Physical and emotional impact of cadaver dissection on innovative medical education students: a survey in Ethiopia

Year 2018, Volume: 12 Issue: 3, 145 - 151, 31.12.2018

Melese Shenkut Abebe

Abstract

Objectives: Although many studies have been conducted worldwide to
investigate the positive and negative experiences of the cadaver room, there is
no documented research in medical schools delivering the new innovative medical
education (NIME) curriculum which involves teaching students who already
receive a bachelor degree in any natural science including health sciences and
having at least two years of work experience. Therefore, this study aimed to
assess the effect of cadaver dissection both physically and emotionally on NIME
students.

Methods: A survey was done on 82 first and second-year NIME
students using standard structured questionnaire. The students were evaluated
according to gender, religion and ethnicity.

Results: Students experienced multiple symptoms in the dissection
room. The most prevalent physical symptoms were nausea (32%), palpitation
(20.7%) and sweating (17.1%). In addition to these, sadness (41.5%), fear
(34.1%) and worry (29.3%) were mostly reported emotional experiences. Females
were more significantly nervous than males (p=0.03). Students of Oromo
ethnicity reported a significantly higher degree of fainting (p=0.03),
dizziness (p=0.02), and palpitation (p=0.02) than other ethnic students.
Sweating and breathlessness were significantly decreased in year two compared
to year one students (p<0.05). The smell of the cadaver was the most
stressing aspect of the cadaver room. Females had nightmares more significantly
than males in the post-dissection period (p=0.04).

Conclusion: Students experience a variety of physical and emotional
symptoms during dissection. These can affect the performance of the students.
this study provides data for these symptoms in NIME students, and their
relation to gender, religion and ethnicity. 

Keywords

Physical impact, Emotional impact, Cadaver dissection

References

• Reference1