Hi, 

I don't agree to choose one of them. I think surgical simulators are much better for surgical skill practice. Surgeons can practice over and over before treating humans. Also by the help of new technologies, many simulators can simulate the patient data. So that, surgeons may simulate the real patients. On the other hand, Anatomy is one of the fundamental branches of the medicine and teaching with cadavers is the main part of the anatomy. Cadavers are the simplest way of teaching individual differences and anatomical variations. Consequently, I think both methods should be a part of either pre-graduate education or post-graduate education. 

Best regards

Hi Sedat,

Thank you for your answer. Would you direct cadavers to a specific level of training (postgrad - surgical residents) and VR to another? The other way round? How would you use both for experts/non experts?

Hi,

In our department, we direct cadavers to both pre-graduate education and post-graduate educations, especially for surgical residents. For example, we organize fresh frozen cadaver courses for surgeons with the cooperation of surgical associations. On the other hand, we use embalmed cadavers for medical education. But we also give the opportunity to surgical residents to attend gross anatomy lectures as observers.

Kind regards 

A hybrid approach