Hello Mr.David,

I feel in this era of electronic learning though images and models are important (More of theoretical), but at the same time Cadavers are of atmost important for learning and understanding anatomy (by practical knowledge). Each and every body part, different structures and relations students have to explore by themselves under some guidance definitely...They should understand what the normal is, then they can make out abnormal.

Thanks

Thanks Rohini.

Hi Dr Parry,

Coming from a Medical School (King's) where dissection and prosections were used as part of anatomical teaching, I find that dissecting and viewing cadavers allowed me to visualise the relevant anatomical structures but also to observe that there are anatomical variations in blood supply etc. This is knowledge needed by surgeons and this can only be seen through cadaveric material.

As many medical schools no longer have anatomy departments that have cadaveric material, this puts some candidates at a disadvantage for the Part B MRCS, so I can appreciate if there was a drive towards using imaging and models.

BWs,

Ben

I have see

Absolutely my beliefs Ben. Thanks for your answer.

Hi Dr. Parry,

I agree with you. Though I have to say that imaging is a great tool for teaching anatomy since it allows the students to make the connection from the diagrams to the cadaver to the CT/MRI. However, dissections and prosections add something that the other resources can't. For example, the look and feel of a tissue (a must for a surgeon) can't really be conveyed through other means. Also, for students just starting to learn anatomy, the spatial relationship between structures is much easier to understand having a complete view of the area, rather than having a look at a cross section.

I think that all these other resources add a great deal of knowledge but should be used with the cadaver, not instead.

BW,

Marcela

Great points made. Thank you.

For me is absolutely necessary to learn anatomy in cadavers .Most of advances in hepatic surgery for example came from cadaveric dissections Anatomic variations spacial relationship are impossible to be learn from eletronic ways however adding cadavedric dissections to electronic learning as CT or MR may help to translate clinical images to anatomic images and help to plan surgical procedures

Thank you Marcel.

Beautifully articulated Mohammad. Thanks.

Dear Dr. David

Anatomical dissection in cadaver is much more educational than the virtual model, because it is the only one that has sensitivity and three dimensions to observe anatomy and anatomical variations. Virtual simulators, no matter how good they are, do not replace the corpse with advantage. Those should be used when no corpses are available. With the change of legislation and the possibility of donating bodies after death for scientific and educational purposes, there will be more corpses for use.

Best regards.

Thank you Luis.

Dear Mr David,

Dissection in cadaver is better than models and is absolutely necessary to learn anatomy.

Best regards.

Thank you Gaetano, I believe so too.

Learning anatomy without cadavers like learning driving without a car

Hi Dr. David,

Cadavers are the best source of teaching.

However, in case of shortage of cadavers, we have alternative sources for teaching such as anatomy models, 3-D virtual imagery are always available. Gone are the days where we would have to be dependent on Cadavers.

Where are you based Bharat.

Hi David,

I am based in India (Pune City). I am a qualified Surgeon (30 Years) and currently Professor Healthcare & Hospital Management at Symbiosis International University, Pune, India.

Thanks Bharat, best wishes to you. We don’t have a shortage of donors in the UK, but still cadaver anatomy training is consistently lowered with some places opting to not use them. I think it’s a huge mistake, especially as countries like yours would love the opportunity with the right facilities and donor numbers . Kind Regards, David.

My training was on Cadavers,I strongly feel even 3D images and models are not equivalent to training on cadavers ,However times have changed,youngsters may be adoptable, Thanks

Thanks Prasanna

Hi Dr Parry. I am teaching anatomy in Trivandrum Medical College. In my experience as a physician and now an anatomy teacher, its vital to add cadaveric dissection in medical curriculum. As many have mentioned above the knowledge and wisdom it imparts may not be scientifically measurable. The look, the feel of tissues, the experience of dissecting and knowing spatial relationships. Most importantly the unexpected "variant anatomy" for the novice, occasional pathology encountered in dissection (a paper on that experience of mine is under journal review).

Supplement cadaveric teaching wisely with imaging or visualisation softwares, but never should it be replaced. Fortunantely in India, currently we dont experience a shortage of donors for undergraduate medical teaching, but there is a scarcity for alloting cadavers for research purposes or specialist training.

Thank you Doris.

I agree with Doris that cadaveric dissection is vital in medical curriculum

Thank you Marcel.

David Parry you are right but the problem is of volume or quantity, instead of "quality".

Teaching with cadavers is essential, even to stimulate the bioethical values of students at the beginning of their careers.

It can be complemented with artificial images and models, which don't substitute the spatial real volume, length and relationships of the others anatomical structures; although they are a very important tool especially for the teaching to comparative imaging (CT, MRI) .

The systems for teaching anatomy by 3D images are usually very expensive and inaccessible for a large number of universities.

In the other hand, also depends on the opportunity to obtain corpses and the cost of them. In Latin America, most universities obtain cadavers through legislation that protects the donation of deceased people who are not claimed by their families. Very interesting topic.

I agreed cadaver anatomy instruction should be basic teaching in medical school for medicine and surgery, Regarding surgery requited more training due different elasticity and bleeding in alive research simulators or approved animal laboratory,

Yes, cadaver anatomy teaching must be part of teaching curriculum. Without cadavers, teaching of anatomy shall remain incomplete.

Absolutely yes!

Latins sai: "Mortui vivos docent" --> (Dead people teach alive people)

Anatomy and surgery are sticked like glue each other

We need, exspecially in some countries like Italy more favorable laws about Cadavers using in Surgery teaching.

Thanks Andrea.

Thank you.

I agree absolutely with a main group of colleagues. Some people are trying to support some "new alternatives" to teach anatomy in medicine school , but in my opinion, their motivation, maybe, are others. Not a real desire to help development medical sciences.

Thanks Eloy. I think a lot of this mi e to get rid of cadavers is purely financial.

Training with cadavers is the most important for surgeons and anatomic learning, of course

Thanks Luis, I think so too.

We also could use this type of teaching to measure the quality of a Medical School

Interesting Marcel.

I saw a cadaver for the first time in my first year at Medical School and decided that I could not be anything else but a surgeon. Cadaveric dissection will teach you anatomy but the unique feeling will make you a surgeon. There are some things in life that cannot be replaced by technology. This is one of them.

You are right Marcel Autran. It is very interesting for surgeons, not for doctors in Mediine

I dissected the cadaveric body when I first time touch the anatomy as a medical student. But due to technology limit, I could not build up a holography image in my brain before cadaveric dissection, so I don't think I gained more direct benefit from cadaveric dissection at that time. In addition, cadaveric body couldn't mimic the real living body as the same as you perform the surgery. However, with development of 3D computer models, cadaveric dissection is still good for medical training.

Cadaver Dissection is basic hands on training, for a Medical Graduate, to undergo training, in the process of traing.

Cadaver Dissection is basic hands on training, for a Medical Graduate, to undergo training, in the process of training.

Thank you Anil

I totally agree with Anil.

Thanks Marce.

The Doctor is to treat humans, he is not intended to treat plastic dummies. If students never see the human body when been taught, how will they practice medicine when they leave university? Cadaver is one of the states of the human body, and other things being equal, dissection of corpses in early training courses allows students to enter Medical Profession quickly and early.

Yes, cadavers are important for medical and surgical education.

The cavadores are an excellent support for the study of human anatomy along the centurias

I wantes to say cadavers of course