Abstract:Although there have been many studies assessing emotional responses of medical students to the dissecting room experience, little is known about whether dissecting particular regions of the human body cause more concern than others. Furthermore, no studies have been conducted on the concerns of professional anatomists. In this study, we assessed the hypothesis that medical students are more concerned about the dissection of the face, the perineum and the extremities of the limbs. We also hypothesized that ther… Show more
“…While video is capable of providing visual information, it is unethical, and in many cases illegal (Hennessy et al, 2020), to distribute certain images. For example, since students may find their first time seeing a body donor's face to be stressful (Leboulanger, 2011), unpleasant (Romo‐Barrientos et al, 2019), or concerning (Moxham et al, 2019), it may seem logical to provide this type of exposure via video prior to matriculation. However, personal identifiers of the body donors cannot be provided on a public platform.…”
Gross anatomy is a perennial source of anxiety for matriculating medical students due to a variety of factors, many of which could be considered "firsts," including: expectations to participate as a team member in the dissection laboratory; exposure to real human remains; and participating in a class composed predominantly of high-achieving students. In undergraduate medical education, prematriculation programs and courses are formal learning experiences designed for admitted students with the intention of fostering their social and emotional transition to medical school or to improve future academic performance (Heck et al., 2017); such programs may
“…While video is capable of providing visual information, it is unethical, and in many cases illegal (Hennessy et al, 2020), to distribute certain images. For example, since students may find their first time seeing a body donor's face to be stressful (Leboulanger, 2011), unpleasant (Romo‐Barrientos et al, 2019), or concerning (Moxham et al, 2019), it may seem logical to provide this type of exposure via video prior to matriculation. However, personal identifiers of the body donors cannot be provided on a public platform.…”
Gross anatomy is a perennial source of anxiety for matriculating medical students due to a variety of factors, many of which could be considered "firsts," including: expectations to participate as a team member in the dissection laboratory; exposure to real human remains; and participating in a class composed predominantly of high-achieving students. In undergraduate medical education, prematriculation programs and courses are formal learning experiences designed for admitted students with the intention of fostering their social and emotional transition to medical school or to improve future academic performance (Heck et al., 2017); such programs may
“…The etymology of “pudendum,” for example, can be used to discuss the gender disparities outlined by Kent, Patel, and Varela (2012) that persist across healthcare delivery and access. These discussions can easily be added to the already established topics of ethics and mortality that commonly preface anatomy courses (Mohamd, Pleasant, Ligonier, & Morgan, 2019).…”
Section: The Modern Use Of Pudendum and The Importance Of Sex Equalitymentioning
The anatomical terminology for the female external genitalia, “pudendum,” was removed from the second edition of the Terminologia Anatomica (2019) in response to opposition of the Latin root of the word (pudēre meaning “to be ashamed”). This recent revision provides an opportunity to discuss sex inequality within the history of anatomy. This viewpoint article compares the evolution of modern anatomical terminology toward clarity and precision to the stagnant non‐descriptive naming of the “pudendum” to illuminate a long timeline of the societal misperception of women. Claudius Galen (129–216 BC) used the Greek αιδοίον/aidoion (from αἰδώς/aidos meaning shame, respect, or modesty) to describe both the male and female external genitalia, as he believed that men and women were isomorphic, the difference lying only in the positioning of the reproductive organs. Galen, however, was not always impartial in his comparisons, repeatedly describing the female as inferior to the male. Andreas Vesalius (1543), whose illustrations greatly influenced the study of anatomy, later drew the female genitalia as Galen described them, as internal equivalents of male genitalia, codifying female shame within anatomical terminology. While renaming “pudendum” is a noble step in support of women, changing one word will not undo generations of implicit bias and institutional oppression. We can, however, work to create culturally and psychosocially competent future physicians through the integrative study of sex and gender issues and anatomy. Through an understanding of historical context, physicians can refocus their actions on providing care in a way that leaves the patient feeling proud, not ashamed.
“…It is a well-known fact that we tend to imbibe small nuances that we observe in our everyday life and gradually they become a part of how we present ourselves to the outside world. Accordingly students tend to embrace quite a few practices which they observe or do themselves (mostly guided to do under supervision) in the anatomy dissection room ( Bellier et al, 2019 ; Moxham et al, 2019 ). More so as they come across the dissection room experience very early in their career, hence it becomes imperative that the overall exercise of human dissection is followed within the boundaries of ethics thus setting an ideal example for the young minds to emulate in the future ( Jones, 1998 ; Cornwall and Hildebrandt, 2019 ).…”
It is a much desirable skill among physicians that clinical practice should be guided by ethical norms. The dissection room experience provides an opportunity for nurturing the principles of ethical practice among medical students early in the curriculum. When the exercise of human dissection is followed within the boundaries of ethics it effectively props an ideal example for the young minds to emulate in the future. Hence in every stage of dissection room activity precious human body needs to be handled in an ethical manner so as to set a standard for the students. The present review is an attempt to collate the recommendations documented by researchers as per ethical guidelines in the context of human dissection. The review highlights on the ethical norms which needs to be adhered to while receiving the human body of a donor and during preservation of the same. It reflects on ideal ethical behaviour in the dissection room during the act of dissection and finally emphasize on the respectful disposal of the human remains in an ethical manner. The intended purpose of this article is to support uniform adoption of the recommendations for ethical handling of human bodies used in anatomical dissection.
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