Table 5 Summary table of study themes with representative quotes
From: The impact of human cadaveric dissection on professional identity formation in medical students
Theme 1: Dissection deepens students’ appreciation of humanistic values. The gratitude the students felt towards the selfless individuals who donated their bodies to medical education helped the students to feel compassion, empathy and the respect for life. | |
The journey of learning anatomy through dissection was an intensely emotional experience. | I actually had a panic attack, you know, as in, umm I was really very uncomfortable with, you know, cutting open a human body. (P3; Year4 medical student) |
Students were humbled by the donors’ noble sacrifice to enhance the medical education of future physicians. | We always believe that when we die, we have to have the full body and then just let it decay in the coffin, not being touched by other people, or take out their organs or something, but they are willing to contribute their body. (P5; Year2 medical student) |
They were encouraged to reflect deeply on the significance of their authentic learning opportunity to thank their cadavers as their silent teachers. | We wrote cards, we wrote poems…to kind of express… “You’re like our teacher as well, and you know thank you really thank you for that opportunity to learn from you”. (P3; Year4 medical student) |
Theme 2: Dissection enhanced students’ notions of patients’ personhood. The dissection experience seemed to provide a precious window through which medical students could see patients as unique individuals to whom they would provide care in a more compassionate and caring way. | |
The concept of personhood was emphasized as participants recognized their cadaver as a person who had lived, loved, and lost. | Our patient’s liver was quite cirrhotic and then I thought, oh, this was because our patient drank alcohol, and then I started to think of all the memories, the patient or the cadaver might have. (P7; Year4 medical student) |
Participants expressed their intention that when they become physicians, their approach would extend beyond merely addressing the patient’s disease; they would also consider various aspects of a patient’s well-being, including the social determinants of health. | I think it is the aspect of building that sense of empathy and seeing what’s beyond the patient’s presentation… and look at what are some of the social factors that we could improve. (P9; Year4 medical student) |
Theme 3: Learning anatomy without dissection orientated students towards knowledge acquisition. Participants without dissection experience reported knowledge acquisition as the main purpose in learning anatomy. | |
Participants who did not undergo dissection saw it as simply a tool to learn human anatomy which could be easily substituted by other learning resources. | If you really are interested in anatomy, you will find your own ways to learn it. I don’t think really need to rely too heavily on cadaveric dissections. (P1; Year3 medical student) |
A participant shared how she would use her anatomical knowledge in relation to her patient, which was primarily confined to scientific knowledge and facts. | If patient asks any questions and if it is somewhat connected to anatomy, then I can try to answer. (P10; Year3 medical student) |