Student attitudes to whole body donation are influenced by dissection

Abstract

Given the important role that anatomical dissection plays in the shaping of medical student attitudes to life and death, these attitudes have not been evaluated in the context of whole body donation for medical science. First year students of anatomy in an Irish university medical school were surveyed by questionnaire before and after the initial dissection and again after 9 weeks of anatomical dissection. Analysis of student responses to the idea of whole body donation by an unrelated stranger, a family member, or by the respondent showed that a priori attitudes to donation by a stranger did not change with exposure to dissection. However, student opposition to donation by a family member was evident immediately after the initial dissection and was sustained throughout the duration of this study. Support for the idea of donating their bodies to medical science decreased significantly among respondents after exposure to dissection (31.5% before dissection, 19.6% after dissecting for 9 weeks) but not to levels reported in the general population in other studies. This study demonstrates that where dissection forms a part of anatomy teaching, students expect to learn anatomy by dissecting donors whom they do not know. As a potential donor population, students are reluctant to become emotionally involved in the donation process and are unwilling to become donors themselves.

Attitudes of medical and allied medical students from Serbia toward whole body donation

“…Previous studies have suggested that being exposed to working with cadavers influences attitudes toward body donation (ŞEHIRLI, SAKA, SARIKAYA, 2004;CAHILL, ETTARH, 2008;PERRY, ETTARH, 2009;BOLT et al, 2012;ALEXANDER et al, 2014;PLAISANT et al, 2014). After their anatomy course, which included cadaver-based instruction, students were less keen to become donors or to advise their family to do so (CAHILL, ETTARH, 2008;PERRY, ETTARH, 2009;ALEXANDER et al, 2014). It appears that this experience and the manner in which the human body is treated in the laboratory has a disturbing side which makes students rethink their attitudes toward donation (ALEXANDER et al, 2014).…”

Formal body bequest program in Nigerian medical schools: When do we start?

“…Anatomists, students, and other trainees must serve as models to the public in their willingness to be enlisted in bequest programs at their respective institutions. Studies show that the attitudes of anatomists, medical students, and health care professionals toward donation of their own bodies vary around the world (Arrá ez- Aybar et al, 2004;Sehirli et al, 2004;Cahill and Ettarh, 2008;Perry and Ettarh, 2009).…”

Attitudes of Undergraduate South African Students towards Body Donation

“…In addition, cadaver dissection plays a vital role in the education of undergraduates around the world (Cahill & Ettarh, 2008;Perry & Ettarh, 2009;Saha et al, 2015;Ebeye et al, 2016). This practice of dissection has also been stated to not only favour the teaching of the foundations of anatomy, but also the development of professional competencies (Korf et al).…”