Dissecting cadaver in anatomy: Medical undergraduates’ impression as they perceived

Abstract

IntroductionGetting in the dissection hall remains the first-hand experience toward medical training. It is considered as the fundamental part in medical curriculum for centuries, too. Notably, trend of dissection by medicos is often bypassed due to multifaceted reasons, with stress being the main one. We aim to elucidate if any adverse consequence remains on the very first exposure to cadaver dissection and to describe the need of pre-dissection session for newly admitted students. MethodsThis cross-sectionally designed, descriptive study was conducted at the Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Total 249 undergraduate medical students having at least six months of exposure on human anatomy were subjected to evaluate their primary perception on cadaver dissection employing a pre-tested self-administered, structured questionnaire. Recorded data were analyzed by using SPSS 16. ResultsAmong all respondents, 229 (92%) found dissection exciting and 241 (96.8%) pretty interesting. However, certain negative feeling like agony was reported by 123 (49.4%) while 102 (41%) felt bit uncomfortable. Significantly more negative effect on day-to-day activities pertaining to cadaver dissection was reported by female students (p<0.014). Most participants positively evaluated the necessity of advanced explanation on dissection (95.6%) and on prior video-presentation (94.8%) before stepping into the dissection laboratory. DiscussionTo start the MBBS course, facing the cadaver suddenly may induce sort of negative reactions in student's mind. Since there is no substitute for cadaveric-lessons in medical education, the pre-dissection sessions should gradually be introduced to optimize the learning more productively.