On October 21, students in the traveled to to give visitors a small glimpse into the interesting and surprising specimens and objects in the College of Physicians of Philadelphia's vast collection. Longtime readers will recall the Woodlands and representatives of the Mütter Museum, including Karabots students, have participated in numerous events hosted by the Woodlands.
Established as the country home of Philadelphia socialite , the Woodlands became an active cemetery in 1840; it is the final resting place of numerous noteworthy Philadelphians, including several Fellows of the College of Physicians, such as , , and , and the founder of the among . It is also the site of the largest grave marker in the United States, an constructed for famous dentist and Penn Dental school founder .
Our students were on-site as part of the Woodlands annual , where visitors come to the historic rural cemetery to take part in fun activities. Visitors of all ages came dressed in costumes for Halloween and there was even a pet costume contest in which a dog dressed as a pumpkin took the grand prize. Our students spent the afternoon in the Hamilton Mansion demonstrating "Mini Mütter," a sampling of the unique items on display at the Mütter Museum. The Junior Fellows displayed such items as anatomical models, replicas of bones and museum specimens (such as an arm with and a foot with ), preserved brain slides, and a collection of Civil War medical tools. Several students even led anatomy-themed games, challenging visitors to identify bones, label pieces of the heart, and demonstrate using different parts of their brain. Our students acted as great ambassadors for the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, showed off their knowledge, and honed their public speaking skills. Just as important, they introduced people young and old to the amazing collections available at the Mütter Museum and offered insights into medicine and human anatomy.