REACTION OF MEDICAL STUDENTS TO EXPERIENCES IN DISSECTION ROOM

Abstract

BACKGROUND: As preclinical medical students start and/or enter the course, they go through theanatomy curriculum, which involves interaction with cadavers and cadaveric material. The objective ofthis study was to determine the reactions of preclinical medical students from year two and year three tothe dissecting room.METHODS: Questionnaire was distributed to all second and third year medical students. Thequestionnaire was designed with the objective of identifying specific patterns of attitudes held andproblems faced by the students in their first exposure to the human cadaver. The results are analyzedstatistically using the SPSS 16.0 software and P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS: The commonest symptoms experienced were loss of appetite (43.29% year 2 and 34.86 %third year students). The commonest cause of their symptoms was studied and the result shows that it wasthe smell of the dissection room, as reported by 67.01% of year two students; and 54.12% for year 3students.CONCLUSION: The present study findings show that smell of the dissection room, touch and fear ofcadaver were the commonest cause of their symptoms experienced while study in dissection room for themajority of students. Thus, instructors are should give awareness raising education before thecommencement of the dissection session to the students both mentally and emotionally ready to do theirwork enthusiastically and confidently. Moreover, it is necessary to make the laboratory tidy for thestudents so that they develop a love for the dissection room.