Perceptions of medical students towards autopsy teaching and its significance

Abstract

The importance of autopsies in medical education is multidimensional. In accordance with the existing medical curriculum in India, forensic medicine is a subject taken up during the second year of the MBBS, and undergraduate students of medicine are expected to witness a minimum of 10 autopsies during the third to fifth semesters. This research analyses the perceptions of medical students towards medico-legal autopsy teaching and its significance at one medical institution in India. A total of 450 MBBS students participated in the study and submitted their responses to the predesigned semi-structured 20-point questionnaire on autopsy viewing and its relevance in general. The obtained data were analysed statistically using SPSS software. More than 75% of students agreed that they could appreciate the actual morphology and pathological changes in the human organs. There was a positive response from 54.9% students, who affirmed that autopsy helped refresh and improve their knowledge of human anatomy. More than 60% students agreed to have gained understanding of clinical–pathological correlations and became acquainted with death certification. The majority of the students (53.6%) agreed that autopsy postings made them mentally and emotionally stronger. The present study provides useful evidence regarding the perceptions of medical students towards autopsy teaching, and intends to highlight the utility of autopsies in enhancing the knowledge of medical students and its significance in the medical education curriculum.

Autopsy‐Based Learning is Essential But Underutilized in Medical Education: A Questionnaire Study

“…Neither was autopsy teaching seen as very beneficial for the learning of cause-effect relationships (3.43) and of the interpretation of symptoms and findings (2.85). In the study of Tandon et al (2019), however, more than 60% of students reported improved understanding of clinicopathological correlations. The same theme also emerged in the studies of McNamee et al (2009) and Khoo (2014).…”

“…Studies involving medical teaching staff in the United States (Talmon, 2010) and the United Kingdom (Burton, 2003; Bamber and Quince, 2015) have shown that, although there is a large variation in the method of organizing autopsy teaching, the autopsies are seen as multifactorial tools of transmitting knowledge and attitudes. Among other things, students gain insight into clinicopathological correlations (Tandon et al, 2019) and practical issues such as medicolegal external examination (Anders et al, 2011). Furthermore, autopsies raise awareness of risks in the practice of medicine (Ioan et al, 2014) and enable the students to contemplate their own views on the end of life (McNamee et al, 2009).…”

Perceptions of medical students on autopsy and its significance as a teaching-learning method

“…A study done in India among 450 medical students revealed that 75% of students emphasized the value in identifying morphological and pathological changes. Around 55% of students affirmed that autopsy helped improve anatomical knowledge (12).…”