Opinions of Medical Students about Cadavers and Cadaver Procurement in Medical Education

Abstract

Objective: Although various learning methods are used in anatomy education, cadavers remain unquestionably important in medical education worldwide. Many medical schools face shortages of cadavers. The aim of this study was to investigate students' awareness of and attitudes toward cadavers and the process of cadaver procurement. Materials and Methods: The survey was distributed to second- and third-year students at the Faculty of Medicine via digital media in 2023. A sixteen-question survey was administered to 140 students who participated in the study at the end of the academic period. Results: Almost all medical students (91%) believed that cadavers should be included in anatomy education. Most students reported that they were not emotionally affected while working with cadavers and did not experience negative emotions such as anxiety or fear. When working with cadavers, women showed significantly more empathy than men (p<0.05). Forty-six percent of students knew how to obtain cadavers, while 43% stated that it was important to know how the cadaver they worked with was obtained. In our study, 36% of students found it ethically acceptable to use abandoned bodies in anatomy education, and 67% found it acceptable from an educational perspective. It was concluded that students were not willing to encourage themselves, their family members, or their acquaintances to donate bodies. Conclusion: The results of this survey may provide information that will contribute to further research and the implementation of educational programs aimed at increasing medical students’ awareness of cadavers and cadaver procurement.

Keywords

• Body donation
• Body donation
• Cadaver
• Cadaver procurement
• Dissection
• Anatomy education

Tıp Eğitiminde Kadavra ve Kadavra Temini Hakkında Tıp Öğrencilerinin Görüşleri

Abstract

Amaç: Anatomi eğitiminde farklı öğrenme yöntemleri kullanılmasına rağmen, kadavranın dünya genelinde tıp eğitiminde tartışmasız önemli bir yeri bulunmaktadır. Kadavralarla anatomi eğitiminin önemine rağmen, birçok tıp fakültesinde yeterli kadavra bulunmamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, öğrencilerin kadavra ve kadavra temini konusundaki farkındalıklarını ve tutumlarını araştırmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Anket, 2023 yılında Tıp Fakültesi Dönem II ve Dönem III öğrencilerine dijital ortam üzerinden ulaştırılmıştır. Çalışmaya katılan 140 öğrenciye eğitim döneminin sonunda on altı sorudan oluşan bir anket uygulanmıştır. Bulgular: Tıp fakültesi öğrencilerinin neredeyse tamamı (%91) anatomi eğitimine kadavranın mutlaka olması gerektiğini düşünmektedir. Öğrencilerin çoğu, kadavralarla çalışırken duygusal olarak etkilenmediklerini, kaygı ve korku gibi olumsuz duygular yaşamadıklarını belirtmiştir. Kadavralarla çalışırken kadınlar erkeklerden anlamlı olarak daha fazla empati kurabilmektedir (p<0,05). Öğrencilerin %46'sı kadavra temin yollarını bilmektedir. Öğrencilerin %43'ü çalıştıkları kadavranın hangi şekilde temin edildiğini bilmenin önemli olduğunu belirtmiştir. Çalışmamızda sahipsiz bedenlerin anatomi eğitiminde kullanılmasını etik açıdan doğru bulan %36,eğitim açısından doğru bulan %67 oranından öğrenci bulunmaktadır. Öğrencilerin beden bağışı için kendilerini, aile üyelerini veya çevrelerini teşvik etmeye istekli olmadıkları sonucuna varılmıştır. Sonuç: Bu anketin sonuçları, tıp öğrencilerinin kadavra ve kadavra teminiyle ilgili farkındalıklarını artırmayı amaçlayan eğitim programlarının uygulanmasına katkıda bulunacak bilgiler sağlayabilir.

Keywords

• Beden bağışı
• Kadavra
• Kadavra temini
• Diseksiyon
• Anatomi eğitimi

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