The Fresno State anatomy lab offers Doctor of Physical Therapy students a unique opportunity to study human anatomy through hands-on dissection of donated cadavers. Located centrally on campus, the lab accommodates 35 students who work in teams, dissecting human tissue to better understand the body’s structure.
Dr. Caio V. Messias Sarmento, associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, leads the course. He emphasized the importance of direct experience with cadavers for future physical therapists. “Physical therapists are movement experts,” Sarmento said. “In clinical practice, you must understand every muscle and nerve that powers human movement. For example, we need to know exactly which muscles flex the elbow and what nerves control them to treat a patient with a suspected biceps tendon rupture. We don’t have X-ray vision, which is why working with cadavers is so essential. Nothing replaces the experience of palpating and exploring the muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves with your own hands. That kind of learning simply can’t be replicated; there’s nothing like it.”
Students follow a two-semester sequence of courses—PH 510 and PH 511—that cover different regions of the body. Weekly, students attend lectures followed by lab sessions where they apply their knowledge during dissections. Each team uses digital resources such as the Visible Body app on iPads, which displays 3D models to aid in identifying anatomical structures.
The anatomy lab recently underwent significant renovations funded by a $75,000 grant from Chevron. Improvements include new operating room flooring for the first time in three decades, upgraded LED lighting, an enhanced teaching station with a large monitor, iPads for each group station, individual lockers for students, clearer dissection station markings and new paint throughout the facility, as well as replacement ceiling panels.
Cadavers used in the course are donated through the Willed Body Program at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. Each provides unique learning opportunities due to natural variations and evidence of previous medical procedures found during dissection. After the academic year ends, remains are returned to UCSF’s program for cremation and respectful care.
Sarmento noted that dissection allows students to develop investigative skills important for clinical practice. “The students begin to think like investigators,” he said. “That mindset is invaluable because, in the clinic, patients don’t arrive with ready-made answers; they come with symptoms. It’s the therapist’s role to piece together the clues and determine what’s really going on.”
A team-based approach is central to lab work; students teach and learn from one another by rotating among stations at each session’s end. Third-year student Rosemary Chapman described her experience: “The most meaningful part for me was working closely with my group. We learned so much from each other and worked hard to identify and preserve the structures,” Chapman said. “By the end of the first year, I not only gained a strong foundation of anatomy, but have since then been able to give back through helping support the learning of other cohorts as an instructional student assistant, which has been really rewarding.”
Alexandra Chavez, a recent graduate now working at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, reflected on how her anatomy training influences her daily work as a physical therapist. “I use my anatomy lab education every day, especially when looking at imaging or scans,” Chavez said. “When a patient describes their pain, my mind goes back to that area of the cadaver and how the muscle, nerve, organ plays a role in that person’s presentation. The anatomy lab goes deeper than just learning the human body. I use my experience in the lab today as a tool for patient care, building rapport and truly committing to the patient’s recovery.”
