Scrapbooks - High School - Senior Year - Anatomy & Physiology

Our high school offered all the usual AP and Honors classes, but the hardest, baddest, most academically-coveted class (at least by us type-A, perfectionist students) was Anatomy & Physiology. It was taught only one period a day, had only 32 seats, and was HARD to get into. You had to have a one-on-one interview with the teacher at the end of your Junior Year, as well as have references from various teachers. It was considered a college-level course, with LOTS of homework, LOTS of studying, CRAZY tests, after school labs, and lots of stress. And it looked great on your transcript. It was a BIG deal to get into this class. (Well, in my circle of friends.) I got in and I LOVED it!

We each got our own cat to dissect during the first semester - I couldn't eat meat for about a month after labeling all the dank muscles. None of it really bothered me except opening up the stomach. Erlack. The smell of formaldehyde and rubbing alcohol always shoots my memories straight back to my time spent in that class.

Mr. Millward, our teacher, was unlike any teacher I had ever had. He didn't treat us like high schoolers and didn't suffer fools. But he was also really funny and made everything we learned SO interesting. Seriously. I knew I didn't want to be a doctor or nurse, but I loved that class.

A's were almost unheard of, so I was pretty proud of my very respectable B+. The subject matter never really helped me in college, but the study skills and time management lessons sure did.

We went to a couple of college campuses and toured the cadaver labs, which was pretty interesting. (And, apparently, impactful. I remember more about those trips than many other things my Senior year!) We thought we were so cool. We WERE so cool.

I can't believe that at one point in time I knew every single bone and muscle in the body, where they were located, and what they did. (I hardly remember any now... not information I've really needed.)

It was a BIG deal to get the highest grade on a test or quiz. Mr. Millward would announce it to the whole class and everyone would cheer. I wanted that high score SO BAD. But I was in a class full of geniuses and type-A freaks like me. We all wanted that high score. Finally, though, we had an essay test, which was totally my thing. The essay had to answer the question below; we had 2 hours and I wrote 12 pages, front and back. And I got the highest score!! Seriously, I cannot overstate the euphoria I felt! I even beat out my good buddy, Kensho, who is now a specialist in pediatric pulmonology, so that's saying something, right? (He also got the high score many other times.)

California often gets a bad rap for its public education; and rightfully so sometimes. And my school was by no means the best; it was probably pretty average in most areas. I had mostly good teachers, and a few really awful ones. But I also had some REALLY GREATteachers, and the school had some really great programs and opportunities. This was one of them.