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Quantifying Cadaver Use in Physician Assistant Anatomy Education
Mackenzie C Precht1, Cynthia C Bennett, Janet M Cope
1Mackenzie C. Precht, MS, is a recent graduate of Elon University, and a Pediatric PA at Hickory Grove Pediatrics in Charlotte, North Carolina. Cynthia C. Bennett, MD, is a professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at Elon University in Elon, North Carolina. Janet M. Cope, PhD, OTR/L, is a professor in the Department of Physical Therapy Education at Elon University in Elon, North Carolina.
Physician assistant (PA) anatomy programs use hundreds of cadavers annually, but many educators lack knowledge of their origins. Ensuring ethical sourcing and informed consent is crucial for PA education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Anatomy
- Ethics in Medicine
Background:
- Physician Assistant (PA) programs increasingly rely on cadavers for anatomy education.
- Understanding the sourcing and ethical implications of cadaver use is vital for maintaining educational integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the number of cadavers utilized in PA anatomy education.
- To determine the sources from which these cadavers are obtained.
Main Methods:
- An electronic survey was distributed to all accredited PA programs.
- Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey responses.
Main Results:
- A 49% response rate was achieved, with 79% of programs using 655 cadavers (1:5.72 student ratio).
- Cadavers originated from medical schools (62%), in-house programs (23%), state boards (19%), and other sources (9-8%).
- Many educators were uncertain about cadaver origins (27% uncertain, 22% unaccounted for), with only 56% confirmed as registered donors.
Conclusions:
- A significant portion of PA educators (45%) are unaware of or uncertain about the origins of cadavers used in their programs.
- Over 289 of 655 reported cadavers were not categorized as registered donors, highlighting potential ethical concerns.
- Awareness of cadaver origins and ensuring informed consent are essential for ethical PA education, especially with program expansion.
