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[Anatomy practice and medical education].
1Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Psiquiatria, Brasil. lianabastos@ax.apc.org
Summary
Medical education can be dehumanizing; however, anatomy practice with cadavers, when guided by discussion, positively impacts first-semester medical students. This approach fosters empathy, improving the physician-patient relationship and countering impersonal medical care.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Anatomy
- Medical Psychology
Context:
- Medical education often promotes a distant physician-patient relationship.
- Cadaver dissection is a pedagogical practice that may contribute to physician dehumanization.
- The student-cadaver relationship can model the future physician-patient dynamic.
Purpose:
- To study the impact of guided anatomy practice on first-semester medical students.
- To explore how structured group discussions about cadavers influence medical students' perceptions.
- To assess the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at fostering empathy in medical training.
Summary:
- A study involving 384 first-semester medical students at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro examined the impact of guided anatomy sessions with cadavers.
- Students participated in small group discussions focusing on initial encounters, respect for the cadaver, and perceptions of humanity.
- The intervention, coordinated by medical psychology and anatomy professors, involved four 1-hour meetings per semester over four semesters.
Impact:
- The study found that the guided anatomy practice was a positive experience for the majority of students.
- Group discussions helped reduce student anxiety regarding cadavers.
- This pedagogical approach has the potential to foster a more humane physician-patient relationship and counteract the trend of dehumanized medical care.