The traditional gross anatomy lab represented a sort of sink-or-swim mentality about dealing with death. To cope with what was being asked of them, medical students had to find ways to desensitize themselves. They quickly learned to objectify cadavers, to think of the dead as structures and tissues, and not a former human being. Humor--at the cadaver's expense--was tolerated, condoned even.
The traditional gross anatomy lab presents a challenging environment for medical students, requiring them to confront the reality of death in a high-pressure setting. This often leads students to adopt a 'sink-or-swim' approach, where they must learn to manage their emotional responses to the cadavers they study. To cope, students often resort to desensitizing tactics, viewing the bodies primarily as anatomical structures rather than as people who once lived.
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