20 | F LO R I DA P HYS I C IAN
Reflaencdti othnes on
LIFE, DEATH
and the gift of
LEARNING
BY TYLER FRANCISCHINE
Strokes of watercolor paint swirl on the page to create a new world. Words strung
together reveal deep thoughts and pose poignant questions. These are the
works of UF medical students who, as they anticipate the experience of human
dissection, are asked to express their thoughts about the individuals who donate their
bodies for medical instruction. As Kyle E. Rarey, PhD, instructs, each medical student
spends their first day of class reflecting on the lives that were lived before the donors
passed away. When the students encounter the cadavers in the gross anatomy lab, an
appreciation for those lives — for the events, the decisions, the pain and pleasures — is
now top of mind, lending a sense of warmth and gratitude to the experience.
Haley Oberhofer, a member of the class of 2021, visualized dissecting a human body
as entering “a new world” full of adventure and understanding. Emily Pregmon of the
class of 2021 highlighted different organs to ask critical questions about the life that
was experienced before the donor passed away. Victoria Dukharan of the class of 2022
composed a poem about the impact a donor’s life makes, an impact that lingers long
after they take their final breath.
The students’ art and poetry are displayed at the annual cadaver ceremony that marks
the end of their anatomy instruction.