The practice of ethics in the context of human dissection: Setting standards for future physicians

Abstract

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.

In death there is life: perceptions of the university community regarding body donation for educational purposes in the United Arab Emirates

“…With regard to the journey of body donation in a medical school, it generally commences with the procurement of the donated body from a licensed source, followed by preservation of the body, then use in anatomical education and research, and eventually concludes with the respectful disposal of the remains of the donated body [ 69 ]. While the junctures of this journey differ, continuous and consistent adherence to ethical guidelines is paramount [ 69 ]. Moreover, Riederer et al.…”

Covid‐19: Emerging Considerations for Body Sourcing and Handling. A Perspective View from Nigeria

“…This will not only suffice in pandemics like Covid‐19 but also for the future. It is equally essential that ethical principles be followed, even when virtual dissections come into use (Ghosh, 2020). Care should be taken to ensure that cadavers are not being treated as mere teaching or research tools (Jones, 2017, 2020; Lalwani et al, 2020).…”

Cultivation of humanistic values in medical education through anatomy pedagogy and gratitude ceremony for body donors

“…On the other hand, several others believe that their use may have benefits beyond just teaching, including teaching about medical fallibility and uncertainty, as well as raising issues of death and dying [ 39 – 41 ]. As recently reviewed by Ghosh [ 42 ], the dissection room, along with the rules and steps for receiving, use, and disposal of cadaver materials gives crucial room to nurture the ethical practice principles among medical students early in the curriculum. Our present study adds evidence in support of the utility of cadavers beyond the learning of anatomical facts but building humanist doctors.…”

“…In the present study, feedback from students revealed that participation in ceremonies enhanced their commitment to studying, appreciating the value of dissection, personal growth, and strengthening of compassion. All these benefits of engagement in ceremonies have been reported in a variety of settings elsewhere [ 35 ] thereby placing anatomy at the core of early inculcation of humanist values in preclinical medical training [ 42 ]. Although most studies reported lacking a formal curriculum [ 27 , 46 ], the utility of such programs continues to appear frequently in recent literature [ 47 ].…”