The forensic autopsy as a teaching tool: Attitudes and perceptions of undergraduate medical students at the University of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Background. Numerous articles have been published on the use of autopsies in training medical students in anatomy and different branches of pathology. Some authors have described the emotional response of students who attend such postmortem sessions. Forensic pathology is an important subdivision of pathology. In some countries undergraduate medical students are expected to attend postmortem examinations on persons who died from traumatic causes. Objective. To determine the attitudes and perceptions of 5th-year medical students with regard to forensic postmortem examinations at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Methods. A questionnaire was voluntarily completed by medical students on the last day of the practical rotation. Results. The overall rating of the practical rotation was 82%. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis indicated the following as strengths: record keeping, legislation review and traumatology description; as weaknesses: emotional trauma and nightmares; as opportunities: the attendance of autopsies; and as threats: physical dangers. Conclusion. The current study was similar to international studies with regard to students' emotional response to attending autopsies. The autopsy remains a valuable teaching tool for undergraduate students. Emotional support is currently available for all students to assist them in overcoming their fear of attending forensic autopsy sessions.

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

“…Furthermore, it concluded that the provision of emotional support should be made to all the students to assist them in overcoming their fear of attending forensic autopsy sessions. [5] In some medical courses in India, Forensic Medicine is a subject that is taught during the second year of the MBBS program and undergraduate students are expected to witness a minimum of ten autopsies during the third to fifth semesters. Research conducted in a medical institution in India on the perception of medical students towards medico-legal autopsy teaching, revealed that the majority of students agreed that autopsy helped to refresh their knowledge as well as made them emotionally stronger and 60% of them affirmed that it helped to understand clinical-pathological correlations and become familiar with death certification.…”

Practical tips to using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue archives for molecular diagnostics in a South African setting

“…Consequently, the increased caseload delays case investigation, prolonging formalin fixation times by days, weeks, and even months. 26 , 27 , 28 According to recommended guidelines for optimised molecular testing, tissue samples should be fixed in 10% buffered formalin for 14 h – 24 h. 9 , 14 Hence, most forensic pathology departments doubt the value and efficacy of their decades worth of FFPE tissue archives in the context of molecular diagnostic applications or research. 9 , 15 , 20…”