Brain dissection is typically an important part of teaching neuroscience in health professional programs. This results in the need to effectively remove brains, which is often performed in a gross anatomy laboratory in the same curriculum. The aim of this study was to determine the most effective method of brain removal based on the time required…

As emerging technologies reshape both the body and how we represent it, anatomical education stands at a threshold. Virtual dissection tools, AI-generated images, and immersive platforms are redefining how students learn anatomy, while real-world bodies are becoming hybridized through implants, neural interfaces, and bioengineered components. This…

Surgeons and anesthesiologists use tumescent fluid to aid in the effectiveness of procedures. Injecting fluid to aid novice dissectors in improving speed, ease, and ability to distinguish planes has recently been proposed in the literature. In our study, we quantified dissections performed by first-year medical students after injecting fluid into…

There is a wide variety of preservation techniques available, and anatomy departments can select an embalming method(s) that best suits their course outcomes. Thiel embalming is becoming popular due to the life-like color and flexibility it provides tissue. This study examined student-perceived impact of learning anatomy by dissecting…

Proficiency in anatomy is pivotal in the education of future healthcare workers and ensures safe medical practice. Traditional anatomy lectures can be supplemented by a laboratory component, such as human whole-body donor dissection. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if students who take a dissection-based laboratory concurrently…

Gross anatomy is a challenging pre-clinical course in medical school. A lab combined with lecture adds extra pressure, especially if students do not have prior anatomy exposure. One possible strategy to alleviate academic stress within anatomy is to designate table leaders. Some universities implement a rotating leader over the course of the…

Gross anatomy courses utilize cadaver dissection to teach identification, topography, and spatial relationships of organs. The deconstructive nature of dissection, however, focuses students' attention on the "big picture", followed by a discovery of details. This approach may be useful for many, however some students may prefer to…

Choreographed encounters with death in Copenhagen Zoo, such as school and public dissections, emphasize the importance of touch and are underpinned by the moral imperative to understand the nature of life and death. Such encounters are framed by zoo educators as contributing to a deeper environmental awareness. Taking the role of dead animals in…

This study describes the process of developing a high-impact, low-cost, and low-maintenance air ventilation system for anatomy facilities. It employed the strategic application of Value Engineering (VE), assuring that the air ventilation system meets contemporary threshold limit values (TLVs) for formaldehyde in the working zone of dissection…

Adherence to the highest ethical standards is mandatory while handling precious human tissues received through the altruistic act of body donation. In 2019, misconduct at the Body Donation Center in Paris led to its closure. This adversely affected the hands-on human dissection sessions within the anatomy education program at Université…

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the medical education worldwide. The infection risk for medical students and healthcare personnel who work with COVID-19 positive cadavers or tissues remains unclear. Moreover, COVID-19 positive cadavers have been rejected by medical schools, adversely impacting the continuum of medical education. Herein,…

Anatomy education in the undergraduate medical curriculum faces many competing interests, including the increasing demand for ultrasound learning. Instead of being treated as a separate subject, ultrasound can offer a unique lens to visualize anatomy without using cadaveric materials. This study used a randomized controlled design to compare…

Anatomy is an essential component of clinical anesthesiology. The use of simulated patients and alternative materials, including embalmed human bodies, have become increasingly common during resident physician training due to the deemphasis on anatomical education during undergraduate medical training. In this report, the need for a more extensive…

The development of anatomy as a scientific undertaking appears to have left little room for religious and cultural input into the conduct of anatomical investigations. This has been brought to the fore by questionnaires regarding the willingness or otherwise of individuals to donate their bodies for dissection, with higher levels of willingness…

The aim of this project was to create a prosected specimen that demonstrates the integration of the central and peripheral nervous system with the maintenance of key anatomical landmarks for use as an educational resource. In this dissection, the brain, brainstem, spinal cord, eyes, and optic nerves and tracts were removed along with spinal roots…