Virtual online teaching in lieu of cadaveric dissection and traditional learning methods during Anatomy classes in the lockdown times of COVID–19: Students perspective

Abstract

Dissecting a cadaver is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a medical student. But considering the present COVID -19 pandemic, most of the medical colleges have stopped the cadaveric dissections and other offline teaching activities since March 2020. Virtual online classes on Zoom® meetings and Google® classroom were taken. This study is done to find theviewpoint of 1 MBBS students to use of virtual online teaching in lieu of cadaveric dissection and traditional teaching methods.Pretested questionnaires were sent to willing students. A consent form was first sent followed by first questionnaire during the online classes in August 2020. Second questionnaire was sent after offline classes in small groups were taken in December 2020.Online histology classes were preferred by 49.7% students. Osteology tutorials and classroom lectures of gross Anatomy were preferred over virtual classes. Students preferred recorded lecture to live online lecture because of connectivity issues.Online classes helped in continuation of classes during pandemic. But online lectures and virtual dissection can’t replace classroom lectures and cadaveric dissection.