Keeping calm with cadaveric dissection in medical curricula (Letter)

Abstract

We read with interest the recently published article by Zubair et al. that studied the psychological impact of cadaveric dissection on first-year medical students at two teaching hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan.1 Anatomy is considered a cornerstone of basic sciences in medicine and, as a result, incorporated in the foundation years of medical curricula. As the authors rightfully indicated, cadaveric dissection provides a unique role in learning about the human structure and function. The authors concluded that symptoms of acute stress disorder (ASD) were present in the cohort involved with first-time dissection and this was particularly more apparent in female students. We agree that the presence of ASD symptoms may lead to detrimental effects in learning among the cohort of junior medical students and support the notion that preparedness and possible desensitisation may help reduce these symptoms.