The dead cow lecture
First-year students at
the Purdue School of Veterinarian Medicine were attending
their first anatomy class with a real dead cow. They all
gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with
a white sheet. The professor started
the class by telling them, "In Veterinary medicine it
is necessary to have two important qualities as a doctor.
The first is that you not be disgusted by anything involving
an animal’s body." For an example, the professor
pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger in the butt of the
cow, withdrew it, and stuck his finger in his mouth.
"Go ahead and do the same thing," he told his
students. The students freaked
out, hesitated for several minutes, but eventually took
turns sticking a finger in the butt of the dead cow and,
sucked on it.......followed by assorted gagging, retching
and spitting, etc. When everyone had
finished wiping their faces, the Professor looked at them
and said, "The second most important quality is
observation. I stuck in my middle finger and sucked on my
index finger. Now learn to pay attention. Life is tough
but it's even tougher if you're stupid."