Medical uncertainty and the autopsy: occult benefits for students

The autopsy has been of great importance in educating students regarding medical uncertainty. The marked decline in the use of the autopsy in medical education and continuing education has contributed significantly to the current discomfort among physicians regarding medical uncertainty and medical errors, which, in turn, has furthered the decline of the autopsy. Inordinate guilt, denial, and other defensive behaviors that many physicians marshall in response to uncertainty and error prevent these individuals from learning from their mistakes. The autopsy experience during medical school, properly utilized, helps students to confront fallibility and sets the stage for later successful management of uncertainty and error.