Art macabre: Is anatomy necessary: Reply

Art Macabre: Is anatomy necessary?

“…The title of the recent editorial in this Journal 1 is rhetorical in the extreme. Of course anatomy is necessary if a medical student is to become acceptably competent in eliciting physical signs which are the indisputable basis of clinical examination.…”

“…Once, and not so long ago at that, cadaver dissection was a major component of the preclinical years and it was, at least in this writer’s opinion, a monstrous and disagreeable waste of time. However, Marius Fahrer is quite correct in his assertion that tactile and visual appreciation of gross anatomy is the only way to learn three‐dimensional morphology so vital for a surgeon, 1 but it is not necessary to anywhere near the same degree for medical students. For them an acceptable grasp of clinically relevant functional anatomy can be gained by the use of specifically dissected specimens.…”

Impact of cadaveric surgical anatomy training on urology residents knowledge: a preliminary study

“…[17] Anatomy dissection courses using human cadavers have long been used to impart anatomical knowledge to surgical trainees. [14][15][16] This process provides a valuable insight into surgery and focus on the anatomy. [1] The design of classic lectures, notes and practical anatomy laboratory lectures empower the residents to direct, evaluate and reflect on their learning.…”

“…[13] The value of anatomy dissection courses using human cadavers in imparting anatomical knowledge has been clearly established. [14][15][16] Nonetheless, most studies have shown that this applies to medical student learning anat- Original Article 83 GENERAL UROLOGY omy. Residents in surgical specialties are regularly exposed to anatomy through surgery or medical imaging and it is unknown whether they will benefit from anatomy courses based on cadaveric dissection.…”

Competency‐based training of basic trainees using human cadavers

“…The value of anatomy dissection courses using human cadavers in imparting anatomical knowledge has been clearly established 1−3 . Surgical trainees often attend these courses as a component of examination preparation 1,3 .…”