Histopathology from the dissecting room: Are cadavers a suitable source of educationally useful histopathology specimens?

Abstract

Objectives: The requirement of the General Medical Council to ‘reduce factual overload’ has led to the development of integrated curricula in which the knowledge base related to basic medical sciences has been greatly restricted. The time allocated to pathology teaching in medical schools has been decreased. The challenge for educators is to introduce effective methods of learning pathology into an integrated, student-centred curriculum. The aim of this study is to assess the tissue derived from cadaveric material and report its potential for use in teaching histopathology.

Methods: We have previously reported how we use cadavers’ medical histories when introducing students to their ‘first patient’. The medical histories of the seventeen cadavers that were dissected during one academic session were reviewed for evidence of reported pathology. During dissection unexpected pathological findings were noted. Standard histological processing was carried out on pathological tissue from the cadavers, a prosection and a specimen which was displayed in a museum pot. These specimens were then assessed for educational value by an expert clinical histopathologist.

Results: We find that the availability of a real medical history combined with gross and microscopic pathology encourages integration of basic medical sciences and promotes the learning of both gross and microscopic pathology in the dissecting room.

Conclusion: The dissecting room provides ample material to introduce pathological concepts to undergraduate medical students and this material is a valuable resource for teaching histopathology.

Keywords

• dissection
• gross anatomy education
• histopathology
• medical education
• pathology education

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