Is the dissection of cadavers a necessary part of medical education?
BMJ 2025; 388 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q2829 (Published 18 March 2025) Cite this as: BMJ 2025;388:q2829Linked Opinion
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Dear Editor,
Thanks for writing this impressive Head-to-head paper. I was initially astonished to come across a discussion upon whether cadaveric dissection is essential in medical education, but was substantially persuaded by the authors that it is resource-heavy, time-intensive and ethical-challenging. Some advanced digital tools for multimodal learning maybe introduced to “replace” cadaveric dissection.
However, previously as a student (both bachelor and PhD) and currently an Associate Professor in a college of pharmacy, I prefer to perceive that cadaveric dissection should have its place in pharmacy education.
For better interpretation, I would like to share my personal attitude towards my undergraduate cadaveric dissection courses. It was my first experience to see the physical objects of major organs inside human body, and it suddenly came to my mind that the pharmaceutical ingredients I was studying might practically interact with these organs, which might cause various pharmacological or even toxicological effects that exhibited by the cadavers. The sense of mission and responsibility emerged as a member of future pharmacy workforce, and the feeling was far stronger than ever I had studied the pharmacological and toxicological knowledge from a lecture or textbook. I shall sincerely thank this sense of mission and responsibility for driving me to pursue further study and research in this field.
Generally, there are fewer clinical scenarios in pharmacy education than medical education, which may lead to the weaker sense of mission and responsibility of healthcare in pharmacy students. Even if cadaveric dissection courses are cancelled, medical students have many accesses to clinical scenarios. For pharmacy education, setting up cadaveric dissection courses is a critical approach to provide a valuable clinical-mimicking scenario. Therefore, it is suggested that decision makers of pharmacy education should think twice before substituting cadaveric dissection courses.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Dear Editor,
Thank you for sponsoring this debate about the value of donor dissection in medical education. While this point is mentioned by those who support dissection, I would like to emphasize that there are many other learning opportunities when using body donors than just learning the anatomy. My colleagues and I have a recent article in Academic Medicine that highlight these additional learning opportunities especially highlighting the development of professional identity formation ("More than Body Parts: A New Ethos of Anatomy Education").
https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/2025/03000/more_than_...
All of the other methods that are used to teach anatomy (AR, VR, simulations, plastination, models, websites) do not provide the emotional and meaningful interaction of the students with a once living individual. This experience cannot be duplicated.
As an aside, many of us in this field no longer use the term "cadaver". This term is objectifying and commodifying. No one says "I am going to the funeral home to see my grandmother's cadaver". We should treat those who have altruistically donated their bodies with this same level of respect and dignity.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Dear Editor
My experience dissecting cadavers in medical school was hugely interesting and informative. It also did nothing to prepare me for learning to operate on a patient. Dissecting to operate is fundamentally different from dissecting to learn. Advanced surgical technique training on cadaveric material was far more useful when I actually knew how to operate. Dissecting as a medical student was a luxury and not a learning necessity.
Where resources are constrained, a focus on the intended learning outcomes appropriate for the level of training should indicate whether money is better spent on other learning modalities.
Competing interests: No competing interests
To the Editor:
In the health sciences (medicine, nursing, speech therapy, veterinary medicine, etc.), dissecting human cadavers is still a basic technique for teaching anatomy. It has certain advantages that other approaches cannot match. Nonetheless, sufficient emotional preparation is necessary to identify and manage the fear and anxiety that this initial encounter with a human body may cause in pupils (1).
Students can investigate actual anatomical variances through dissection, which aren't always available in computerized or plastinated models. This promotes a thorough comprehension of the functional and spatial links among anatomical structures. Students can develop the tactile and visual abilities necessary for future clinical operations, particularly surgical procedures, by manipulating real tissues (1).
Particularly in the early grades, when there is no patient contact yet, interaction with human donors instills values that are essential to healthcare practice: respect, empathy, and dignity for patients. The student's professional identity is strengthened by direct experience with a "first patient," which aids in the integration of theoretical knowledge with his future clinical practice (2).
A person may feel stressed, anxious, or even rejected upon their first encounter with a body. These emotions are common and ought to be controlled properly to avoid obstructing learning (2). Briefing sessions should be planned prior to the dissection to go over the activity's educational goal, talk about any potential emotions, and reaffirm ideas like respect for donors. exposing students to the dissection environment gradually, beginning with observations and progressing to direct manipulations; fostering an atmosphere that values donors' contributions to medical education and fosters respect for them. To lessen the psychological effects that this first encounter with a human cadaver may have, it is essential to emotionally prepare students for their first dissection experience (3,4).
In health education, cadaver dissection is an indispensable instrument that provides substantial educational and professional advantages. To guarantee that students can handle this experience with dignity and confidence, it is crucial to put emotional preparation techniques into practice. This will maximize their learning and personal growth.
1.- MacPherson E, Lisk K. The value of in-person undergraduate dissection in anatomical education in the time of Covid-19. Anat Sci Educ. 2022 Jul;15(4):797-802. doi: 10.1002/ase.2186
2.- Romo-Barrientos C, Criado-Álvarez JJ, González-González J, Ubeda-Bañon I, Flores-Cuadrado A, Saiz-Sánchez D, Viñuela A, Martin-Conty JL, Simón T, Martinez-Marcos A, Mohedano-Moriano A. Anxiety levels among health sciences students during their first visit to the dissection room. BMC Med Educ. 2020 Apr 9;20(1):109. doi: 10.1186/s12909-020-02027-2
3.- Okafor IA, Nnaka JA, Chia T. Cadaver Dissection Experience for First-Time Dissectors: a Hypothetical Three-Pronged Approach for Student Preparation. Med Sci Educ. 2023 Nov 29;34(1):257-269. doi: 10.1007/s40670-023-01950
4.- Leboulanger N. First cadaver dissection: stress, preparation, and emotional experience. Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis. 2011 Sep;128(4):175-83. doi: 10.1016/j.anorl.2011.01.007
Competing interests: No competing interests
Re: Is the dissection of cadavers a necessary part of medical education?
Dear Editor,
At what stage in medical training does one know whether or not they would like to become a surgeon? I have participated in Dissection Room teaching as both a student and an educator, and I have experienced and witnessed moments of inspiration that are unique to the setting.
Having spent a session diligently using a hammer and chisel to open the skull and expose the dura mater, I know one of my students is now contemplating a career in Neurosurgery. I myself was initially drawn to the prospect of becoming an ENT surgeon or an anaesthetist after an especially memorable lesson in which I performed a Cricothyrotomy on a body donor.
Furthermore, we see a different side of some students when in a unique environment. One of my quietest students in the classroom comes out of their shell in the Dissection Room, and has shown skill with surgical tools that would otherwise have lain dormant.
One cannot contemplate such a significant change to a medical curriculum without reflecting on the loss of opportunities.
Competing interests: No competing interests