It can be really hard to pay attention in anatomy class sometimes, so I amuse myself by noticing some of the words that Dr. Mayhew seems to like. The following are his top 3 favorite words, at least according to the frequency with which he uses them.
1. Robust - Used to describe an artery or nerve that is bigger and thicker than others. "You'll be able to see the Median nerve on your cadavers, as it is quite robust."
2. Resourceful - usually used to describe his students (us!). In fact, I think this is actually the main criterion for choosing who makes it into the program. Dr. Mayhew has said several times, "You're all highly resourceful students."
3. Appreciate - my personal favorite. Used when referring to parts of the cadaver that we're not going to try to preserve during dissection. "When you're removing the skin, appreciate all the cutaneous nerves... then cut through them to get to the muscle."
I love this post! It's great fun for a word nerd like meself.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the implied real meaning of "resourceful" is "we-admitted-you-because-you're-creative-enough-to-be-a-valuable-asset-to-this-program." :)
I thought it was interesting that "resourceful" was the preferred word to describe us students. I would think "intelligent" or "dedicated" would be more accurate, since you have to be smart and work hard to get into the program. But I guess they secretly look for something in the applications that suggests resourcefulness. :)
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