU Northwest, of Gary, Ind.
• Zimmer Institute, Zimmer, Inc., Warsaw, Ind.
• David F. Ruskowski, Franciscan St. Anthony Health, President, of Crown Point, Ind. 

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