The Notion of Cadaver Dissection in the Anatomy Curriculum to Produce Competent Physicians

Abstract

Many anatomists claim the utmost importance of cadaver dissection to produce competent physicians. Other anatomists say Cadaver Dissection is obsolete. It is a difficult task to prepare and collect embalmed cadaver. Dissection hall maintenance is costly. Exposure to chemicals of a dissection laboratory and contact to human remains is not tolerable to many medical students. Disposal of the dissected cadavers is a cumbersome task too. The number of dissection lab hours and the number of students assigned for one cadaver is variable. Many medical colleges purchased computerized dissection programs. There is a trend of decreasing cadaver dissection hours. Some of the colleges relinquished both the cadaver dissections and prosections. I searched multiple works of literature from one note and PubMed with the necessity of dissection in the anatomy instruction word. Many anatomy instructors have no medical training, and a practicing physician never participates in cadaver dissection. Due to the embalming technique, the normal color and texture of normal human body are altered. A physician learns the relevant clinically oriented anatomy during the residency programs. To get into the residency program, one needs to pass the USMLEs and Clinical Skill examinations. These examinations do not include cadaver dissection nor cadaver structure identification. It is found that a medical student without cadaver dissection assignments had the equivalent scores to the students who spent many hours in cadaver dissections.ConclusionIt is possible to become a competent physician without the experience of cadaver dissection.Support or Funding InformationNone