¿Es la disección anatómica un método docente en decadencia?

Abstract

IntroductionThe study of human anatomy based on cadaver dissection has historically been one of the most widely used resources. However, the generation gap between students and teachers has led to the search for new teaching methodologies for the practical study of human anatomy, in order to replace the practice of human dissection. Material and methodsA voluntary questionnaire were sent to 360 students enrolled in one of the Human Anatomy subjects of the degree in Medicine at the University of Zaragoza to find out their perception of the practice with human cadavers. ResultsThe questionnaire was answered by 69.1% of the students (235/360), of whom 74.5% were women (268/360) and 25.5% men (92/360), with ages ranging from 18-20 years old in 85% (306/360) and older in the remaining 15% (54/360). The student's initial feelings about the internship ranged from anticipation, motivation and enthusiasm (41.7% vs. 34.9% vs. 21.7%) to excessive chemical smell and apprehension (38.7% vs. 14.5%). However, and despite the fact that 20% of the students felt initial rejection, 100% of them consider it necessary to practice with cadavers and postulate the virtual dissection table (50%), digital platforms (36.4%) or anatomical models (13.6%) as teaching alternatives. DiscussionThe study of human anatomy in the Degree in Medicine, according to the students' responses, should be linked to practice with cadavers, complemented with other teaching tools.